Introduction

One afternoon in October 1994, in Harlem, New York. On a street opposite the gloomy and dilapidated Paul Building, a slightly hunched old man was staggering into the basketball court, wearing a baseball cap, a dirty turtleneck sweater, and a pair of tattered blue jeans. Obviously, he now looks more like an old beggar than a street ball king.

"Hey, old gentleman! Are you blind or something?" The question came from a somewhat angry young man. He put the basketball under his armpit, pointed to the clear sky above his head and said, "We are here. You're playing ball! Move your poor ass away from me!"

Several other young people came up and looked at this stranger - a tall, thin black man with light skin. , short beard. I saw him walking to the sideline of the field, gently putting down the plastic garbage bag on his back, turning around and walking back to the center of the field, looking at the empty bleachers on both sides, as if absorbing some kind of power - in his memories, fanaticism The fans are shouting over and over again: "We want Joe! We want Joe!"...

The street heroes of the past are now hard to see the spirit of dominance

"I'm short of a few dollars." He said softly, "Which of you will fight with me."

"Don't waste our time." A young man said. "Go play somewhere else," another young man shouted.

The stranger's tired eyes surveyed the court ground. "No one wants my money?" he asked.

"Then show your money!" said a young man.

"Only the loser gets the money." said the stranger.

"Stop talking nonsense." The young man holding the ball said, "If you don't want the money, just give it to me."

"Twenty yuan, how about it?" asked the stranger.

"Okay, let's start."

"Your ball." The stranger said, took the ball from the young man's hand, grabbed it with one hand, and shook it a few times. Then he stuffed it back into his chest, "Believe me, little brother, this is my home court."

"Go on, Robert, do it!" Several other young people shouted.

"Yes, Robert, let me see what you are capable of." The stranger said, leaning forward slightly across the free throw line and sticking to his opponent.

The people on the edge stood together, the trash talk started, and the game started. The young man pretended to shoot a jump shot and quickly rushed to the basket. It looked like a sure-fire layup. But at the moment of taking the shot, the stranger reached out and touched the basketball, then jumped high, grabbed the ball, and landed near the right baseline for a moment. He still has his pompadour, exactly the same as when he fought Dr. J more than 20 years ago. On the first offensive opportunity, the stranger put his head forward as if to initiate a layup. The young man moved his feet and lost his defensive position. The stranger looked at his opponent, smiled softly, and raised his hand to shoot. The basketball drew a perfect arc and seemed to have been suspended in the air for decades before it passed through the net, "Whoosh——".

"Fuck!" shouted a young man on the sidelines.

The game continued, and the strangers gradually opened up the score. A reverse layup, a small hook, a left-hand pick, and then three consecutive free throw line jumpers. A moment later, 12 to 0. The young people watching the game seemed to smell a musty smell in one of the apartments, and their expressions were very embarrassing. In the end, the Strangers only had one point left to end the game. When he jumped up to shoot the winning shot, a voice roared from outside the courtside fence: "Hey! Joe Hammond! Don't give that kid a hard time, don't take his money."

"The Destroyer" at Locke Arena

The young man stayed for a moment and realized that he had just been played by a basketball ghost. He lowered his head and put his hands on his knees. "Are you Joe Hammond?" the kid asked. He put his hand into his right sock and took out a crumpled 20 yuan bill, "You won this, I don't mean to look down on you.

”

On the streets of New York, mentioning the name Joe Hammond, or the old man who often walked around the old territory carrying a garbage bag, brings a smile to many people’s faces---1970s People who have seen him play... flying dunks, precise long-range shots and those incredible scoring records. At that time, he was selling all kinds of white powder, rich in money, and the annual salary of 50,000 was brought to the Lakers. Purple and gold aside

“Those were my good days. Hammond walked over and picked up his garbage bag, "I have everything and can do anything." I thought I could be like that for the rest of my life... Well, I should go see my daughter today..." Hammond looked a little dazed as he recalled his past.

Young Becomes Famous

In January 1963, a heavy snowfall in winter covered the entire city of New York, and the streets were empty and there were no games.

