Rucker Park, located the Harlem area that once housed the Polo Grounds on 155th and 8th Avenue, was host to the original Rucker Tournament and the Rucker Pro League. It has hosted the Entertainer's Basketball Classic (EBC) since the 80's.
The basketball tradition began with Holcombe Rucker who ran a semi-professional basketball tournament at a playground on 7th Avenue between 128th and 129th streets starting in 1946. The tournament moved to the current location in 1965. Currently the Entertainers Basketball Classic (EBC) league represents the highest level of play on the courts. The Terror Squad, sponsored by rapper Fat Joe, has won the EBC championship in 2002, 2003, and 2004.
During league play, MCs give the action flavor through constant play-by-play and by teasing players for bad plays and perceived weaknesses. Otherwise, the park is known for the high level of basketball played publicly, particularly for its streetball style.
Rucker Park has been home to NBA and streetball legends such as Pee Wee Kirkland, Earl "The Goat" Manigault, Wilt Chamberlain, Connie Hawkins, Julius Erving, Nate Archibald, and Earl Monroe.
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