THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, August 26, 1995 TAG: 9508260504
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ED MILLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 82 lines
Looking for a bona fide ball-hawking, trash-talking, New Yawk playground legend among the players in town for the national Pro-Am Invitational?
James ``Speedy'' Williams is willing to play the role.
In fact, he has played the role. Last year, Williams, point guard for national Pro-Am champion New York Majesco Primetime, was cast as a street-ball star - name of Speedy - in the hip hop and hoop flick, ``Above the Rim.''
It wasn't much of a stretch.
``They picked me up for that after we won the West Fourth Street tournament championship,'' said Williams, 27. ``I went up against some pros, and they expected me to get whipped up on.''
He didn't, and he got the part; a small one, but one that has led to TV commercials for Nike, Asics and Adidas.
Now, however, Williams says he is dropping acting for a while to concentrate on basketball. He scored 32 points Thursday night in Primetime's win over Hampton Roads Freedom Ford and 27 Friday in Primetime's win over Hampton Roads EISEN, 115-109. Primetime plays again at 2 p.m. today at Lake Taylor High.
Williams, for reasons he is rather vague about, played just one year of high school ball before starring at Medgar Evers College, a Division III school in Brooklyn.
He left there early, and has played in the United States Basketball League, for the Harlem Wizards, for the Washington Generals - the team that tours with the Harlem Globetrotters - and in Harlem's legendary Rucker League.
Williams starred for the New York team in consecutive ``Street Ball'' championships staged and televised by ABC. The New York team beat Los Angeles the first year and Chicago the next.
This summer, Williams was formally named a Rucker League Legend, a designation given to a handful of players who have been crowd favorites over the years.
``Speedy is all about quickness and ball control,'' said Ronnie Zeidel of Slam magazine. ``He's one of the good Rucker players.''
``He's up there,'' said Michael Evans, the former Booker T. Washington star who met Williams in New York and became one of his good friends. ``He ain't gonna back down from nobody.''
Thursday night, the 5-foot-11 Williams wowed the Lake Taylor High crowd with his flashy ballhandling and twisting drives to the basket.
It's the style he grew up playing.
``New York guards penetrate and pass,'' he said. ``Guards down south shoot better, but New York guards are more creative.''
Williams does not appear to be a great pure shooter, but he hopes to parlay his street skills into a job in the CBA this year, and go from there.
Why hasn't he made it to this point?
``He's a late bloomer,'' said Juan Muza, a player-coach for Primetime. ``He takes the game seriously, but he really doesn't take the offers they give him seriously. He's young.''
But not that young anymore. Still, if basketball doesn't work out, there's always acting.
Williams does have a flair for the dramatic. Thursday, he spent nearly as much time lobbying the referees as playing. And he lay on the court for long periods after being knocked down on drives to the hole. He'd limp badly, looking like he couldn't possibly go on, then make a lightning-quick move.
And after Primetime won, handily, it was Williams who had the first word with his teammates.
``Keep it real, baby!,'' he yelled. ``That's New York style!.''
It sure is.
In Friday's games at the National Pro-Am Invitational, former Albany (Ga.) State player Robert Herrington scored 28 points to lead Atlanta over Hampton Roads Freedom Ford, 99-93, in overtime. Darren Sanderlin led Freedom Ford with 32 points.
Hampton Roads EISEN was beaten by New York's Majesco Primetime, 115-109, as former St. John's player John Strickland scored 35 points and Howie Hudson, formerly of the University of Vermont, added 33. Warren Cherry led EISEN with 28 points while Michael Evans had 20 points and 13 assists.
The tournament continues today with games at 10, 12 and 2 p.m. at Lake Taylor and Booker T. Washington. The semifinals are scheduled for 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. by CNB