The stadium at the junction of 120th Street and Madison Avenue. In Cooper Junior High School, teacher and basketball coach Donald Adams was sitting behind his desk, watching the students nervously taking exams. The only sound in the classroom was the rustling of pencils rubbing against paper. Suddenly, there was a strange noise coming from downstairs.

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“I looked down from the window and it was him again. "Adams recalled, "I was shoveling the snow out of the court one by one. ”

That was 13-year-old Joe Hammond, who had dropped out of school. His mother passed away very early, and his father was running around for a living. Every night, he and his many cousins He slept with his cousin in the hall of his grandmother's house. During the day, he would sneak from one court to another, playing whenever there was a game. His hands were covered in blisters and his feet were wearing Pro Keds sneakers (a popular style among black people in the 1960s and 1970s). Every day, Hammond played basketball until long after the sun went down, and when God tried to cover the court with snow, he took a broom or shovel with him. Go against it.

"Qiao only stayed in grade 7 for 27 days. He was pretty much a homeless kid. "Howie Evans, the athletic director of the Wagner Center in Harlem, the mentor of the "Destroyer", and now the sports editor of the Amsterdam News, said, "When he was eleven or twelve years old, he was obsessed with basketball and spent all day playing basketball. Those courts hang out. Whenever he could find a place, he would practice shooting for hours. While watching adults play and training on his own, Joe quickly learned a lot. "

"Thirteen-year-old Joe already understands the game better than most adults. I've coached thousands of kids before him and I've never seen anyone play like him. "Evans recalled, "He has extraordinary ball-handling skills, and he quickly opened up the gap with children of the same age. It's hard to see a kid commanding four other teammates on the court, especially when he doesn't have the ball. But Joe can do this. He sometimes gets angry because his teammates are passing or cutting when they should. I had to take him aside and tell him that those kids couldn't understand what he already understood. ”

Evans and other neighbors took turns taking Hammond home and giving him food, clothes, etc. Hammond never forgot this kindness. Later, Hammond found a way to make a living One night after playing football, he saw a bunch of people throwing skulls and gambling under the street lights... Soon he became obsessed with it and soon became a street gambler, making a lot of money. Start helping his grandmother pay rent.

“You can start with a few dozen dollars,” Hammond said. “If you get lucky, you can turn it into thousands of dollars overnight. I've had it several times. "Every day he either plays ball or squats on the ground and gambles with people. Joe Hammond's hands are always black. This is the origin of his other nickname "Dirty Hands Joe".

19 years old Joe Hammond

At the age of 16, Hammond was already competing with top college players and professional players on New York street courts, and he never fell behind. He won various competitions including the Rock League. Street champion, MVP.

Scoring 50 or 60 points in a single game is normal for him. The opponents he singled out include Cass Russell, Dave Stowarts, Connie Hawkins and other NBA stars.

“My grandmother’s house used to have a room dedicated to trophies,” Hammond said. “There were hundreds of various trophies in it, some more than 2 meters high. Everyone called that room 'Hammond Memorial Hall.'" In the same room, Hammond hid thousands of dollars he had won from street gambling -- in socks, in pillows, and in folders with textbooks he had never read. page. His reputation in gambling spread far and wide, and many gamblers from other parts of New York came to gamble with him. Just like on the basketball court, Hammond won more than he lost.

Hammond began to think about how to invest the money. In the casino and on the court, his skills improved by leaps and bounds, and fewer and fewer people called him "Dirty Joe". He had a new nickname--"The Destroyer."

"The nickname suits him well because this kid can really destroy anyone," Evans said. "He's cool, like ice. His moves are all calculated in advance." Not based on what he can do, but based on what his opponents can't do... He never sweats, no matter how hot he is. I think it's because he's too hot when he's playing. To relax."

Hammond is like the head of an old coach placed on the body of a young athlete. No one can guard against his ability to leap high and hit the ball accurately from any angle and any distance. "That's the most beautiful shot I've ever seen," said New York Post senior reporter Pete Vesey. "Every rebound seems like a relative of his. He can shoot from anywhere, dribble past people, and in your presence Head dunks. Now you see guys like Del Cre and Glen Rice, they are all good shooters, but they generally can't do both. Joe can do both. Everyone can do better. No one can shoot as accurately as Joe on an outdoor court, especially when the wind blows." On the streets, Hammond found a way to make a fortune investing. "I started selling drugs," Hammond said. "I made a name for myself, and people wanted to buy from me because they wanted to be around me. I made a lot of money."

