BY ROBERT ELKIN | All-Star weekend in February was a tremendous success in New York City.
But it wasn’t only all about the NBA All-Star Game that took place on Sunday night. There were different venues hosting various events, some at the same time. There was something for everyone. However, most of the attention was devoted to the kids.
Baruch College hosted the first-ever Basketball Without Borders Global Camp, a development program that has reached more than 2,000 teenage players from 120 countries, and whose alumni include pros Danilo Gallinari and Tiago Splitter.
In addition, Nick Sports celebrated the premiere of the documentary “Little Ballers” with a screening at Pier 60 at Chelsea Piers. The film profiles a group of kids chasing their basketball dreams through the Amateur Athletic Union.
On hand were many locals who are currently playing or who will play ball with A.A.U., which has sent children to middle school, high school, college and even the pros. Through A.A.U. action, some of these players are eligible to receive college scholarships.
The film’s director, Crystal McCrary Anthony, of Manhattan was part of the “Little Ballers” group at the Pier 60 screening.
“One day when my son Cole Anthony was playing on an A.A.U. basketball team, I saw that there were so many diverse children playing together on the same team that transcended sports,” she said. “I thought that this would be interesting to profile. Over the course of a season, I saw them win a national championship.
“They emerged fast,” she said. “He was 11 years old at that time. I profiled them and produced the film.”
Then there was 12-year-old Fulano Libriddi, who attends the Avenues School, a private school in Chelsea.
“I’ve been paying since I was five years old,” he said. “I’m here because I did the first screening of ‘Little Ballers’ and DJ’ed for it, and now my goal is to be a DJ.”
Also on hand were Baron Davis, a former point guard for the Knicks; the WNBA’s Skylar Diggins, a guard with the Tulsa Shock, and Elena Della Donne, a small forward /guard with the Chicago Sky; center Andre Drummond from the Detroit Pistons; Langston Galloway, who is trying to make a name for himself with the Knicks and has a bright future; J.R. Smith, the ex-Knick shooting guard now with the Cleveland Cavaliers; and Charlie Villanueva, a forward now with Dallas. All of these talents at one time played A.A.U. basketball.
All the kids in attendance at the Chelsea Piers certainly enjoyed themselves.
