Contest: Brooklyn Nets Apparel

Without a doubt my favorite baller from Brooklyn is Sebastian Telfair. Critics say he was a bust. A guy that made the wrong decision by going straight to the NBA instead of college. Just another draft pick that didn’t turn out as planned. But when I think of him, I think of a guy that inspired a whole neighborhood. To the people of Coney Island, Telfair is the image of hope and a one-way ticket out of poverty. They see a guy that has poured countless hours of dedication into something he was good at. It was his passion for the game of basketball and discipline that influenced much of his accomplishments. Sebastian Telfair embodies everything that is Brooklyn: hard work, determination and perseverance. Sounds like a success to me.

Chris Mullin without a dout
There was a time in the early 1990s where Mullin was considered the best SF in the league. Pippen hadn’t quite developed into the defensive monster and offensively skilled player he’d turn into during the mid 1990s. Bird had several injury issues and his game was clearly on the decline. Nique wasn’t having much team success hence why people didn’t think of him that highly. Worthy was on the decline as well after a few ankle injuries and making deep playoff runs. So, Mullin seized the opportunity and rose to the top with his peak being around 1992 where he was named to the Dream Team and the All-NBA first team.
I enjoyed watching him play. Terrific shooter from all ranges; one of the best I’ve ever seen. He could also pass really well and played point forward on occasion with Hardaway resting or playing off-ball. Definitely had good court vision.
His jumper was smooth as butter … dude was wet with that left-handed stroke. Really crafty as well making impossible spin shots by flipping the ball to the basket from all angles (underneath the rim, over bigger defenders etc). Could hit runners, floaters and finished really well with contact due to supreme concentration. He also moved really well off-ball being in the right spot at the right time. Would hit that spot up, catch and shoot jumper in the blink of an eye.
Underrated defender too. He had really quick hands that resulted in a lot of steals and deflections. Played the passing lanes really well and stripped people straight up although his man defense wasn’t the greatest. He had trouble guarding penetrating and explosive small forwards.
One thing that always amazed me was his consistency. You knew what you were going to get from him every night. My favorite memory of him is his play in G2 of the Warriors/Lakers showdown in the 1991 playoffs where he absolutely abused Magic Johnson which led to Magic comparing his game to the legendary … Larry Bird.
It is for these reasons that Mullin is one of my all-time favourites, not just within Brooklyn, but in the world.

FOr me it’s Stephon. I have a lot of respect for him to endure what he endured and then to get a scholarship and become an NBA household name at one point. And so much respect for his off the court prowess. I know what it’s like to not have the cool gear other kids had growing up. WHen Steph came out with his Starbury shoes, wow it was amazing. Give those who can’t afford some stylish shoes a chance to buy some. I love my Starbury 2′s. I have the red white and blue ones that I still wear. Kept them in great shape. Thanks Steph for that. When Steve and Barry’s went under, I was pretty devastated. And I’m really happy that Steph is having a great time in China. He’s now getting a statue because they don’t give Americans rings for a title or something? I forget, but I know he has a statue in China for his basketball title he brought them. Wow, just a kid from Brooklyn who made it big and now has a statue of himself in a foreign country! Proud of you Steph.

Dwayne Washington because he was the father of the illest dribble move ever…… The killer cross over…. I actually read that bit of info in a Tim hardaway interview in a slam. With out him there would be no killer cross over

Mr. Starbury is my favorite for a simple reason. A kid born and raised in BK with a lot of heart for the game and went onto play in the NBA and become an NBA All-Star and part of the Olympic team. He was like a role model to me, I still have his Knicks jersey hanging on my bedroom wall and I’m proud of it. It was good to see him finally win a championship in China, watching the celebration after the final seconds really brought tears to my eyes. It showed that he still has his unconditional love for the game and I hope he can win another one. What a beautiful career!

My favorite player to come out of Brooklyn is most definitely Michael Jordan . Not only did he average 30.1 pouts per game throughout his career, his playoff numbers were even better (33.4). Besides averaging the most points ever, he was arguebally one of the beat defenders of his time. Michael Jordan was hands down the beat player on the court during his era . His work ethic was phenomenal and even though he moved to north Carolina as a toddler we still get to claim him as a new Yorker!

Who other than Michael Jordan? He’s the NBA’s all-time leading scorer in both the regular season (30.12 points per game average) and playoffs (33.4)which completely changed the way basketball was played. As a kid of the 90′s, “I wanna be like Mike” mean’t we wanted to fly, dunk, get under the skin of our opponents by one upping them in every aspect of the game, and score with our tongue hanging out. Who else from the borough made every kid, from New York to China want to do that? The one and only; His Airness.

John Strickland hands down. I used to watch him play at Dyckman as a kid. He was an animal and a great entertainer on the court. You got to hook me up SLAM because I used to finish my breakfast every morning cause that is what he used to say all the time. Jay-Z even references that in “Public Serice Announcement.”

