← All Of It with Alison Stewart
All Of It with Alison Stewart
Bobbito’s Book of B-Ball Bong Bong!
00:19:56
Bobbito Garcia discusses his new basketball-inspired memoir.
Loading summary
Transcript35 lines
- [00:00]
Bobbito Garcia
Foreign.
- [00:10]
Alison Stewart
This is all of it on wnyc. I'm Alison Stewart. Bobbito Garcia is a New York legend for many reasons, as a dj, radio host, filmmaker, writer. But perhaps most important, as a ball player, basketball was always Babito's first love. He's written a new book called Babito's Book of B Ball. Bong Bong. It's part memoir of Babito's life and the game, part New York City basketball history. Babito joined me this summer to talk about the book. I've got producer Luke Green here, who chose this segment to listen back to as part of his producer pick show today. Why did you want to revisit this conversation?
- [00:49]
Luke Green
Well, so we're in the heart of summer right now, and I think one of the most important tenets of a New York summer is like, for me, at least as a basketball fan who likes to play sometimes is the pickup scene in the city. Like Westport Street's nearby, all the courts around the city. It's a really great culture that I think is just really emblematic of what makes New York fun in the summertime. And also, just on a personal side, I'm a huge Bobbito fan. Very randomly growing up, I was just maybe just googling around about J, Jay Z or something like that, and I stumbled upon a YouTube video of his first ever on air performance or freestyle. And it was on this, you know, the Columbia show that Bobbito and Stretch had in the 90s and the 80s. And to be able to say that I have now written an interview for such a broadcasting New York legend still blows my mind to this day. And also, so randomly in this, in this book about his basketball experience, he talks about his education. So he grew up in New York, but he actually went to high school, which I had no idea until reading this book for a few years at Lower Marion High School in suburban Philadelphia where I grew up. And it's also where Kobe went to high school, so. And then not to make it more on the college theme, but he also went to Wesleyan too, so. And I promise I didn't choose that because of that, but that the connection is so crazy that I've emailed him about this. I'm like, there's some cosmic thing going on. He's like, yeah, love, man. And also he's cool because he's the only guest who every time he comes on for some reason shouts out.
- [02:31]
Alison Stewart
He shouted out your name?
- [02:32]
Luke Green
Yeah, he always shouts out my name. Like, shout out the production staff. I'm like, you don't have to do that, but I am appreciative of that. And so it's such a great conversation and a great story about basketball.
- [02:43]
Alison Stewart
You'll hear callers talking to Bobbito in this segment, but because this is an encore show today, we. We won't take your calls live. In his book, Bobito writes, playing ball was enriching my soul. I started by asking him why basketball had such an impact on his soul growing up.
- [02:59]
Bobbito Garcia
Yeah, well, I mean, it's, it's not just growing up. It's still to this day. And the memoir documents my life from I'm born in 1966, it's 2025. We're living in a pandemic. We have a new administration. There is a lot of things going on globally that just, you know, are detrimental to our joy as we watch them unfold. And I've constantly. Whether it's been my educational quandaries as a youth or as an adult dealing with social justice issues, I always turn to basketball as that eternal space for me to express myself in my most unique, creative and natural way. I don't feel like myself in any other environment other than when I'm on the asphalt. And that's not to say, I mean, you mentioned, you know, that I made some marks and as a DJ and as, as a filmmaker and other entertainment realms, but ultimately I'm a ball player first, I'm a ball player last. That's how I want people to know me. And yeah, I mean, I felt it was, it was a joyride to write this book and, and shout out to Edge of Sports slash Akashic for publishing it and to any mom and pop brick and mortar stores out there carrying it today, you know, big up, you know, thank you, thank you. I hope it's right by the cash register, you know, give me, give me a nice placement.
- [04:36]
Alison Stewart
Your memory is unbelievable. You write about specific plays that happened in games way back in the 70s. How did you rely on your memory for this?
- [04:47]
Bobbito Garcia
Sure.
- [04:47]
Alison Stewart
Any other material did you use to suss it out?
