# Can and1 players/street ballers ever hold a candle to NBA players?



## TiMVP2 (Jun 19, 2003)

I think no. Everyone wants to be in the NBA, but some people think street ballers/and1 players are better than most nba players
i think they wouldnt be that great 

you??


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## Brandname (May 24, 2006)

No, not even close.


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## TiMVP2 (Jun 19, 2003)

wait what the hell does hold a candle to mean?? what was i thinking


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## Dre (Jun 20, 2003)

If you're talking in a sense of organized ball, obviously not. Most streetballers would rather be in the league but couldn't find breaks or weren't talented enough.

On the street though, they reign supreme.


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## Drewbs (Feb 16, 2004)

The thing is, people only ever see the highlights of the playground moves and dunks and whatnot, they never show on TV all the bricks and turnovers that occur most of the time.


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## unluckyseventeen (Feb 5, 2006)

The NBA plays at a speed that would drop streetballers in about 3 minutes, since streetball is actually a pretty slow game. The streetballers could shoot jumpers, dunk, be able to do all those kinds of skills very well. The way it would be separated is the conditioning requirement in the NBA, which doesn't really seem like that big of a difference, but that alone would be a prime reason why NBA players would run them out of the gym.

They'd also get dominated in the post. NBA post players (the good ones) are armed with an arsenal of post moves, or just physical strength and athletic ability to score over the biggest dudes you've ever seen. I've never seen a streetballer with dominating post moves and certainly not anything near NBA quality.

Add to the fact that nobody plays defense in streetball...

Yeah, it's not close.


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## Dre (Jun 20, 2003)

It takes a special player to be a successful "streetballer" and then fit within the flow of an NBA offense. 

I think defensively, a lot of "streetballers" have pride there, so at least they'll care. They'll just need physical tools to back them up.

And the reason you've never seen a dominant post player on the streets is because anyone over 6-7 or so is trying to go the organized route. The streets are for the offensive oriented players who couldn't fit within a team concept or weren't good shooters.


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## Eternal (Sep 7, 2005)

Not even close, and agree with alot of the posts here.


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## different_13 (Aug 30, 2005)

Obviously there's Skip, and he's not that great..

As mentioned, no defense + small size + lack of stamina = crap league baller.


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## Diable (Apr 26, 2005)

Most of those guys wouldn't even be great college players and great college players fail in the NBA over and over again.Streetball is more about entertainment than anything else.In real basketball you have to be able to play a role and you have to be able to play within the rules.In streetball you simply try to put on a show.


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## btyler (May 4, 2005)

It depends. There are some street ball players who are better than some NBA players. Not AND1 specifically.

For example, TeamFlightBrothers player Brandon "Werm" Lacue has really nice range, great form on his shot, as well as nice defensive abilities, and a great one-legged jump.

AND1 has a player by the name of Hugh "Baby Shack" Jones. He is probably the most legitimate street basketball player I've seen in my life. I saw him play live, and he had an amazing shot, and didn't spend the whole time dunking, or getting dunked on. He didn't have extravagant handles or anything special. He was a very well-put-together player. Even Shaq said that he needed to be in the league.

Then there are the players like Spyda. He has a decent shot, he's got nice hops but he's only 5'10". He wouldn't do great in the NBA. All he really does is dunk. Professor just dribbles, and has nice passes, and can get around players, but he's not fit for the NBA. Springs dunks and does lays. That's it.

So obviously, not all streetballers are fit for the NBA. But not all NBA players are better than streetball players. For example, I'd rather have Werm or Baby Shack in the league than, say, Jacque Vaughn or Damon Stoudamire.


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## Dre (Jun 20, 2003)

AO tried out for the Sonics once. I think he could've been a 3rd point guard in a fast paced offense in his prime, but he's too old now.

Baby Shack seems like he'd be a good rotation guard, but he's only like 6-4 isn't he?


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## billfindlay10 (Jan 24, 2003)

Rules rules rules rules.....street ballers don't play basketball.....nuff said!!!!!!!!!


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## TiMVP2 (Jun 19, 2003)

Nice Jab at the spurs tyler  I'd rather have Jacque and Damon than any and1 ballers..really, I mean if they were good enough to be in the league, they'd be in it...


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## SamTheMan67 (Jan 4, 2004)

Helicopter has a ton of skills. I think he could play in the NBA. also on nike battlegrounds they had a guy who used to play on the phoenix suns but got cut cuz he got gun possesion charges.. i forget his name but he can jump out of the frekin gym!


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## Dre (Jun 20, 2003)

Kenny Brunner/Bad Santa played for G'Town and was a decent prospect at PG. He got into a lot of trouble though and never caught on again, he's in the D-League now though.

http://www.socalhoops.com/prep00/0800/brunner0827.htm


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## hroz (Mar 4, 2006)

Rafer made it but he is no superstar. The rules etc are different obviously its more about entertainment in AND 1. Some would make it but not as a superstar.


