Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1292578 in Books
• Published on: 2005-05-31
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 288 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Wedged into a corner of the intersection at West 4th Street and Sixth Avenue in Manhattan's Greenwich Village is a tiny basketball court surrounded by a 20-foot-high fence, known as the Cage. Although ramshackle in appearance, it's one of the world's best-known courts, attracting international scouts to scope out the talent who play there each summer in the intense, emotional West 4th Street Tournament. Martindale chronicles the competition's history and its 25th season (in 2002). It's an exciting though hardly dispassionate tale, as the former Wall Street moneyman is also one of the tournament's managing directors. While the book spends a good amount of time profiling the hotshots who come to play, it's far more engaging when discussing the stalwart old-timers—like Moneybags, the homeless scorekeeper, and the instant-nickname-bestowing announcer, Dee Foreman—who run the often rambunctious games. Chief among them is the event's founder, Kenny Graham, a limo driver with an entrepreneurial streak, a pillar of the community and the book's most fascinating character. Though Martindale has a preachy attitude and a penchant for inappropriate literary references, he is a vivid portraitist, bringing readers inside the pulsing heart of this urban phenomenon.
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From Booklist
For many, the most compelling street-hoops action in the Big Apple takes place in Greenwich Village, on a half-sized court on West 4th Street. The Cage attracts a very competitive group of city kids, many who do, did, or will play at major universities. The court's unique dimensions foster a unique style of play, and excellence in the standard game does not assure dominance. Martindale began handling some of the Cage Tournament's finances about 15 years ago, and in recounting the 2003 season, he also refers back to related moments from the Cage's 30-year history. But as much as he stresses the on-court action, he also analyzes the sociological implications of black men playing in a white neighborhood simply for the joy of competition. There are no contracts to be had or endorsement deals to be made; any fame is limited to one's opponents and teammates. A thoughtful examination of an urban tradition that touches on such issues as the meaning of manhood, family, and of playing just for fun. Wes Lukowsky
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