Kevin Durant Rucker Park Performance: NBA Star Scores 66 Points (VIDEO)

Kevin Durant already had the respect of everybody in the NBA and now he's added a little bit of street cred to his resume.

On Monday night, Kevin Durant put on quite a show for the fans in attendance at the streetball mecca in Harlem known as Rucker Park.

Durant, the two-time defending NBA scoring champion, dazzled the crowd with a barrage of cross-overs and long range shots during an Entertainer's Basketball Classic game.

According to ESPN, Durant fell two points shy of the EBC record for points in a game.

Despite the possibility that there will not be an NBA season this year, Durant has apparently been doing plenty to keep busy basketball-wise during the off-season. In June, he threw down a fantastic dunk during a summer league game and last month, he teamed up with James Harden for an incredible alley-oop in an exhibition.

(Hat tip to SLAM online)

Comments

[Craigipedia]

10:53 AM on 08/04/2011

damn it must be amazing to play basketball in new york city

[tanya11111]

09:47 AM on 08/04/2011

I suspect that durant doesn't have as dance moves as good a that guy at the end... my evidence: the backpack.

[Valois]

11:56 PM on 08/03/2011

oh what do you know, John Lucas III dropped 60 points at Rucker Park yesterday against Kevin Durant's team too. WOW, so amazing!

Do you guys have any idea how much JLIII stinks in the NBA? Just goes to show that dropping 60+ points against scrubs at a playground is not impressive, and means nothing.

[TommyMcCarthy]

10:22 AM on 08/04/2011

Yes...I'm sure you could do it every day

[Valois]

11:11 AM on 08/04/2011

I'm not saying I can, I'm saying JLIII stinks and dropping 6 at rucker park doesnt mean you're a great basketball player by NBA standards

[Craigipedia]

10:55 AM on 08/04/2011

actually, what is shows is that the game styles are different... Just like how Barry Bonds never won a homerun derby but he was still a great homerun hitter. Rucker Park is the Home Run derby, anybody who can gun can make it there. The NBA has so many other qualities.

[Mr Anonymous]

11:04 PM on 08/03/2011

As a Blazers fan I just want to let everyone know how happy I am that they chose Greg Oden instead. (sarcasm)

[shag11]

10:33 PM on 08/03/2011

The OKC owners having to being thinking, "Security, security, security!!!!"

[RacerX]

03:07 PM on 08/03/2011

My favorite part was seeing the kids jumping up and down, dancing, laughing and getting all excited. Looks like everyone was having fun, what's not to like about that?

[Roshi98]

08:29 AM on 08/03/2011

I'm a native New Yorker (now in Boston, boo) who never made it up to Rucker but used to watch street ball over on West 4th. To me street ball vs. NBA is like street chess over at Washington Square Park versus tournament chess. One is more free style while the other is strategic and patient. What I love is that while street and professional share the same rules they are played completely differently, and that's where creativity and innovation comes from.

[keiserz]

08:39 AM on 08/04/2011

SPAM ... FLAGGED !

[TommyMcCarthy]

10:36 AM on 08/04/2011

Boy I hate self-appointed internet censors.....

What do you care if "Seleena kv" wants to link to another related artcle...even if it's on her blog...or someone she knows?

Quit makin' it "not-so-fun"
Go burn some books...you'll feel better
tm

[bearchao]

12:52 AM on 08/03/2011

FLAG IT...SPAM

[bearchao]

12:53 AM on 08/03/2011

SPAM...FLAG IT

[Cdog923]

11:32 PM on 08/02/2011

I'd like to see some of the people with disparaging comments in this thread try and score 5 against the guys who are invited to Rucker. Noticed I said "invited", not "showed up". Plenty of NBA stars have gotten their asses handed to them at Rucker.

[cybolt]

12:36 AM on 08/03/2011

So in other words no one is allowed to ever criticize *anything* unless they can do it better? I assume *you* simply stuff pizza in your mouth during sporting events when tempted to second guess a coaching decision or an ill-timed pass or a turnover?

Name five stars that have it handed to them at Rucker. And I mean *stars,* just as you said. Start with the All-Star teams in the last 10 years and go from there.

[Iceguy75]

11:03 PM on 08/02/2011

LeChoke better look out ...KD is in the house now.

[kiddub]

10:45 PM on 08/02/2011

EBC basketball is a huge deal. Hustlers and streetball players from around the country are INVITED to come play. You don't just show up. Some of the greatest players in the history of the game started at Rucker. KAREEM. Tiny Archibald and Moses Malone's legend was born at Rucker (grabbing a dime off the top of the backboard) and ever since legends come to Rucker to test their skills. NY streetball is part of basketball lore and Rucker is it's Mecca. It's a different game, but it is still tough and still features some of the best players to play. Some of these guys are D-league players and former college players, or guys who didnt have the grades to make college teams and thus get exposure to make the NBA. The drop off between the NBA and D-league isn't as far as you would think, just as it is in a lot of professional sports between the main league and there farm teams. There are 350-450 pro basketball players in the League. There are thousands who vie for League roster spots. You think all those players just disappear, or they are that terrible? Anyone of these guys would rule your local gym with an iron fist and could fill a roster spot in times of injury. Is Durant head and shoulders above the rest on the court, yeah. He scored 66 points. Not every NBA player that comes to Rucker does that. That's what makes it amazing.

[Mr Muckle]

07:14 PM on 08/03/2011

I have not been to "the Rucker" for years now, but the history is astonishing. Dr. J's legend was born at Rucker and I saw that. Most of what happened in that park is legend. You just had to be there. I might point out that there are point for just showing. One can get talked about badly for not showing.

[kiddub]

08:42 PM on 08/03/2011

I may be wrong, butI think Kobe just showed up in the last six years or so. They kept challenging to come and he finally did. He was great, but it took a while for him to get there. Back when he was getting all his tattoos and trying to create a street image.

[TommyMcCarthy]

10:29 AM on 08/04/2011

Yessir....

"Every night about a quarter to ten....from the middle of June..'till the summer's end."
"People would gather from miles around....to see the mighty "Rainbow""
"Knock 'em down"

Bruce Hornsby....himself no slouch with a B-Ball


Regards
tm

[gintheb]

09:41 PM on 08/02/2011

I don't get the hate either. Durant only did at Rucker what e does in the pros.

[mayslc]

09:03 PM on 08/02/2011

Somewhere out there, Greg Oden just threw down his squeegee in disgust.