Entertainers Basketball Classic Lives Up To Its Name Future comes down the court, does a crossover (the crowd goes wild), puts the ball under his foot and continues to dribble (the crowd goes wild again), throws a no-look pass to Main Event, and he slams it home...

...After being scored on by Shamgod, Skip-To-My-Lou demands the ball and he gets it. The crowd stands in the bleachers, which happens each time Skip and Shamgod go at it. This is the match up every person in Harlem, NY has been waiting for. Skip comes down court dancing, the crowd goes wild, and he starts to go faster. He completes a crossover on Sham and then runs in front of him, throws the ball in the air, claps his hands twice and taps the ball to his teammate who completes a dunk. The crowd goes so wild that they rush the court to give Skip a handshake. Eventually, the court clears off and they continue to play the game.

The Entertainers Basketball Classic (E.B.C.) tournament is always a good show. Games are played between Monday and Thursday at Rucker Park the games are played..afternoon. If itÕs raining, games are played at Gauchos gym in Bronx, NY, where you have to pay two dollars to get in.

Basketball players from all over Harlem, NY are sponsored by major music, sneaker, magazine and clothing companies like Reebok, Tommy Hilfiger, Jive Records, Mecca, Slam Magazine, Bad Boy Records, Ruff Ryders and more. streetballing stars like Half Man/Half Amazin, Capt.Nappy, Sick One, Larry!, As the World Turns, Young and the Restless, A-Whole-Lot-of-Game, Alley Moe, IÕll Be Right Back, Future, Skip-To-My-Lou, Boogie Smith and Main Event all play in the tournament at Rucker Park. Some of the players even get a chance to play professional basketball. Shamgod (a.k.a. Shamgod Wells) moved on to the N.B.A. to play for the Milwaukee Bucks, and Future is going to the I.B.L. I know that other players will follow their foot steps and go on to other leagues. Just think, E.B.C. players donÕt even get paid.

You may have seen a few commercials by And 1 showing impressive clips of the E.B.C. tournament, and thatÕs not even the beginning of what you will see at an actual E.B.C. game. If you are in the New York area, take the D train or the M10 bus to 155th street and Fredrick Douglas Ave., stand in line and wait to be amazed.

The tournament is full of great teams but certain teams stick out like Bad Boy, Ruff Ryders, 360Hip-Hop.com, Vacant Lot, Karl Kani, Tommy Hilfiger and BlackHand. If these teams show up, you better expect the stands to be full. Every time you go to an E.B.C. game, itÕs like going to an NBA All-Star game. I can only imagine what the E.B.C.Õs all-star game would look like!