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http://espn.go.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/11216972/playground-basketball-dying

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There's a park in my neighborhood that always has it's courts packed during the summer nights. not sure if any "leagues" play there, but it's always packed.

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LET'S GO LIBERTY!!!!!!

Twitter: @TBRBWAY

[NYL_WNBA_FAN]

Streetball leagues here are generally somewhat to heavily crowded, though from what I can guess not as crowded as they once were. But everyday players have so many AAU opportunities during the summer that outdoor pickup ball is more rare when it comes to players skilled enough to play organized ball.

But depending on the night and who is playing, Dyckman Park generally appears quite crowded. Nike pro city (an indoor league), which I go to on Tuesdays and Thursdays every now and then, draws a decent crowd, and is packed for the championship game or if a noted NBA player is playing. I go to Hoops in the Sun at Orchard Beach also once in awhile, which is pretty out of the way for most of the city, though convenient for me because I live in the Bronx. Many of the same players can be seen playing in multiple tournaments, which is probably one of the main issues with the dilution of the competition.

My friend sent me this article essentially making fun of me for going to streetball tournaments. You don't need to be a rocket scientist to figure out that NBA players are less likely to risk mega millions to play in some summer league. Some may even have clauses in their contracts prohibiting them from doing so, not sure if that is so or how prevalent it may be. It's still pretty good ball even without the NBA players. Maybe it speaks as much to technology and how the average basketball fan is spoiled by it. You can access hundreds of NBA games per year at a reasonable cost. NBA TV shows summer league ball, which some people may just as soon watch in their air conditioned living room rather than go outside and watch streetball. I heard some guy at Pro City complaining about how fewer NBA players show up. And there's no question that a lot of these guys are playing in like 3 or 4 leagues, some of which have scheduling conflicts. So even with my limited experience of watching the games, I see guys not show up for a game one week and suddenly show up another. A team may have 6 guys one week, 11 guys the next. A lot of these guys play overseas, so for many of them it's a year round thing. Dealing with the aches and pains, the sore knees, etc. without necessarily having first rate medical care can't be easy.

For me personally it's fun to watch. Like the WNBA, I can't seem to get any of my friends interested in it, which is a shame. It's my break from Liberty games where I root with the intensity of a madman...someplace where I can watch just for entertainment without the stress of the rooting interest.

In NY, Spoon was a name when it came to the outdoor leagues, which is one of the reasons the Liberty had the crowds it used to have. Streetball leagues in NY, DC, Chicago and LA might arguably be some of the better places to market the WNBA to a population that might actually attend. The thing with that is that you need exceptional personalities to draw that attention. Spoon is an exceptional personality. That part is extremely hard to come by.

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The poster formerly known as LibWNBAFan.

[hyperetic]

As long as the courts are there, playground basketball will never die. However, because of so many AAU games and tournaments, not to mention other amateur competitive leagues, the kids that would be at the playground are playing there. Not to mention that there are so many indoor courts these days, many don't want to bother with the elements. I know some people of various ages that still play on asphalt courts just because its a place to play.

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