I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 6852 

To designate Holcombe Rucker Park, in Harlem, New York, as a National 

Commemorative Site, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 19, 2023 

Mr. ESPAILLAT introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To designate Holcombe Rucker Park, in Harlem, New York, 

as a National Commemorative Site, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Holcombe Rucker Park 

5 Landmark Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) Holcombe Rucker Park is located between 

9 West 155th Street, 8th Avenue, and Harlem River 

10 Drive in Manhattan, New York. 


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1 (2) The park has been a source of inspiration, 

2 entertainment, and education for many people who 

3 have played or witnessed basketball games at the 

4 park, also serving as a showcase of talent, creativity, 

5 and diversity that reflects the spirit of Harlem. 

6 (3) In 1974, this playground was renamed 

7 Holcombe Rucker Park after NYC Parks’ beloved 

8 Playground Director, Holcombe Rucker, at the re9 quest of Rucker’s prote ́ge ́s. 

10 (4) Holcombe Rucker (1926–1965) is remem11 bered for the basketball tournaments he founded at 

12 this court and the generations of players he 

13 mentored. 

14 (5) The basketball tournaments at the park’s 

15 Greg Marius Court have been the subject of three 

16 films: Above the Rim, On Hallowed Ground: 

17 Streetball Champions of Rucker Park, and The 

18 Real: Rucker Pro Legends and Fathers of the Sport. 

19 (6) Born and raised in Manhattan and schooled 

20 at Benjamin Franklin High School, Rucker worked 

21 as a Playground Director for NYC Parks at various 

22 Harlem parks from 1948 to 1964. 

23 (7) A pioneer of social justice and racial equal24 ity in sports, Rucker created his own basketball 


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1 tournament to serve as a platform to promote inte2 gration and empower the black community. 

3 (8) The park is considered the birthplace of 

4 streetball, a style of basketball that emphasizes cre5 ativity, flair, and individual skills over formal rules 

6 and team play. 

7 (9) Many NBA legends and stars have played 

8 at Holcombe Rucker Park, either before or after 

9 their professional careers, such as Kareem Abdul10 Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, Julius Erving, Kobe Bry11 ant, Kevin Durant, and LeBron James. 

12 (10) The park has been featured in many docu13 mentaries, movies, books, and video games that cele14 brate the history and culture of streetball. 

15 (11) Holcombe Rucker Park is home to the En16 tertainer’s Basketball Classic (EBC), founded in 

17 1982 by Greg Marius, a rapper who wanted to show18 case the talent and entertainment value of streetball, 

19 and has since become one of the most prestigious 

20 and popular streetball tournaments in the world. 

21 (12) The park has served as a platform for 

22 many basketball players who could not obtain NBA 

23 opportunities due to racial discrimination or other 

24 barriers, including Earl ‘‘The Goat’’ Manigault, Joe 


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1 ‘‘The Destroyer’’ Hammond, Pee Wee Kirkland, and 

2 Herman ‘‘Helicopter’’ Knowings. 

3 SEC. 3. NATIONAL COMMEMORATIVE SITE. 

4 (a) DESIGNATION.—Holcombe Rucker Park, in Har5 lem, New York, is designated as the ‘‘Holcombe Rucker 

6 Park National Commemorative Site’’ (referred to in this 

7 section as the ‘‘Commemorative Site’’). 

8 (b) EFFECT OF DESIGNATION.—The Commemora9 tive Site shall not be considered a unit of the National 

10 Park System. 

11 (c) NO EFFECT ON ACTIONS OF PROPERTY OWN12 ERS.—The designation of the Commemorative Site under 

13 this section shall not prohibit any actions that may other14 wise be taken by a property owner (including any owner 

15 of the Commemorative Site) with respect to the property 

16 of the owner. 

17 (d) NO EFFECT ON ADMINISTRATION.—Nothing in 

18 this section affects the administration of the Commemora19 tive Site by New York City or the State of New York. 

Æ 


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