Tuesday, January 26th, 2010 at 10:00 pm  |  14 responses

Video: Heaven is a Playground 35th Anniversary

Thirty-five years ago, at Foster Park in Brooklyn, playground legends were born while author Rick Telander was watching. This past December, spurred by SLAM and Converse, they got back together again to celebrate the success of Rick’s book, Heaven is a Playground. This is the first time video from the event has been released to the public. Enjoy.

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  • http://www.another48minutes.com Gerard Himself

    so cool. And I want to read this book so badly.

  • http://slamonline.com Ben Osborne

    Yeah, Gerard, it was an amazing night. Huge thanks to Stanley Lumax, Bobbito Garcia, Dennis Page and, of course, Rick Telander and all the great people from the book! Want to read the book? Buy it from Rick’s site! http://www.heavenisaplayground.com/

  • dankNuggs

    greatest book ever

  • Homie

    Great book, and great video. was that the infamous Lang Whitaker I saw in the background of a few shots?

  • lowblow

    one of the few books that i’ve actually read outside of school…and i have to say it is truly great

  • http://www.slamonline.com/online/category/blogs/farmer-jones/ Ryan Jones

    Nice catch, homie — Lang is the guy Bobbito has his arm around at the 2:27 mark.

  • http://www.eric32woodyard.wordpress.com Eric Woodyard

    Great video! I love Bobbito…he seem real cool

  • Homie

    thought so. A buddy of mine (played on my college team, I was the manager) lives in NYC and went to the exhibit recently. Said he met Albert King. Looks like a must see if you’re a hoophead in the NYC area.

  • http://www.bouncemag.com bobbito garcia aka kool bob love

    video came out flaves! thanks for the big ups, mr. eric woodyard. and props to my homeboy dj rich medina for playing the butters that night. he had albert king dancin’ up in that piece! classic, but not quite as classic as Rick’s book. that’s the butters right there. whaddup ben!

  • Jeff Min

    What an amazing video, wow. Wish I could have been there, but either way much respect to SLAM, Converse, Bobbito and of course Rick & Co.

  • Joseph Pidoriano

    Really proud of my friend Winston and all of his good friends for helping to create this masterpiece which will preserve this moment in time for eternity. Special rememberance to a true gentleman named Rodney who taught me a few lessons in the world of backgammon. Many thanks to Rick and all the players who brought this together. Hey Albert…you still have those overalls?

  • Rich Medina

    It was an honor to be the selector at this event man. so many legends i had only seen in pictures, so many legends i had only seen on tv, so many old dudes looking young and hip….all for a fantastic cause. Rick Telander is a gentleman and a scholar no doubt. Thanks to my best friend Kool Bob Love for doing a fantastic job emceeing the night, and big up to Stan Lomax & Dan Cherry for coordinating it all. Hats off gentlemen…now off to do some Mikan drills…1 hunnit

  • Soprano Elisaldez

    That was too cool, big ups to all the East coast cats who made that book all possible.

  • http://Google Johnny Roe

    I played against Albert King back in 74 in C.Y.O. while he played for Saint James in Brooklyn and I played for Saint Teresa in Queens for a C.Y.O. Championship and I think they won that game.
    I also had the opportunity to read the book many years ago and seen Fly and Bernard Harden play along with O’neil Terrent and Loyd Free while at Gilford.
    There was also a guy named Erine Dose from Boys High that was really a good player if anyone can remember him.
    Nice to see that people came together for a wonderful event and the past is not forgotten.

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