Carmelo Anthony. He bleeds NY. You can see it in his game, his demeanour, and his style. He is my favorite player from NY because of his drive to win, improve and to take over games even when everyone else on his team has given up. I saw a personal side of him when he talked about his first game as a NY Knick. I respect that fact that he loves his hometown and will rep them to the fullest.

Chris Mullin – Flat top – Serious game.

While he’s a fictional character, I gotta go with Jesus Shuttlesworth. Man he had it all; swag, a smooth game, and a lot of action with the females (whoowee!). But in all seriousness, just how he achieved to become the humble, yet incredibly talented person he was on and off the court, despite all the hardships and turbulence he had to endure growing up, is inspiring. I know it’s a cliche, but it just goes to show you how being humble, while committed to working hard, pays off. Lastly, this quote he uttered in the movie “Basketball is like poetry in motion, cross the guy to the left, take him back to the right, he’s fallin’ back, then just J right in his face. Then you look at him and say, “What?”, man that was music to my ears. To this day, I’m still pulling off that exact move whenever I play ball. In fact, it became my go to move.

Clearly… it’s Melo. Since Jordan retired and Vince gave up on the Raptors, he’s pretty much all I’ve had. Everything about him is just smooth. The jumper, the jab steps, the offcourt swag. Through the supspensions, the fights, the first round exits, I’ve always stuck by him and that ain’t never gonna change

oh wait he’s from jersey, same difference.

Hands down, MJ. Michael Jordan, was born in Brooklyn, NY on February 17, 1963. Jordan’s family moved to North Carolina when he was a toddler, and he grew up in the Tar Heel state. But the city, or borough, of Brooklyn can claim Jordan as one of its own. The tongue, the swagger, he revolutionized the sport. His appeal was not only in the US but was a global icon.

As soon as I saw “favorite basketball player from Brooklyn”, I instantly thought of Sebastian Telfair. I remember back in 04 watching And1 Streetball on ESPN weekday afternoons and one day “Through The Fire” came on afterwards. Don’t remember the documentary very clearly, but I do remember that it showed Bassy as a hometown hero and documented his journey/dream to play in the L. I remember watching that doc hoping that he’d go on to have a great career nd being a 13 yr old hoopshead at the time, to see another young boy doing it gave me a lot of hope about making it to the NBA (though reality soon hit).

Him and Bron were arguably the 2 most hyped players coming out of hs nd even though their careers have been completely opposite of each other, Bassy’s still making some noise and after a solid season in PHX might finally be coming into his own. After entering the league as an overhyped, flashy point guard nd after facing everything from robbery to gun charges to the journeyman lifestyle, hes still going strong nd hopefully will find a solid role soon. The noise may not be as loud as it was before, but you can definitley still hear the sound.

chris mullen was definently my favorite Broklyn baller! He brought a certain source of toughness and dedication to the game that can only be found in a New Yorker like himself. Along with TMC, they use to kill it in the bay and make for some very entertaining ball.

Bernard King born in Brooklyn, NY on December 4, 1956. Three great seasons at the University of Tennessee.

lenny wilkins..one of the few in the NBA to play and coach at the same time. he had to be great in order to do that. and he’s one of the greatest coaches to ever coach.

Lorenzo Charles, he made the best basket in the history of basketball. He stayed and went to high school in Brooklyn.

Connie Hawkins. The Hawk was born and raised in Brooklyn. Played in the ABA, NBA, and the Harlem Globetrotters. A Hall of Famer who started playing his hoops on the blacktops of Brooklyn.

Mine would have to be Sebastian Telfair. He grew up a star and was always an exciting high school player with Jay-Z himself watching high school games. And even though in some people’s minds he didn’t live up to the hype, he still is playing in the NBA and just one the hustle award. Very admirable.

Earl Manigault AKA The GOAT, Is a legend of great talent and human with mistakes just like anybody. His life was like a dream when he has everything to make it big, he has to fight against the struggle and get over and work for the community.

I would have to go a different direction than most and go with Taj Gibson. No, Taj is not a superstar nor did he change the game in a drastic, but his impact is felt in every game. The main thing I like about his game is his obvious passion for the game. The man is one of the most electrifying players in the league when coming off the bench. From his thunderous dunks to his stunning blocks, Taj makes an impact each time he take the court. You can see his passion each time he yells after a huge play or when he waves his arms yelling for the fans in Chicago to make some noise. Another aspect I love about his game is that he knows his role. He knows that he is a bench player and he never lets his ego get in the way. He goes out on the court and tries to play like Taj Gibson, nobody else. The man has an obvious love and passion for the game, and that’s what I love the most about him.

MJ is from NC…and dont you forget it.

^^^ P.S., not quite sure how you manage to misspell the word ‘doubt’ after copying my entire piece…