Day to day on the asphalt, there were …

Day to day on the asphalt, there were no refs, criminals lurked in the shadows (often providing grease for shorts and sneakers) and creative showboating was de rigueur. The setting served as a breeding ground for world-class NBA stars. They included Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (then known as Lew Alcindor), Julius “Dr. J” Erving and Metta World Peace (then known as Ron Artest). Former Knicks great Walt “Clyde” Frazier, who grew up in Atlanta, took his talent to at least one of New York’s wildly competitive outdoor courts while a pro. He likened the experience to “being a gunslinger in the Old West.”