By Rob Base (nee Ginyard)

Harlem, New York - Sing it now God's children

It's been six years since my boy DJ E-Z Rock went on to that big mixing board in the sky,
I ain't never been quite right but you know I get by.
Though people like to tell me I used to look like a skinny Anquan Boldin,
All I want to do is make the right songs so I won't be beholdin'
To the man and the people and the crowds; how they come and they go,
For a minute, for a moment, fame and fortune is all they want to know.

Before all the joy, before all the pain,
In blinding sunshine, between drops of rain,
While making sick beats and lines for the crew,
One game remained first love so true,
Kids today don't even know me at all,
That's ok - I still got my b-ball.

I love the game. I always have. Like that young buck from West Philadelphia reminded me a few decades back: "It's late in the day and I ain't been on the court yet, hustle to the mall to get me a short set, yeah I got on sneaks but I need a new pair
cause basketball courts in the summer got girls there."

I found a court like the one he's talking about but it's not summer time. It's the dead of winter and the skies are dark. But that doesn't stop the true ballers from hooping at the GN Baptist Arena.

Of course, the only girls there are a couple of very supportive wives and girlfriends. But the sound of the bouncing ball still sounds just as sweet - especially when Sammell's sons are dribbling along the sideline and under the scorer's table and in the lobby, parking lot, wherever. Nostalgia overwhelmed me last week when I stopped in to see the fellas play. I remembered my childhood before all the glamour and late night parties. I remembered when all I cared about was Bernard King and the Knicks making the playoffs. I remembered when all that mattered was me and Ronnie, Hair Bear, Left Leg, Tex and Malcolm could beat the boys over on 155th Street. It all came back to me Sunday night down in Virginia Beach.

I was hoping Pharrell was in town, but he wasn't. Maybe next time. For now, here's what happened in the games.
As in all things, there was joy

and pain
Sunshine

and rain.

'

JUIC3 CR3W @ Windy City Bulls
Through the first half, this game had all the makings of an old school Big East battle. Took me back to when the 'Cuse had Pearl Washington going against St. John's and Chris Mullin. Those two Brooklyn boys went at it like two dobermans going at the last veal chop over at Leo the Butcher's. Same thing was happening between the CR3W and the BULLS. Thomas would score for the Bulls, Hassell would answer for the CR3W. Humphries would snatch a board, Ferrone would reply in kind. Back and forth they went, a hardwood tug-of-war, for the first 20 minutes.

In the second half, the Bulls clearly saw red. They kept charging hard - they would have made G'Town's legendary coach John Thompson proud. Despite Hasell's impressive effort - a career high 26 points to go with his 10 rebounds - the CR3W was thwarted by Humphries third career triple dub, and first of the season. Sammell dropped 18 points, dealed 10 assists, and snared 12 rebounds. He was halfway to the first ever quad dub. A few more turnovers and he would have made it. The CR3W has suffered all season from non-committal players and Week 5 was no exception. With no players on the bench, they simply ran out of steam. On the other side, the Bulls had a whopping 6 players show up and like the road not taken, it made all the difference.

'
3's Company @ EDKH
I wanna rock right now,
I'm Rob Base and I came to get down...

I tried to tell y'all but nobody's listening...except maybe 3's Company

All right, now, EZ Rock
Now, when I count to three
I want you to get busy
You ready now?
One, two, three, get loose now!

Those boys got loose from the jump. Elliott, Cooper, Posley, Pochekailo...the whole group was getting loose from behind the arc. Before Epstein's Corpse had a chance, they were down 12-0, then 20-4...start of the second half it was 40-14!!!

As I've said all along It Takes Two to make a thing go right and in Game 2 Sunday night, there was only one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phOW-CZJWT0

To be fair, Jeffrey's No-Noose Neck was missing a star as Dworske was out with an injured ankle. Baker's boys only had six players (they shipped Vonner to the CR3W for an undisclosed 2022 draft pick) and they were out of sync the whole way. In every phase of the game, 3's Company made John Ritter proud as they outrebounded EDKH 52-28, and out 3-pointered EDKH 14-3. It wasn't easy to watch, but I'm sure that Butler/Jackson/Baker/Dworske/Boyd/Chapman will bounce back in Week 6.

BLNW @ DAT SMOKE
If Game 2 was a snooze fest, Game 3 was a slumber party. You know the kind - where people start out playing pranks and pillow fights until someone gets all up in their feelings and it turns into a 911-calling, ambulance-riding, three boken bones and 22 stitches kind of night.

As I said years ago,
I hope you got the skills of a sumo,
Cuz battling me, I'm sure you get judoed...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hdhgEgZtz0

They wanted to rock right now, Dat Smoke and BLNW. And rock they did. Toe-to-toe, mano y mano, back and forth like old-school MC's the fellas went at it. My man Earl McLaurin, last season's MVP, was doing his duty for the US of A. Breon from 3's Company was also keeping watch. While we were safe because of those true soldiers, another soldier, AF Engineer Webb was trying to hit shots like the week before. Though they weren't falling quite as nice, Dorsey and Allen brought handled the rock with little hesitation. The steady leadership of Doc Brown, Smooth Nick, and Big A always keeps Dat Smoke refined.

Across the way, the absence of Earl was felt. Sivells and Coop were trying to break free but it felt like they never got everything in gear. Pittman was raining from deep but didn't get enough looks. Prisinzano continued to lead the league in hustle points - he's looking like the early favorite for the Clandestine Virtuoso award won last season by Jimmy Lipford.

Perhaps the most inspiring stat of the game was that Kendon McLaurin - who dedicated his game to his absent brother and made everyone wear "EM" patches on their socks - led his team in rebounds with 10. There was no lack of effort or intensity but as some miscommunication between the referees and BLNW's leading scorer led to only four BLNW players finishing the game, and Dat Smoke's superior play ruled the day, BLNW took its first L. Reminds me of when I went out on my own with The Incredible Base. It just wasn't the same without DJ E-Z Rock. Pour some out.