Joe Hammond (basketball)

Joe Hammond

Personal information
Born	Harlem, New York, U.S.
Listed height	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Listed weight	175 lb (79 kg)
Career information
High school	Taft (The Bronx, New York)
NBA draft	1971: Hardship round, 5th overall pick
Selected by the Los Angeles Lakers
Playing career	1969–1973
Position	Guard
Career history
1969–1971	Allentown Jets
1972–1973	Garden State Colonials

Joe Hammond, nicknamed "The Destroyer", is an American former streetball basketball player based in Harlem, New York. He attended Taft High School in the Bronx,[1] but he dropped out of school in the 9th grade and thus never played college basketball.[2] He played professionally in the Eastern Basketball Association (EBA) with the Allentown Jets and Garden State Colonials.[3]

Career

A streetball player, Hammond once scored 50 points in a half against Julius Erving at Rucker Park.[4] In the 1971 NBA hardship draft, he was selected with the fifth pick of the 1971 Early Entry draft by the Los Angeles Lakers.[2][5] He also turned down a three-year contract to play in the American Basketball Association.[1]

He was arrested for dealing drugs and was sentenced to 11 years in prison.[6] In 1990, he was described as being the best streetball player ever by The New York Times.[7] He later sued Nike and Foot Locker for $5 million for using his image without his permission.[6]

References

1. "Elite 24: Rucker Park legends". ESPN. 17 May 2012.
2. "The 25 Greatest Streetball Players of All Time - 1. Joe Hammond". www.complex.com.
3. "Joe Hammond minor league basketball statistics". Stats Crew. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
4. "Original Old School: Street Moves - SLAMonline". 21 June 2010.
5. "Joe Hammond".
6. "Legendary hoop star says: Nike fouled me". 17 January 2010.
7. "Legend of the Playground". The New York Times. 11 November 1990.