

and at USC's Daily Trojan

By Seth Rubinroit · Daily Trojan
November 18, 2009
It was the beginning of another long practice in the middle of the 2008-2009 college basketball season. The Trojans trudged into the locker room and grudgingly changed into their uniforms.
Out of nowhere, then-freshman forward DeMar DeRozan barged into the room, screaming and yelling at the top of his lungs. He picked up and threw anything he could get his hands on.
The next level · Former Trojan DeMar DeRozan, pictured playing against UCLA last year, always knew how to keep the mood light in the USC locker room. DeRozan is now a rookie on the NBA’s Toronto Raptors. - Dieuwertje Kast | Daily Trojan
His bewildered teammates looked at each other, trying to figure out why DeRozan was so angry.
“Then, all of the sudden he started dancing around. It was one big joke, and he was just playing with us,” senior guard Dwight Lewis said. “[DeMar] is really goofy. He was one of the goofiest dudes on the team last year.”
Whether by breaking into song and dance or attempting to shoot the basketball backward across the court to impress his teammates, DeRozan knew how to keep the mood light and prevent daily practices from becoming monotonous.
“It is real important to get that bond with your teammates, and to let them see that you have a sense of humor,” DeRozan, now a player for the NBA’s Toronto Raptors, said before a recent game against the Los Angeles Clippers. “You have to have fun every now and then.”
At USC, DeRozan said he had the time of his life. After growing up on the streets of Compton, DeRozan roomed with teammate and popular hip-hop artist Percy “Romeo” Miller Jr. in Troy Hall. Miller and DeRozan grew up playing together on traveling basketball teams, and Miller refers to DeRozan as his “best friend” who is “like a brother.”
the complete article can be viewed at the DAILY TROJAN --http://dailytrojan.com/2009/11/18/derozan-missed-in-usc-locker-room/Rafer Johnson Interview
By Seth Rubinroit
June 2, 2008
Rafer
Johnson embodies the essence of the Olympic spirit. He achieved
extraordinary athletic success, winning the gold medal in the decathlon
in 1960, and he was selected to ignite the Olympic Flame during the
opening ceremonies of the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Off the
field, Johnson has helped the less fortunate by becoming involved with
the Special Olympics.
Recently, Johnson spoke at a
fundraiser for the United States men’s water polo team as they prepare
for the 2008 Olympic games in Beijing this August. Afterwards, he
granted a one-on-one interview to TheSportsGod.com
the complete interview can be viewed at http://www.thesportsgod.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=778&Itemid=39.
Pepperdine plays host to historic game
By Seth Rubinroit / Special to The
Feb. 6, 2008
for the full article - go to http://www.malibutimes-malibu-california-news-media-source.net/articles/2008/02/07/news/sports/sports1.txt
Friday, 13 April 2007
Lamar Odom: Charitable On and Off the Court
By Seth Rubinroit
Everybody
knows about Laker forward Lamar Odom’s success on the basketball court.
“I am very impressed with Lamar,” said Laker teammate Maurice Evans.
“He is probably the most unselfish guy on our team. He is very
talented, and he looks to make everyone around him better before he
even helps himself.”
Off the court, Odom
maintains the same charitable mentality. On Wednesday, Odom hosted the
Rich Soil Entertainment Showcase, a night of music and fashion.
Proceeds benefited Kathy’s Kids, named after Odom’s mother, who passed
away when he was twelve. Smush Parker showed off his new grillz “Right
now, we are all about giving back to the inner city youth any way we
can,” said Odom. “[Odom] is trying to make a positive difference in
people’s lives,” Evans said. “I think that is very big of him to do
so.” Along with Odom, teammates Evans, Jordan Farmar, Ronny Turiaf,
Shammond Williams, and Smush Parker attended the event. They were
treated to a performance by Ali Vegas, the leading solo artist of
Odom’s record label, Rich Soil.
for the complete article go to: http://www.thesportsgod.thesportsmonitor.net/content/view/357/39/
Gonzaga Finds Success After Morrison
Sunday, 04 February 2007
By Seth Rubinroit
Even
after losing Adam Morrison to the NBA, Gonzaga continues its success
When the Gonzaga Bulldogs began their streak of eight consecutive NCAA
appearances, they were called a “Cinderella” team. Now, as an
established basketball school, they are defined by a new word that
begins with the letter C—consistency.
for the full article go to: http://www.thesportsgod.thesportsmonitor.net/content/view/293/39/