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## d_jizzle (Feb 12, 2007)

Well Kobe Bryant absolutely DOMINATED at Rucker Park a few years ago. NBA guards are capable of doing streetball moves themselves too but obviously they don't do those kinds of moves in the league itself.


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## bball2223 (Jul 21, 2006)

Baby Shaq I think could hold his own in the league. He has very good range on his jumper and it's consistent. He is also a decent athlete. His problem as Dre mentioned is size. Helicopter probably could play a little bit in the league, not a superstar but a decent player off the bench. The Butler guy they had on the tour for a little while (in like 2003, and 2004 sorry I haven't followed the tour since 2006) from Utah State (Balaholic I think his name was) could probably get a little burn too. Most of them couldn't make it in the league though. All Spyda does is dunk, Professor would get destroyed by bigger guards, Hot Sauce would be garbage, basically everyone else on the tour wouldn't cut it. BTW the And1 tour sucks compared to what it was in 2002-2004.


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## Dre (Jun 20, 2003)

bball2223 said:


> Baby Shaq I think could hold his own in the league. He has very good range on his jumper and it's consistent. He is also a decent athlete. His problem as Dre mentioned is size. Helicopter probably could play a little bit in the league, not a superstar but a decent player off the bench. The Butler guy they had on the tour for a little while (in like 2003, and 2004 sorry I haven't followed the tour since 2006) from Utah State (Balaholic I think his name was) could probably get a little burn too. Most of them couldn't make it in the league though. All Spyda does is dunk, Professor would get destroyed by bigger guards, Hot Sauce would be garbage, basically everyone else on the tour wouldn't cut it. BTW the And1 tour sucks compared to what it was in 2002-2004.


Yeah once they split into two tours, it went downhill.


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## bball2223 (Jul 21, 2006)

d_jizzle said:


> Well Kobe Bryant absolutely DOMINATED at Rucker Park a few years ago. NBA guards are capable of doing streetball moves themselves too but obviously they don't do those kinds of moves in the league itself.


Yeah but Kobe can handle the ball way better than any of the streetball players on the AND1 tour. I mean in a clean, legal sort of way.


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## bballlife (Oct 5, 2003)

unluckyseventeen said:


> The NBA plays at a speed that would drop streetballers in about 3 minutes, since streetball is actually a pretty slow game. The streetballers could shoot jumpers, dunk, be able to do all those kinds of skills very well. The way it would be separated is the conditioning requirement in the NBA, which doesn't really seem like that big of a difference, but that alone would be a prime reason why NBA players would run them out of the gym.
> 
> They'd also get dominated in the post. NBA post players (the good ones) are armed with an arsenal of post moves, or just physical strength and athletic ability to score over the biggest dudes you've ever seen. I've never seen a streetballer with dominating post moves and certainly not anything near NBA quality.
> 
> ...



More whistles and stops in playground ball? More half-court offense? I don't think so. The conditioning argument makes very little sense. A lot of players not in the NBA get up and down just as well as the average NBA player. 


In general, a good basketball player relies on the fundamentals. Most top notch playground players do not have sound fundamentals. Keep in mind, a lot of good street players never had a chance at making the NBA because they either decided against going to college, couldn't get in, or faced other obstacles. 


And 1 players do not play the same game. Simply not as good when the rules of basketball are applied in an organized setting.


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## bball2223 (Jul 21, 2006)

bballlife said:


> More whistles and stops in playground ball? More half-court offense? I don't think so. The conditioning argument makes very little sense. A lot of players not in the NBA get up and down just as well as the average NBA player.
> 
> 
> In general, a good basketball player relies on the fundamentals. Most top notch playground players do not have sound fundamentals. Keep in mind, a lot of good street players never had a chance at making the NBA because they either decided against going to college, couldn't get in, or faced other obstacles.
> ...



You hit the nail on the head, the main difference between the two (or one of them) is the fact NBA players have Great fundamentals, streetballers don't.


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## luther (Nov 2, 2007)

It's hard to compare, considering street ball players aren't even playing basketball. It's like asking whether professional wrestlers could win Olympic wrestling matches.

In other words, the overwhelming majority of the time, no. Not even close.


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## Sliccat (Oct 16, 2004)

Dre™ said:


> If you're talking in a sense of organized ball, obviously not. Most streetballers would rather be in the league but couldn't find breaks or weren't talented enough.
> 
> On the street though, they reign supreme.


Not really. I remember Kenny Smith talking about scoring 50 in a street ball game. Those guys are just flashier.


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## bball2223 (Jul 21, 2006)

Sliccat said:


> Not really. I remember Kenny Smith talking about scoring 50 in a street ball game. Those guys are just flashier.


I believe that was in a SLAM article 4 or 5 years ago, way back when he used to do the mothly ending column.


