Can great ballhandling be taught, or is it innate? The DC area has produced more tha its share of proficient dribblers. Names such as George Leftwich, Larry Watson, Donnel Bullock, Kevin Tatum, Alphonso “The Magician ” Adair, Stacy Robinson, Ric “Purple” Eley, Mike Mundy, and Moocie Norris come to mind. Kevin Tatum, who played on the McKinley Tech teams that went undefeated in the Internigh in both 1968 and 1969, played with five All-Met teammates- Ernest Lewis, Randolph “Apple” Milam, Ronnie Hogue, Tim Bassett, and Michael Bossard. Not many playmakers can say that.
Kevin Tatum once said that he does not believe masterful ballhandling can be taught, he feels it is a gift. What other area ballplayers you recall, possessed this gift?
BCB
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how about names like BO SCOTT, VAUGHN KIMBROUGH, LYNN RING, MOUSIE SOMMERVILLE, JAKE LEWIS, BILLY GASKINS, WILLIE SUBER, MITCHELL BROWN, BERNIE WILLIAMS, JOHN AUSTIN, ERNIE AUSTIN, OSCAR WATERS, LIONEL DEMPSEY, MOOCHIE FIELDS, DINKY SOMERVILLE, JOE VINCENT, JOE SMITH (CHAMBERLAIN), NORMAN MOON, LONNIE, EDDIE & BAY-BAY DUREN, AND OF COURSE BOBBY JOHNSON.
If you never saw the likes of Phillip “BO” Scott (Cardozo ’64) then you missed, arguably, the greatest of them ALL!!! Bo’s skills were slick, crafty, artful & efficient. Beautiful to watch & HELL to defend. I only saw one guy steal a ball from Bo…..Jim McBride (Dunbar). BUT…..when McBride put the ball on the floor Bo stole it back, on the first dribble & was GONE before McBride knew what happened. DC is/was full of good ball handling players at every position on the court. Frank Williams (Coolidge) Emmett Clark (Anacostia), Terry Gorham (Cardozo), “Reds” Williams (Eastern), Tony Upson (Roosevelt), Ed Epps (Cardozo), Dave Bing (Spingarn), “Easy” Steve Higgins (Spingarn??), Rip Scott (Cardozo), Julius “Pete” Johnson (Fairmont Heights), & Harold Fox (Northwestern) could ALL put the ball on the floor, in traffic, and create offense for themselves or a teammate. DC has had NO SHORTAGE of “better than good” ballhandlers. Some went on to be better in college than they were in H.S. but none were lacking. Anybody ever heard of Eddie Jordan….Sherman Douglass? All you had to do to was line up on the other side of these GREAT ballers……Then you would know!
No one handles the basketball like the point guards of the 70s. Kevin Tatum, Mike Riley, Tyrone Jones, Jeff Harrison and others were amazing with their control of the ball and the creativity with the dribble. Today you see all sorts of infractions, palming/carrying the ball, double dribbles and a general lack of control.
Hey, I sent a comment that has not posted on this subject earlier today under the name “LEM”. Is there a reason that you chose not to include my remarks as a comment? Please let me know so that I will not waste my time replying or following this blog.
LEM
I was out of town all day Lem. All comments should be visible now. Thanks for weighing in. If yours went into the wrong file, I’ll retrieve it. We had a record # of visitors on Tues. the 17th.
BCB
Dont forget about Central High’s Archie Tally, Kenny Leonard and Mike GIles.
Archie Talley was a tremendous ballhandler. Ducky Vaughn belongs in the conversation.
BCB
Anthony Cricket williams of Mckinley Tech/ Jacksonville was a ballhandler who had the Earl Monroe behind the back skills/spin moves also the low dribble.
I heard Adair from Duval in the late 60′s was low to the ground and could shift gears like a porche
Mick Micheals said Adair made a move at Glenarden that broke a dude’s ankles and they had to drive the guy to a hospital.