Sam Rubinroit
reporter & photographer
you can read more articles by Sam at http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/
Streetball vs the NBA
by Sam Rubinroit

photo by Seth Rubinroit
Jerry "The Assassin" Dupree throws it down at the AND 1 Tour streetball tournament.
Most basketball players start on the streets or playgrounds, playing pickup games with their friends, calling their own fouls, and making up rules as they go along. Some go on to play organized ball in high school, college and, for a lucky few, the NBA. However, many stick with the less formal pickup game without rules dictating their style, playing solely for the love of basketball.
While the NBA has a list of rules covering everything from court dimensions to a dress code, the AND 1 Tour, which consists of a group of streetballers going city to city playing the best streetballers in the country, has a “rule book” that is just three pages long (double spaced!). It starts with, “This is not your typical basketball game.” And it certainly is not.
AND 1 is a basketball shoe and clothing company founded in 1993, but rather than focusing on producing products for fans of all ages, AND 1 focuses more on the devoted streetball players, who play basketball for the love of the game rather than for fame and fortune. To promote its products, AND 1 puts on a national streetball tour.
I had the opportunity to go to Long Beach when the AND 1 tour came here in August and talk to a few of the players about what separates streetball from the NBA. As an NBA fan myself, I had never seen professional streetball before. I expected the play to be very sloppy, with lots of turnovers and for it to be confusing to watch (especially if you do not know the rules of streetball). Seeing it firsthand really changed my perspective.
I expected to see a huge court with fancy seats, security everywhere and numerous food vendors—the norm for an NBA game. However, it was quite the opposite. The court consisted of two hoops in the middle of the Queen Mary parking lot, with only free-throw, three-point, half-court, and out-of-bounds lines spray painted over the parking spaces. The court was separated from the bleachers by a mere three-foot high wall, with fans throwing the ball back to the players when it bounced over. The feeling of almost sitting on the court made me feel closer to the action, as if I had a part in the game. The bleachers seat about 1,000 fans at $20 a ticket for open seating. The locker rooms were tents with chairs against the walls, separated by only a fence from the Porta-a-Potties shared by fans and players alike. A DJ played rap/hip-hop music during the game. The music made the game more interesting, with players dancing during timeouts and fans standing in their seats to dance when they were put up on the big-screen.
The facilities are not as plush as Staples Center, but the real attraction is the game. The players started warming up 10 minutes before game time, periodically pausing to sign an autograph or take a picture with the fans lining the wall. When the game started, four out of every five baskets scored were dunks—after each the crowd went nuts. The referees get argued with on every call, although there were hardly any, and there was definitely no penalty for hanging on the rim. Every time a player brings the ball down the court, the players show off their ball handling skills, going around their backs, bouncing the ball off their opponent’s head, or lobbing a half court alley-oop for a reverse dunk. All the while, MC Duke Tango narrates the play running up and down the court as players try, sometimes not too hard, to avoid colliding with him on their way to the basket. Even a non-basketball fan can enjoy the up-tempo style of play and amazing showmanship the players display.

