As cliche as it could be, the Philippines is undoubtedly a basketball nation.
Hoops could be discovered almost in every single place, with rims often nailed to timber, electrical posts, to any tall object inside attain.
This distinctive setting makes the Philippines an incubator for streetball, the sector the place Grayson “The Professor” Boucher made his identify.
Who Is “The Professor”?
Grayson Boucher, 41, is an expert streetball participant and content material creator who rose to fame via the AND1 Mixtape Tour, a showcase of streetball expertise within the early 2000s.
Over the weekend, “The Professor” visited Manila for a sequence of occasions with shoe model Anta. Throughout his cease, he interacted with native gamers and shared tales about his journey in basketball similar to how he began with streetball and the way he received well-known.
Based on AND1 web site, Boucher joined the model in 2003. “His streetball fame grew to legendary heights after hitting a game-winner at Madison Sq. Backyard throughout the 2003 Tour,” the model mentioned.
“I began out as a fan, really. Once I was I believe a freshman or a sophomore in highschool, I began seeing the AND1 mixtapes,” Boucher mentioned.
“So I received the truth present after which my profession began, that was 2003. After which the wave of AND1 form of began implementing streetball world wide, made it extra like a world factor,” he mentioned.
Photograph courtesy of Anta
How do the streets type higher gamers?
Streetball is totally different from organized basketball—there are variations in floor, guidelines, and even taking part in type which make it a singular coaching floor.
So how can streetball assist aspiring gamers elevate their recreation?
“I believe the streets assist you to grasp the craft. I believe it helps you be extra artistic,” Boucher mentioned in an unique interview with GMA Information On-line.
“I believe like numerous NBA gamers [or those in] the best degree performs [had] some type of streetball developing, whether or not it was simply pickup or going to the court docket, however I believe you’ll be able to acquire toughness, proper?” he mentioned.
Based on Boucher, many younger gamers also can be taught from streetball.
“The youngsters want streetball these days and I’m not saying like my strikes per se. I’m simply saying like going to the park and taking part in and being more durable or taking part in with folks older or higher than you.”
“They want that, you understand, being extra health club rats and extra streetball-oriented. I believe that may profit the sport rather a lot personally.”
—JMB, GMA Built-in Information
