Streetball is a distinctive non-formal variant of basketball that can be played in a variety of styles. It is played mainly on outdoor courts, particularly in urban areas that do not have fixed rules, and usually as a pick-up game.
Most professional basketball players have played streetball at some time in their lives. It helps improve a player’s fitness and skill set and allows players to have fun playing basketball off-season.
Streetball first became popular on the streets of the major cities across the United States – hence its name. Its exact origin is not clear; however, it is believed that it has been played in playgrounds and backyards since when basketball was introduced.
Every city where streetball is practiced has its distinctive tradition, style, and rules. The most famous location where streetball can be played is Rucker Park in Harlem, New York, which is widely known as the streetball mecca. In 1946 an New York City Department of Parks employee Holcombe Rucker was the first to start organizing an annual summer event for children from the neighborhood.
This is how the summer streetball league was created. Before that, streetball was a game played on the street as an unofficial sport.
Then in the 1960s and 1970s, Joe “The Destroyer” Hammond, Earl “The Goat” Manigault, and others became famous for their streetball games in New York.
Source for previous sentences is in “Chris Palmer. Streetball: All the Ballers, Moves, Slams and Shine. New York: HarperCollins, 2004.”
Basketball and streetball were similar, but not the same. Being a good player at one did not necessarily mean that you were proficient in the other.
What brought the gap to an end between traditional basketball and streetball was the rise of well-known NBA players who played streetball in their off-season during summer.
A few of the top NBA players of the 70s and 80s, including Wilt Chamberlain, Nate Archibald, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, as well as Julius Erving, were regulars on the streets of New York. Streetball players that were amateurs had no fear of playing with the pros; In fact, they enjoyed the privilege.
In the 2000s, the And1 Mixtapes and NBA superstars like Kobe Bryant, Vince Carter as well as Allen Iverson gave public exposure to streetball. In addition, many famous NBA players, backed by hip-hop artists like Jay-Z, took part in streetball competitions across the USA in the summer.
Streetball tournaments of various formats were organized throughout the world for many years: one-on-one (King of the Rock) or three-on-three (Gus Macker, 3-on-3 Hoop It Up, Somecity), or five-on-five (Quai 54 Venice Basketball League, Sunset Dongdan).
Streetball vs. Basketball
Streetball and traditional basketball have significantly influenced 3×3 beyond its rules and manner of play. Both have influenced aspirations for success and promoted an active lifestyle. But, Streetball created its own culture of urban living and had a more easy approach to basketball, with a focus on style and entertainment.
Traditional basketball is heavily focused on team play and the right utilization of each player, while in Streetball, the individual’s ability to play the ball and speed usually come out on top.
Streetball has several other notable differences from traditional basketball:
- Streetball is not formalized, and rules are not strictly standardized.
- Streetball’s style of play is much more improvisational, aggressive, and physical.
- Streetball is played on outside courts, mostly on asphalt.
- Streetball typically does not use player positions, while traditional basketball does.
- Streetball pick-up games have no referees, and players self-call the fouls. Therefore, fouls, travels, and double dribbles are rarely called.
- Streetball games are played in different formats, such as five-on-five, one-on-one, or three-on-three.
Streetball doesn’t have the same structured playing platform as traditional basketball and doesn’t have representation by a national federation or governing body.
Julius Erving, NBA champion and MVP:
I grew up playing playground basketball. When you got on, whether you were the first one there in the park in the morning or whether somebody lost and you got on, you tried to stay on for the duration of the day
“New York Streetball – Played real hard.” Trailer for Doin’ It In the Park. May 31, 2013. Video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opGiIryUsIc.
Three-on-Three Streetball With One Basket
Three-on-three streetball with one basket, sometimes referred to as “twenty-one,” is 3×3’s “predecessor” and one of the streetball’s most well-known and popular forms. It has its own non-official rules, which vary from location to location. For athletes, this game is a means of showing their skills to the local community. You need to locate the basketball court outside.
Before the game, the players decide the rules. It is likely that it is the very first and last time that the team will play together. The popularity of this streetball version attracted the interest of FIBA and, because of that, led to the creation of a new formal basketball game called – 3×3.
LaMelo Ball, youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double, on why he is such a good rebounder:
I played a lot of 21 growing up so it’s just a whole lot of basketball. It’s pretty much just instinct, I guess
“LaMelo Ball says he’s such a good rebounder because he played a lot of twenty-one | The Jump.” ESPN. January 11, 2021. Video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5snoOF5TkaI
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