Having made a fortune, Hammond not only upgraded his Pro Keds wrapped with tape into brand new Converse, but also often bought new pairs of sneakers for children on the street: "This is my way of giving back to society."

Myth---4 hours/two MVPs/101 points

On a rainy Saturday, Hammond put on his Converse and stepped into Fordham University’s stadium. stadium. On this day, "The Destroyer" will create a myth in the history of New York streetball.

What we are going to play today are two back-to-back games. The first game is a game between Rock University stars, and the second highlight is the famous "New York-Philadelphia Game" in which only professional players participate.

Hammond played in the first game. Against future NBA stars such as "Super Micro" Nate Azibard and Dean Memingo, Hammond scored 51 points and won the MVP title. There were a few minutes in this game where Hammond hit six long-distance shots in a row (there was no three-point line back then), and if you think that's not unusual, consider this - all six of them were Hit the board into the basket.

Hammond, who was about to change and leave, was stopped by New York coach Teddy Jones.

There is a famous saying in the NBA: "God dare not single out the 'Black Pearl'"

Jones is very worried about Philadelphia's strong star lineup: Earl - "Black Pearl" - Munro , Azzi Clark, and a group of young and capable benches, such as Joe "Jelly Bean" Bryant (Kobe's father) and so on. Although the New York team also had good players such as Freddy Crawford and Connie Hawkins of the Knicks, in order to ensure victory in the game, Jones illegally invited the "Destroyer".

"Hey, Joe, do me a favor," Jones said, "We might be able to use you for one more game." Jones handed over the only blue jersey he could find. Gave it to Hammond.

The game started with Hammond sitting on the bench. "Black Pearl" Munro began to slaughter the New York backcourt.

"Monro put his back to the basket every time, pushed New York's Pablo to the basket, and scored easily." Hammond said, "Then, the coach let me play."

" Destroyer” was clearly identifiable on the court as Philadelphia wore white, New York red, and only Hammond wore a basketball jersey. "The first time I came on the field, I got the ball on the left side," Hammond recalled. "I lobbed it to Connie --- you know he rarely returns the ball. But that time he still passed the ball back. Give it to me, shouting: 'Young man, give me something you're good at!'"

"The Destroyer" listened to Hawkins' words and faked past Munro and Luke Jackson, who was assisting in defense. It looked like a slam dunk. However, the "Destroyer" just wanted to score two points. He gently let the ball roll down from his fingertips, fall past his elbow, and slide into the hoop.

"All of a sudden," Hammond said, "these big NBA stars started feeding me the ball."

Hammond jumped high from time to time, one after another. Hit his trademark rebound goal. New York started to pull away. An angry Munro and Clark began to double-team "The Destroyer" in the backcourt. On a ball in the second half of the third quarter, Munro and Clark approached Hammond from both sides. Hammond turned toward the sideline as if he was about to go out of bounds, then immediately turned back and whipped the ball behind his back with his arms like a whip. , transported from under the bridge to the front of the body. The whole movement was done in one go, sending Munro and Clark spinning in circles like two bowling pins. Then Hammond broke through the defense and advanced quickly. Munro and Clark turned at the same time to reach for the ball, but their heads collided and they fell to the floor. The two were so awkward that the game was even interrupted for a few minutes.

At the end of the game, Hammond scored 50 points and another MVP trophy. In one afternoon and four hours, the "Destroyer" faced the best players on the planet and scored 101 points.

He still didn't sweat.

The Strongest Battle in Locke's History

Street - NBA amphibious superstar Carl Ramsey once said: "The two greatest players in Locke's history are 'Dr. J' Julius - Owen and Joe Hammond. "

In the summer of 1970, Hammond's Milbank team faced Dr. J's West Side team in the Rock League. Milbank is a street team, in addition to Hammond, there are street stars such as Pee Wee Kirkland. The leader of the West Side team is "Dr. J" Julius Erving, and there are many NBA players such as Knicks guard Mike Riordan.

