By Tracey Reavis

If the chain links in the fence surrounding Holcombe Rucker Park could talk, they would indeed have amazing stories to tell, as they have stood in silent awe of the legendary basketball players who have graced the famed asphalt court over the years.

Many NBA players, including Allen Iverson and Vince Carter, began their basketball careers as streetball players.

Crowds were routinely wowed by the likes of future NBA Hall of Famers Julius "Dr. J" Erving, Earl "The Pearl" Monroe and Nate "Tiny" Archibald. And then there were Jon "The Destroyer" Hammond, Richard "Pee Wee" Kirkland and Earl "The Goat" Manigault - players who possessed jaw-dropping skill but never made it to the sparkling stage of the NBA. The action on that court is credited with launching the "streetball" style of hoops that is forever linked with New York.

"Nothing captures the spirit of New York City like playground basketball," said Andre Braugher, who recently narrated the TNT documentary, On Hallowed Ground: Streetball Champions of Rucker Park.

Established by Holcolmbe Rucker in 1946, the park's intent was to keep inner city kids off the streets. Rucker knew the youth of Harlem couldn't afford tickets to professional games at Madison Square Garden, so he brought free games uptown. Originally host to the Rucker Tournament in the early 1950s through the mid '80s, the playground on the corner of 155th Street and Frederick Douglass Boulevard in Harlem since presented a street basketball show like no other. The combination of professional players mixing it up with talented amateurs produced an eye-popping, slam-dunk hoops spectacular that pulled in the masses.

"The park would be packed two hours before the game," said Archibald, recalling his days watching games and then later playing in them. "People were on the fences, up in the trees. And nothing was advertised, it was all word of mouth. It was the best game you could see for free."

The games were mostly played by athletes whose names were not linked with the NBA. Names like Kirkland and Hammond - who scored 50 points in one half on Julius Erving in the Rucker Tournament - and Manigault, who, it was claimed, could snatch coins off backboard tops. Many current NBA players, including Mark Jackson, Allen Iverson, Vince Carter, Elton Brand and Kenny Anderson, started their basketball careers as streetball players.

Whenever streetball players bring their game to top colleges or the professional leagues, they bring credibility to street hoops. And the style continues to spread worldwide, as players who go overseas bring their honed, streetball game with them.

"Someone told me they didn't play ball in London," said Scoop Jackson, who regularly writes the NBA Underground column for NBA.com. "Either they lied or didn't know any better." Jackson described the flavor of UK street basketball to be comparable to that in Harlem, USA.

The Entertainer's Basketball Classic, created by Greg Marius in 1980, replaced the Rucker Tournament in 1986. Teams are now sponsored by top entertainers in the music and film industries, such as Sean "Puffy" Combs' Bad Boy team that competed for the tournament's championship a year ago. And while NBA players don't play there as often as they used to, they are frequently spotted sitting courtside during the long hot summers. The competitiveness and talent on the court remains as fierce as ever.

Today, any basketball player would be proud to play where the legends once did - to stand on the court at Holcombe Rucker Park and hear the echoes, wishing that fence could fill them in on all they've missed.