Nikebasketball.com/nyc gets the inside scoop on Brooklyn ball and the “McNasty” from the commissioner himself.

Cleon Hyde serves as the commissioner for the Nike Conrad McRae league in Brooklyn. In this capacity he serves the young talent with a league, provides the surrounding Dean Street community with a family atmosphere of entertainment, and carries on the legacy and tradition of his late friend Conrad McRae, all in the name of New York City basketball.

For the past 8 summers, the Nike “McNasty” tournament has been a launching pad for young players, as many have gone on to play as well as make a name for themselves in other leagues, high school and college. Of all the storied courts in Brooklyn, this one has a legendary account of a basketball player and league that worked hard, and never quit.

Cleon Hyde quotes (as told to Anthony Gilbert):

On the history of the league:

“The Conrad McRae Tournament started in the summer of 2000. It started on the 4th of July, and at the time the name of the tournament was the Dean Street Park Foundation Tournament. It was me, Anton Marshard, Troy Lamont and Conrad McRae, who decided that we wanted to give something back to the neighborhood, and to the kids. And as we all know, unfortunately, July 10, 2000…Conrad passed away from a heart attack while playing summer league basketball [for a team in the league]. The year after, we decided to change the name of the tournament and it became the Conrad McRae Tournament…this is our 8th season and we have had nothing but success. We have produced some of the better New York City high school basketball players along with a couple of players that have gone on to well-known universities.”

Talk about Keith Spellman:

“When Keith [Spellman] actually came to the tournament, no one really knew who he was, and his first game at Conrad McRae was against Lance Stevenson, and just from the fact that everyone knew Lance [Stevenson] and didn’t know Keith, everyone automatically thought it was going to be another easy game for Lance. But as it turned out, it was one of his tougher games that he had played, and to this day they have formed, I wouldn’t say a rivalry, but they look forward to playing against each other. They compete in high school in the same division, so Keith Spellman was a name that no one knew, and within a year everyone knew who he was. He was also the league’s MVP for 2005, and he has just grown to become a great basketball player. He was the co-freshman player of the year for the NYC public school league, and a lot of colleges are looking at him. He goes to Thomas Jefferson High School, which is also in Brooklyn, New York.”

On NYC basketball:

“A lot of people will say that it is a city of point guards and that it is a guard-oriented city. I think in terms of competition, it might be one of the tougher places to play. I’ve seen a lot of players from other states and they have a huge reputation, and when they get to New York they struggle. In terms of the Conrad McRae Tournament a lot of people have mentioned that they have players, but playing in New York City where we have some of the toughest guards, it gives people a reality check to what basketball is all about. New York summer basketball leagues are something that is known world-wide…I’ve had people as far away as China, Africa and the West Indies ask me about the tournament, and many people have asked questions of what it is like to play basketball in New York and I just tell them that it is an experience. You would actually have to get involved, to get the feel.”