- [04:50]
Bobbito Garcia
Sure, absolutely. Well, you know, as any historian will tell you that, you know, you rely on your sensibilities and your own writings. I've been keeping a journal since 1990. I have very fond memories of my childhood. Very exact. And, you know, I don't know. I mean, some people have said you called me a b ball sage. Some people have called me a savant. I. What I've witnessed, to me is life affirming but also like life changing. So how could One not remember the first time that they hold their newborn or the first time that they eat a slice of pizza, you know, when they've never had just, you know, all these things that we go through and, and that the marvel is, for me, the fascination is with basketball, and that's why I remember some stuff. But, but, you know, let's, let's. I am a fact checker and I am a nerd and I double checked, you know, if I made a claim that this woman was the best player in the city in this era, I, I went to like five different coaches and players. And would you agree with this statement? And so, you know, a lot of the beauty of, of New York City playground history is that it's a lot of folklore. A lot of it is not embedded in, in documentaries and, and, and other books. And so, you know, I mean, that's the sort of, the catch of it is that like, I was able to write about this in an honest manner and authentic one as a Latino voice who was raised on hip hop.
- [06:35]
Alison Stewart
So you played every day for years. You cut high school to go play. You bring your ball everywhere and then, you know, serious hours to get better. When was the moment when you became obsessed with basketball, when you became dedicated to the game?
- [06:52]
Bobbito Garcia
Yeah, I mean that's, that's 1980-81, the winter. And I, I'm not proud of having cut classes at Brooklyn Tech, but I just caught the fever like nobody's business. And I just, I had to become a better ball player. Basketball in the city, as some of your callers will, will, will share, is everywhere. You can't escape it. We have 700 plus courts. I, I did a love letter in documentary form titled Doing it in the park. Pick up basketball NYC. It was on PBS, Netflix. This is, was released 12 years ago. I've been, I've been documenting this movement for decades. I was writing for the Slam magazine and Vibe magazine, the source in the 90s. And you know, prior to that, I mean, I, you know, my book is not just a history of New York city basketball since 1960. It's my personal narrative, but it's also an art book. My 35 millimeter photography is in there for the last 30 years, most of which has never been published. And so it's a triple threat that I'm very proud of. But yeah, when I was 14, I just, I just got overtaken where I'm pop culture challenged, Allison. Like, you know, people make jokes about, you know, you know, I don't know, good times or what you know, I don't even know what's happening. Whatever. TV shows were huge and Mad Max. I don't know anything about that. I was playing ball. That's it. That's all I wanted to do. That's all I still want to do. I'm about to be 60 in 2026. I just want to play ball. I have dreams about playing basketball, you understand? Like as a 58 year old, I'm still having, waking up, I'm at the park. Like it's just, it's, it's just, it's ingrained in me.
- [08:41]
Alison Stewart
What about New York basketball makes it a unique experience?
- [08:45]
Bobbito Garcia
Well, New York just period is a unique experience, right? We know that as New Yorkers. If you're born and raised here or if you've moved here and lived here long enough, right? But in the, in, in the, in the basketball space, right, you have an intersection with hip hop, you have an intersection with, with sneakers. You have an intersection, intersectionality as Linda Saso likes to, to say. I mean I've played at courts where one player is unhoused. That's not going to happen at NYU Call Center. That's not going to happen at the Levy and Gym in Columbia. That's not going to happen at the New York Athletic Club. That's not going to happen at the Reebok Club. It's not going to happen in Parks and Recreation department gyms. It can only happen in outdoor space, right? I've had games where members on the court were non binary, non gender conforming. I've had, I've had such a range. I've played three on threes with priests. I'm not saying like all five players were priests and me, it was like there's a priest, there's me, there's a yuppie. I mean, where are you going to get that mix of players? Not at a tennis club, not at the golf club. It's basketball.
- [09:57]
Alison Stewart
It's the true meaning of diversity. It's a true meaning of diversity.
- [10:01]
Bobbito Garcia
It's, it's, it's the true essence of, of activity and you know, it's the number one participatory sport in the world right now.
- [10:10]
Alison Stewart
Let's talk to Leah from Manhattan. Hi Leah, thanks for calling all of it.
- [10:16]
Caller
Hi.