That day, thousands of fans flocked to Rucker Park to see the long-awaited battle. Some fans who couldn't find seats climbed up the iron fence, some sat on branches, and some simply stood on top of their cars.

According to legend, Hammond was nowhere to be seen while the players were warming up. The Milbank team delayed again and again, but the referee still blew the whistle for kick-off, even though shouts of "We want Joe!" could be heard on the fence and on the branches. Without Hammond, the Milbank team was beaten by the Westside team in the first half and was unable to fight back. Both offense and defense collapsed. Dr. J not only moved gracefully, but also repeatedly tore through Milbank's defense. West Side led by more than 10 points in the first half and fans wanted their own street hero, but it looked like the Irving vs. Hammond battle was going to be in vain.

Kuku was only 8 years old at the time, and his father took him to watch the game: "Suddenly, just before the start of the second half, you heard people in the stands start roaring, clapping, stamping their feet... ...It seems like an earthquake or something."

Over on 8th Street, Joe Hammond got out of a limousine and was surrounded by a crowd before his feet even touched the ground. Kids asking for autographs, friends saying hello, women ogling and reporters asking why they were absent from the first half. The police fended off the crowd, and Hammond looked more like a big-name movie star attending an Oscar ceremony than a player late for halftime of a street ball game.

Amidst the deafening shouts of the fans, Hammond ran to the bench and took off his coat: "Coach, I'm here."

In the second half, the Westside team sent in ABA players Charlie Scott tags Hammond. On Milbank's first offense, the ball came to Hammond's hands and "swish" --- a two-point jumper.

The West Side team attacked, Kirkland stole the ball and passed it to Hammond. "Bang" --- Hammond dunked so hard that the fans started dancing in the stands, and some even poured into the stadium. Next was Dr. J. He caught the ball at the top of the key, strode into the paint, swung his long arm, and smashed the ball into the hoop, as if to say to the Hammond fans: "Look at me!"

The Westside team's lead gradually disappeared. They changed players again and again to guard Hammond. The last one was Dr. J. The fans went into ultimate madness. "When Dr. J was guarding Joe, things were a little different," Kuku recalled. "Believe me, Dr. J had it open and Joe couldn't guard him. But when Joe got the ball, Dr. J couldn't do anything." ...

The Locke "Twin Stars" are now in very different situations

According to Hammond, he scored 50 points in the half and Dr. J scored 39 points. Hammond got the MVP trophy, but West Side won after two overtimes. Although he lost the game, Hammond's story will forever be engraved in the most prominent place in Locke's legendary history. Decades later, the game remains the greatest ever witnessed on the streets of New York.

The scores scored by Hammond and Dr. J in that game became an unsolved case on the streets of New York.

Hammond said he scored 50 points and Julius scored 39 points.

West Side coach Pete Vesey said the two scored about 40 points each.

Locke historian Ernie Morris, who watched the game live, said: "Both guys played great, Joe was outstanding in that game. He was indeed late, but 50 points is nonsense ."

" Joe can't talk nonsense anymore," Pee Wee Kirkland said, " Joe is a great player, 50, 60 points is not difficult for him, but he didn't score that day. So many points, not on Dr. J's head. I remember clearly that Joe scored 43 points when Julius guarded him for a few rounds, but in the main time, he guarded him. It's not Julius. This story does more harm than good to Joe's reputation. He is already one of the greatest players in Locke's history." "Whether Dr. J or anyone else remembers it or not," Hammond said, "I still won the MVP of that game. They gave me the MVP because I was the best on the court, I scored a lot of points, and I did what I did. I was better than them at more things."

"Not true, absolutely not true," Dr. J said. "Charlie Scott guarded him the whole game and we won the game. De is a good player, he plays smoothly, shoots accurately, and is very smart. He is the best on their team, I can see it. He is a real legend in Locke, but 30 points is not a big deal in Locke. 50 points?"

Pete Vesey said: "Julius is one of the 50 superstars in the NBA, and his reputation and strength are real. However, in that summer, Joe did have the ability to be on top of Dr. J. Score 40-plus points. Julius's defense isn't that good... He doesn't get happy when people say Michael Jordan is better than him, so we'd better not ask him about Joe."

