And the first mandate of a playground legend is getting a nickname. The funkier, the better. The second mandate is being absolutely convinced you're going to play pro ball. And that's where guys like Strick sometimes dribble off their foot. You see, the playground game doesn't always translate to the league.
Street ball is a poetic and abstract sport that needs to be uninhibited to flourish.
The NBA requires more. It asks for discipline, responsibility and ethics. It has rules, and it demands they be followed. But not all lions can live in a cage. Some need to run free, to allow their individuality and creativity to go where it may.