- [10:17]
I'm so excited that you're in the summer. I just joined my first pickup basketball league this summer. I did it because like you, I'm just so passionate about playing basketball and getting to join the people on my crew and on the team. Shout out to nerd Basketball. I travel from Inwood all the way down to Greenpoint just to play these games. But it's been fun. It's a co ed team. And as a woman, it's been fun for the first time seeing this change in demographics where I thought it was really just a mensch. But I love hearing how you've seen it change demographically. Is there, is there any women's pickup team that you follow or that you're excited about, you want to give a shout out to?
- [10:57]
Bobbito Garcia
Absolutely. Well, there's a dear friend of mine named Amber Batchelor. She was featured in New York Times. Well, I. I was the one who told the Times about her. But she started an all women's pickup run on Sundays at the Goat, which is a legendary park in basketball folklore, but it's also legendary in the hip hop space too, because it's also known as Rocksteady Park. So 99th street in Amsterdam, they're there Sundays. And she started from the pickup run, catching so much steam. She started a tournament called Ladies who Hoop and then Future Ladies who Hoop for young girls. But Ladies who Hoop is the first tournament possibly in the world that's run by women. All the referees are women, the announcer is a woman, and all the players are women. And they're on 92nd street between Central park west and Amsterdam and Columbus. Every, every weekend. You can look up Ladies who Hoop on online. You can find out more information about them. But Amber is. Is a leader in this space and, and she. She set off. Now, there's other pickup runs around the city in Brooklyn, on. On right off of 5th Avenue and 5th street and Park Slope. There's an all women's run. There's a trans run organized by basketball dolls in Brooklyn and Bushwick as well. It's, you know, again, the outdoor space is just so welcoming. I mean, I mean, it's not always cute either. I mean, things could set off in a violent context because that's just what the city is. You're not walking into a secure space. But for the most part, you know, people are respectful and joyful and participate and love what they get out of it and who they meet while they're playing.
- [12:42]
Alison Stewart
I wanted to ask you about goat park at 99th in Amsterdam. It got its name from a guy named Earl Menegault. Tell us who Earl Manigault was and his history to New York City basketball.
- [12:54]
Bobbito Garcia
Yeah, absolutely. I mean, he is as large of a figure as. As it gets. He was mentioned initially in the Pete Axthelm book in 1970 called the City game where he axel followed the New York Knicks. But he also started following all these like, legendary figures uptown in Harlem. Helicopter herm. Earl Manigo, AKA the Goat. I was fortunate to grow up right across the street from 99th in Amsterdam. And so Earl Manigault was a mentor and an inspiration, not just to me, but to everybody from our community on the Upper west side as well as Harlem. I mean, you know, cats would come downtown, women would come downtown to 99th and play. He ran a tournament there as well starting in the 70s called Walk Away from Drugs. He passed away in the late 90s. Parks and recreation department renamed the court in his honor. And I run a tournament called FC21, which is one on five and 30 international locations. Every summer, all the winners come to New York to compete for the title of the best 1 on 5 player in the world, both in men's and women's high school boys and high school girls. And I do it at the Goat. That's me paying homage to the legends.
- [14:09]
Alison Stewart
My guest is Babito Garcia, author, filmmaker, dj and a big figure in New York City basketball. We're speaking about his new book, Babito's Book of B Ball. Bong Bong. It's part memoir, part history of basketball in New York. Andy is calling in from Manhattan. Hey, Andy, thanks for taking the time to call, all of it.
- [14:28]
Caller
Hey, thank you for taking my call. Hey, I'm glad to hear Bob Vito wrote a memoir. I used to play with him down on 14th Street. It's a Y and the Lunchtime Run. He's a great guy.
- [14:37]
Bobbito Garcia
I remember you. Hi.
- [14:39]
Caller
Hey, Bobito, good to hear. Hey, you mentioned you played with a bunch of cast of different kinds of people. We used to play with a lot of people down at the Y that were a lot of actors and writers. It was an interesting group of people. So the artists are another group that we used to play with and we. One of my memories was one time Woody Harrelson came down and played and you know, the white man can't jump. So it was a fun, fun thing for me. I was guarding him one game. But seriously, I have a question for Bobbito. You know, I'm two years older than him and he loved basketball as well, but it doesn't age too well. Bobbito. So what's the plan for the 60s? How are you going to keep your game going? Like tennis has pickleball. We need a sport that can keep us going into our 70s.