Kenny "Bad Santa" Brunner drives to the hole. They call him "Bad Santa" because he makes amazing passes
To add to the connection between the fans and players, every player has a nickname identifying their style of play printed on the back of their uniform instead of their last names. The AND 1 roster consists of the Assassin (he kills his opponents), Bad Santa (he dishes out assists like presents), the 8th Wonder (for his amazing all around skills), Hot Sauce (because he has so much sizzle), the Professor (he schools opposing players on the court), Helicopter (he’s always in flight), Baby Shack (for his rebounding ability), Escalade (he trucks down opponents), Go Get It (for his ability to catch any lob), Silk (he’s so smooth), and Springs (for his jumping ability). The nicknames are well deserved, with Bad Santa making amazing passes, and the Assassin making amazing plays knocking his opponents back.
Some critics say that AND 1 disregards the fundamentals and teamwork stressed so much in the NBA and organized basketball. This is true, with players traveling so often the refs don’t even call it. However, Kenny “Bad Santa” Brunner says teamwork is just as important in streetball. “People think that most of streetball is one-on-one, but you’ve got to have guys on the team willing to sacrifice for guys like The Professor, Silk, and Hot Sauce who are there for their one-on-one skills. It’s a one-on-one game, but without the five of us working together, it wouldn’t really work.”
Watching a game, I can see what Brunner’s talking about, because for every spectacular dunk and amazing trick a player does, there are just as many amazing passes and defensive blocks. The constant showboating may be excessive to some, but for fans like me who are used to NBA play where the most exciting part of the game comes from a few dunks each quarter, the AND 1 Tour puts the fun back into basketball.
All of the players made it to the Tour by their love of the game, but many still dream of one day making it to the NBA. Although the AND 1 Tour is a great experience, nothing matches up to the fame and money a player can make in the NBA. However, if the salaries were the same, nearly all of the players told me that they would rather player streetball.
Streetball is more interesting for the players because it allows them to have free reign on the court without their coaches dictating every move. Still, this style of play is hard to maintain for an entire game, because it so intense and requires complete concentration. “Some of the top NBA players can play the style of basketball we play with the fancy dribbling and the dunking, but they couldn’t do it all the time,” Bad Santa said. “Streetball is a freestyle affair, where the objective is to put on a show at all times, yet still win.”
Although streetball may not be the game many people are used to seeing, I think it is more fun to watch than the NBA. Jerry “The Assassin” Dupree talked about the difference between streetball and NBA. “Streetball’s got more action. It’s faster, and we don’t think as much, we just go out there and play our game,” Dupree said. “We’ve got the different moves you won’t see in the NBA, so that’s a big difference.”
While the NBA draws fans based on its competitive nature where games can come down to the last .4 seconds, streetball has a more constant, up-tempo style. Rather than the pressure of playing well throughout a long season, AND 1 lives more in the present. The Professor weighed in, adding, “There’s no question it’s more exciting than the NBA because you’ve got the best ball handlers in the world and some of the best dunkers in the world. In the NBA they’re trying to make buckets and win championships, while we’re trying to put on a show for the people there that day.”
The players all know that it is important to play to the fans, and go out of their way to help them enjoy the game. They know that without the fans, they would be nothing. As Hugh Jones, aka Baby Shack, says, “I’m just a regular, so don’t hesitate to ask me for a picture or an autograph. I wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t for [the fans].” If you go to an NBA game, you would be lucky to get the third-string guard’s autograph.
But the NBA is still the NBA. People around the world tune in to watch the games because of its history and the amazing athletic ability the players have to be able to sustain nearly every day during the season. While the game not be as fast as streetball, its style of play has more finesse and is much harder to perfect. NBA players practice by shooting hundreds of shots a day, running drills and going over their plays to outmaneuver the other team.
The AND 1 Tour may not have the same nationwide appeal as the NBA, but it’s slowly getting there. Streetball is on the rise, with more of a focus on fans, and a game that is more exciting and flashy than the NBA, yet keeps a competitive edge. Although it may be hard for streetball to reach the level of popularity that the NBA has, I think that as it catches on and more people find it as a diamond in the rough, it may be seen as just as fun to watch as the NBA. However, I wonder if as streetball becomes more and more popular, will it be able to keep its street style attitude it holds today?
originally published by LA Youth -- October 2007 issue
http://www.layouth.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issue&action=IssueArticle&aid=2150&nid=74
Who's News November 16, 2006
Happy Feet Taps to the Top
Kid Reporter Sam Rubinroit gets the scoop on the animated movie from writer and director, George Miller
What
are black and white and dance all over? The penguins in George Miller's
new movie Happy Feet. The film stars the voices of Elijah Wood, Nicole
Kidman, Hugh Jackman, Brittany Murphy, and Robin Williams, and the feet
of renowned tap dancer Savion Glover.
TIME for Kids Kid
Reporter Sam Rubinroit spoke with director George Miller about the
movie. Mumble (Elijah Wood) may be the worst singer in the world but he
sure can tap dance.
For the complete interview, go to: - http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/kidscoops/story/0,14989,1560261,00.html
Who's News September 26, 2006
Meet Funny Man Martin Lawrence
Kid Reporter Sam Rubinroit chats with the actor and comedian about playing a bear in his new movie
to read Sam's interview with Martin Lawrence go to http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/kidscoops/story/0,14989,1539077,00.html