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John Strickland (basketball)

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John “The Franchise” Strickland aka “Strick” (May 20, 1970 — October 6, 2010) was a former professional basketball and a legendarystreetball player.[1] He was born in the Bronx but grew up in Washington Heights NYC where he began to establish a name for himself for his showmanship and low-post skills.[2]

He left the east coast to play basketball at Hawaii Pacific University where he averaged a double-double each season until 1995.[1] He went on to play at the USBL from 1995 to 2000 for 6 seasons where he averaged 22 points per game.[1] He went on to play for the Brooklyn Wanderers and then moved mid-season to Albany Patroons of the CBA.[3] In 2008, he was a CBA All Star.[4] During this time he was also playing overseas. He played predominately in Dominican Republic, but also, South Korea, Italy, and other countries.[5] While he was always on the move, he always returned to NYC for summer leagues where he continued to build his legacy as a streetball legend.

During the 2008–09 and 2009–2010 seasons Strickland played for the Halifax Rainmen who were part of the PBL at the time.[6] He retired with the Rainmen and was promoted to Director of Basketball Development. It was around this time when he was found dead on October 6 at the age of 38.

He was mourned openly online by many, including celebrities LeBron James and rapper Jay-Z who knew Strick from his NYC streetball days.[7] Jay-Z, quotes Strickland in a verse from his 2003 hit Public Service Announcement: “No one can do it better. I check cheddar like a food inspector. My homey Strick told me, ‘Dude, finish your breakfast.’”[8]

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He was mentioned in the Jay-Z song "Public Service Announcement" with the lyric "No one can do it better. I check cheddar like a food inspector. My homey Strick told me, ‘Dude, finish your breakfast.'” [9] As a streetball player, it was alleged that Strickland played in drug money fueled games.[10]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Staszewski, Joseph (October 8, 2010). "Strickland's passing a sad day for NYC basketball". New York Post. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
  2. ^ Hofstetter, Sam Blake (2005-07-12). "BALLER OF THE WEEK: " THE FRANCHISE"". Retrieved 2024-06-13.
  3. ^ "Rest in peace, John Strickland". 7 October 2010.
  4. ^ "John Strickland Rumors - HoopsHype".
  5. ^ "Latin American basketball News, Scores, Stats, Analysis, Standings". www.latinbasket.com. Retrieved 2024-06-13.
  6. ^ CBC News (7 October 2010). "Former Halifax Rainmen forward found dead". CBC News. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  7. ^ Staszewski, Joseph (2010-10-08). "Strickland's passing a sad day for NYC basketball". New York Post. Retrieved 2024-06-13.
  8. ^ "Basketball Greats Mourn Passing of Streetball Legend John Strickland". SLAM. 2010-10-08. Retrieved 2024-06-13.
  9. ^ "Basketball Greats Mourn Passing of Streetball Legend John Strickland". SLAMonline. 8 October 2010.
  10. ^ Mallozzi, Vincent M. (17 June 2003). Asphalt Gods: An Oral History of the Rucker Tournament. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. ISBN 9780385506755 – via Internet Archive.


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