- [15:26]
Bobbito Garcia
Andy, good call. Yeah. Well, Andy, you just brought up a Memory that, that actually I, I mentioned the 14th Street Y in my memoir, Bobito's Book of B Ball, Bong bong. And I don't know if you remember Adam Rapp, who later became a Pulitzer Prize author, playwright. He was a regular at the 14th Street Y as well. Ramon Rodriguez, who worked at the 14th Street Y, is now the lead actor, slash executive producer, slash director of the ABC hit series Will Trent. Right. And then we had old man Johnny, who was, who was literally in his late 60s playing pickup with us on a regular basis, who had an eight pack. He, he used to get us upset because he would take his T shirt like, Johnny, please put your T shirt on. Be like, no, man, I got an eight pack in, in my 60s. I'm proud of it. All right, cool. Play with your T shirt off. That's the greatness of pickup basketball. Regarding. As I enter my 60s in 2026, I stretch, I stay hydrated, I run, I don't play basketball to get in shape, I get in shape to play basketball. And I think that's a big difference, that I've always been an advocate of taking care of yourself, wellness, meditation, you know, sleep, all those things. I mean, of course, supplements for my knees, Chondridin and what is it, I forget the name. I'm spacing on it right now. But there's vitamins, you could take that fish oil for your knees and, and all these other things that, that help support people who are aging. But the bass basketball still for those as well. You know, people always like, oh, you know, how do you play on the asphalt all these decades? And look at Jack Ryan. I mean, Jack Ryan is a playground legend who's in his. What the hell is he now? He's like 63, 64 and he's still going park to park on his bicycle, playing, schooling young kids, you know, and, but you know, I, I'm an advocate and evangelist for the sport. As for all that it could present, even if just going out there and just shooting three, three foot jump shots on the backboard, you still get a sweat. You know, you don't have to be playing five on five and all that.
- [17:32]
Alison Stewart
Let's talk to Michael from Manhattan. Hey, Michael, thanks for calling, all of it.
- [17:37]
Caller
Hey, how you doing? I just.
- [17:39]
Bobbito Garcia
You.
- [17:39]
Caller
This conversation reminded me of one of the funniest stories. When I was in my 20s, I had a friend visit from San Francisco and like most San Franciscans, he was from the Midwest, medium height, white guy. And we went out. As a good New Yorker, I took him out to the blue note, Listen some jazz. And then we're walking by the cages on West 4th, and his eyes just like, popped up and like, he's like, what is this? And I'm like, you know, this is where I could best, you know, ball players in the city play. And he was in like a oxford shirt and khaki pants and sneakers. And he just like, got on the court and he played to like two in the morning. He was like the biggest adrenaline rush for him, and he must have played some college ball. But that was the last I saw my friend for the whole week. He just went there every day and he just. It was, it was crazy for him. It was, it's, it's, it's an amazing energy in that cage that this guy just tapped into. And it was, it was the funniest thing.
- [18:45]
Bobbito Garcia
It's intoxicating. And I can say as a. As a player at West 4th, playing pickup, as well as the organized tournament that they've been doing there since 1977, both for men and for women, is one of the premier locations in the world, right? And I mean, a ton of NBA players have played there. Anthony Mason, Smush Parker, but, I mean, you know, Mario Ellie, but, you know, a ton of people have just played pickup there. And it's, it's, it's theater. You can get entertained at the blue note. You can get entertained at the, the Manetta Lane theater right down the block. And then you can come to West 4th and there's people talking smack. There's people on, on a, on a. On a fence. You know, it's, it's, it's, it's as animated as it gets. I loved playing there.
- [19:39]
Alison Stewart
Babito's book of b ball. Bong bong. It's available now. Babito, it's nice to talk to you.
- [19:45]
Bobbito Garcia
Oh, thank you, Alison. This is like my third or fourth visit here, and every time it's just a thrill. I mean, I feel like I'm at the cage right now, but, you know, thanks, Bobbito.