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## Dre (Jun 20, 2003)

Sliccat said:


> Not really. I remember Kenny Smith talking about scoring 50 in a street ball game. Those guys are just flashier.


Being flashy is a major part of their package, that's why you rarely see players who just score with no flair on And1 tours etc. There's a different set of standards.


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## BDB (Dec 19, 2006)

AO said he din't like to lift weights he didn't have the right mindset. 
Baby Shaq has the body just needs to grind it out in the D-League if he wants to go that route.
Skip (Rafer Alston) was lucky he got invited to play for Jerry Tarkanian he worked real hard to make it in the NBA.


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## roux (Jun 20, 2006)

And1 is to the NBA like WWE is to Olympic Wrestlers/UFC/Pro Boxers. These guys are tremendous athletes and physical freaks, but like the other "entertainers" in the sports world they would find themselves completely outmatched when faced with the real thing.


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## afobisme (Apr 29, 2006)

wait, how did rafer play with and1 if he's been in the nba since the 99-00 season?


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## roux (Jun 20, 2006)

afobisme said:


> wait, how did rafer play with and1 if he's been in the nba since the 99-00 season?


He was a streetball legend i believe.


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## Nate505 (Aug 22, 2003)

MDIZZ said:


> I think no. Everyone wants to be in the NBA, but some people think street ballers/and1 players are better than most nba players
> i think they wouldnt be that great
> 
> you??


Those people are idiots. But they do exist. I remember hearing a guy claim that John Stockton couldn't compete in streetball against the and1 guys because he wasn't "flashy" enough.


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## afobisme (Apr 29, 2006)

imagine john stockton with his short shorts competing against and1 guys..


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## roux (Jun 20, 2006)

afobisme said:


> imagine john stockton with his short shorts competing against and1 guys..


He would school the crap out of them.


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## TexasG (Jun 4, 2002)

afobisme said:


> wait, how did rafer play with and1 if he's been in the nba since the 99-00 season?


Rafer is considered by many to be one of the greatest street ballers of all time. Not And1 specifically but there was a point in time where he dominated Rucker. He gave that up to play in the NBA. I heard him say once that he had to break a lot of bad habits (in regards to fundamentals) that he picked up playing streetball.


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## roux (Jun 20, 2006)

TexasG said:


> Rafer is considered by many to be one of the greatest street ballers of all time. Not And1 specifically but there was a point in time where he dominated Rucker. He gave that up to play in the NBA. I heard him say once that he had to break a lot of bad habits (in regards to fundamentals) that he picked up playing streetball.


During his rookie season with the bucks he got called for a carry/travel/doubkedribble about 3-4 times a game minimum, thats incredible since he did play college ball (at fresno state i believe and they didnt bother to teach fundamentals there.


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## BlackNRed (Feb 9, 2005)

MDIZZ said:


> I think no. Everyone wants to be in the NBA, but *some people think street ballers/and1 players are better than most nba players*i think they wouldnt be that great
> 
> you??


Who does? Street ball is pretty much a joke to me. They can't do most of their little tricks without breaking basic dribbling rules (traveling, carrying etc.) Those guys are entertainers, not basketball players.


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## King Sancho Fantastic (Jul 19, 2005)

i cant believe Smush Parker started for us...


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## bball2223 (Jul 21, 2006)

afobisme said:


> wait, how did rafer play with and1 if he's been in the nba since the 99-00 season?


uhhhhh in the offseason


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## afobisme (Apr 29, 2006)

bball2223 said:


> uhhhhh in the offseason


uh, i thought it was implied that rafer got lucky and made his way to the nba through and1.



BDB said:


> AO said he din't like to lift weights he didn't have the right mindset.
> Baby Shaq has the body just needs to grind it out in the D-League if he wants to go that route.
> *Skip (Rafer Alston) was lucky he got invited to play for Jerry Tarkanian he worked real hard to make it in the NBA.*


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## BDB (Dec 19, 2006)

afobisme said:


> uh, i thought it was implied that rafer got lucky and made his way to the nba through and1.


He was on the first And1 mixtape they say at 16 sometime later he got invited to Fresno State. He Played 1 year I think and got drafted by the Bucks. 
Sam Cassell was the starter I forget who was the backup but Skip barely got PT.


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## HoopTube (Jan 30, 2008)

Good job everyone with chipping in information of And1 personel like Rafer and the rest.. There are rarely information about their history and hardships except for one articles that was featured Rafer yrs ago. Hopefully this thread can go on and on~~


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## OneBadLT123 (Oct 4, 2005)

roux2dope said:


> During his rookie season with the bucks he got called for a carry/travel/doubkedribble about 3-4 times a game minimum, thats incredible since he did play college ball (at fresno state i believe and they didnt bother to teach fundamentals there.


Yeah I remember that as well. Now though, hes a lot better. And sometimes the moves he does makes my jaw drop sometimes. Its amazing.


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