......

In this way, to this day, no one knows exactly how many points the "Destroyer" scored in that half.

Rubbing shoulders with the "Big Three"

"The Knicks players often talk about Hammond, and he has begun to become famous in the NBA." The then ABA Nets coach Lu - Carniceca said, "People talk about him as if he is a god."

Evans said: "I swear, Joe is so famous. Sometimes some professional players When they drive to the arena to play, they will stop and ask people outside if Joe is inside. If they say yes, they will jump back in the car and go to play somewhere else."

And Dr. J. A few months after that battle, Hammond played in the Eastern Basketball League All-Star Game. Joe "The Destroyer" Hammond's reputation for destroying any defense has traveled across the continent to the Los Angeles Lakers.

They selected Hammond in the 1971 NBA "Treatment Draft", and boss Cook offered $50,000 a year to invite Hammond to join. Lakers coach Bill Sherman took advantage of the team's away game against the Knicks to gather all the players on the off day for a workout with Hammond. The Lakers, who have the "Big Three" of Chamberlain, West, and Baylor, arranged a special training for Hammond through Howie Evans at Pace University.

Hammond was brought into the team's shooting practice by Sherman and general manager Fred Swartz. Sherman always separates the big players and the small players in practice, and the two sides compete to shoot. The team with the most consecutive shots wins. Obviously, the smaller team always wins.

On this day Hammond was assigned to the big team. "Joe hit 18 shots in a row," Evans said. "Wilt (Chamberlain) got a little excited and started yelling, 'Shoot, kid, two more!' Sherman pretended to be cool. Walk around and try not to look in Joe's direction." Regrouping, Hammond hit 14 more shots in a row.

"After practice, Joe was left behind by Coach Sherman," Evans said. "He asked everyone else to get dressed and leave, leaving Joe and another player to practice a pair. 1. ”

“Joe ate the guy and it was so humiliating,” Evans said. “The guy finally couldn’t stand it anymore and he pulled Joe to the ground. Sherman walked up and said, 'Forget it, you can't beat this kid.'"

The guy who pulled Hammond to the ground was Pat Riley.

If Hammond joins the "Big Three", he may be able to help Old Baylor realize his championship dream

Chamberlain and several other players peeked through a window outside. They all had expressions of disbelief on their faces, and what made them even more disbelieving was that a few months later, Hammond actually rejected the Lakers' contract.

After Hammond refused to join, the Lakers still offered him US$300 a game to participate in the Los Angeles Summer League, and also provided him with a temporary house, a car and a driver. Hammond asked the Lakers if he could bring a few of his friends with him. The Lakers said no, and Hammond's reply was: "Fuck you."

"I told the Lakers, I "I had to be paid as much as 'the guys,' because I was better than most of them," Hammond said. "I then asked for a no-fire, guaranteed contract, and they said no." They can’t figure out why this guy from the slums wants to bargain with them, and I certainly can’t tell them why.”

Why? ---"The Destroyer" was already very rich selling drugs and bought two new racing cars, but he didn't even have a driver's license.

After Hammond’s contract with the Lakers fell through, ABA New York Nets coach Lou Caniseca came to Hammond: “Joe’s skills are so good. He has learned a lot from the streets. There is a bright future." Caniseca said, "He is simply the pioneer of the Magicians. I gave him a three-year contract that guaranteed no layoffs, but he still refused to sign."

As a result, the "Destroyer" game never took place on the streets again, but bold NBA stars came to the streets one after another to challenge him for duels. "But no one beat him," Evans said. "Cass Russell [the 1966 NBA draft pick] talked a lot about how he was going to teach Joe a lesson. Then they ran into each other in a game and Joe He scored 30 points in the first half and ended up with 56 points. Cass was so angry that day that he never played at Rock again."

73 points and 500 cans

Between 1973 and 1976, Hammond did not appear much at Rock Stadium. In the summer of 1976, he returned to the Rock League and played 4 games, scoring 29, 36, 59 and 73. 73 points set a Rock record that no one can break. The person guarding him in that game was Knicks guard Mike Riordan, a well-known defensive expert in the NBA at the time.

