Kobe Bryant approached Rucker Park, the streetball institution in Harlem. He wore a powder blue sleeveless shirt and dark shades; an oversized key-pendant swung from his chain with each step. Onlookers sprinted toward the park’s metal fencing, meant to separate superstars from the streets, to catch a glimpse. A boom mic dangled in front of Bryant’s face. An army of security guards flanked him. Hannibal, an omnipresent announcer at Rucker, wore Bryant’s No. 8 jersey.
“Straight to the court,” Bryant shouted.
A packed crowd bounced, swayed and chanted along to street hymns pumping through a bass-heavy sound system. Spectators stood as Bryant entered. One fan excitedly banged a security gate. Bryant raised one fist, then the other. He doled out high-fives to those lucky enough to get close. He then thrust three fingers on his right hand into the air. Just weeks earlier, he had won his third championship — all of them in a row — as an All-Star guard for the Los Angeles Lakers.