In fact, during his time away from basketball, Hammond has been wandering on the streets, gradually moving from the altar of the stadium to the sins of the underworld, making big money and enjoying a decadent life. "They asked me how I could refuse to team up with players like Chamberlain and West.

"Hammond said, "But at that time I had a nightclub, two apartments and a villa. Do you know how rich I was back then? I was selling drugs and gambling on the street when I was 10 years old. When I was 15, I saved $50,000 with my father. Before the Lakers gave me that contract, I had $200,000 hidden in my apartment. Marijuana, heroin, I can make tens of thousands of dollars a year, what's the point of the Lakers contract? ”

Finally, Hammond became obsessed with the drugs he was selling and became an addict. In 1984, he was arrested by the police on suspicion of reselling ecstasy. Since then, he has been in prison After going in and out, he finally had no money left.

When Hammond was in prison, he told the prison guards that he could organize a basketball league so that the prisoners would have some entertainment. The prison guards cautiously agreed. . As you can imagine, the whole day in the prison was "We want Joe!" "The cry. In his free time, Hammond competed with other prisoners in free throw shooting, using the tuna cans issued by the prison as gambling capital. During such gambling, once Joe made 93 consecutive free throws. "The 94th ball , there was a nasty bee flying around in front of my eyes," Hammond said. "The ball bounced a few times in the basket and came out. "

When Hammond was released from prison in 1988, guards found 500 cans of tuna under his bed.

"They asked me if I wanted to take them home," Hammond said, "I said I've had it all year and I'm tired of it. "

Epilogue

"Beep——" A black broken jeep swayed and sped past, and the sharp horn brought us back to 1994.

Jo went to the Wagner Apartments to visit her youthful sweetheart, Beverly Seabrook, and their daughter, Joy Hammond, who had never married and had four children ( from three different relationships) and four grandchildren. Still carrying his garbage bag, Hammond walked through the main entrance of the building and was immediately recognized by several people with children.

A father greeted his child, pushed him over to Hammond, and said, "Jamal, this is Joe Hammond. The one I always tell you about. People used to call him 'The Destroyer'. He scored 50 points on Dr. J's head. "

Jamal held Hammond's hand: "I have heard a lot about you. "He said, "My father said you are the greatest. "Hammond looked at the father and son, smiled sheepishly, said thank you, and slipped into the elevator.

"People always talk about the things I have done before. Hammond said, "I listened to them telling stories about my past. After a while, I seemed to think they were talking about a dead person's life." ”

Seabrook and Hammond have known each other since they were teenagers. She ran into the bedroom and took out an old photo album filled with newspaper clippings and old photos. There was one of Joe and Arlene A photo of Wen Gou, a teammate of the Jets, before Wen Gou joined the Knicks and won a championship and became addicted to drugs and faded from the public eye. There is also a photo of him and Herman "Helicopter" Newins in 1980. Died in a car accident in 2011. "The 'helicopter' can really fly..." Hammond said, "It's a pity." Turning the page, it was "Flying" James William. There's a photo of Beverley hugging Joe after the game at the Legardia Memorial Hall on East 116th Street, standing next to a smiling Jean "The Terminator." A large gold Championship Hall of Fame plaque alongside Joe Hammond's name alongside Kevin Williams, Walter Barry, Malik Seeley and Chris Mullin.

Seabrook smiled and turned to a photo of Earl "The Goat" Menigault, another street star whose drug career ruined his NBA career. The young Hammond once thought of "The Goat". My idol.

“Earl often staggered to the court with his body sucked dry by white powder. I always see Earl walking up to Joe and saying, ‘Don’t do the same thing to me, Joe. If you just stay on the basketball court, you'll have money. ’” Seabrook said, “But Joe didn’t listen to him.

Seabrook's voice was sobbing. She went to the photo album and took a deep breath, "I am the beauty queen in school, and he is a big star on the street." "It seems not so long ago that people looked at Joe as if he were a king," she said. I used to think our life would be like a fairy tale..."

For decades, Joe Hammond dominated New York streetball, refused NBA contracts, made a fortune in drug trafficking, and went to jail. Shoot 50 points over Dr. J's head... "You tell me," Hammond shook his head, "that this is the 'legend' people want to hear about? ”