There’s nothing quite like being drafted into the NBA. A decade’s worth of blood, sweat and tears has all led up to that surreal, life-affirming moment when one’s name is called to the stage. But even in a place where one’s wildest dreams come true, rarely do the stars align like they did for a then-18-year-old Carlton “Bub” Carrington.

Mere minutes after being selected 14th overall by the Portland Trail Blazers, Carrington was informed that he’d be traded to the Washington Wizards. He couldn’t believe it. He recounts thinking, “There is no way … Wait, what is happening right now?” Because, to Carrington, there’s more to repping the Wizards than individual pride; he’s repping his home state, too.

Take a 40-minute drive northeast of Capital One Arena, and you’ll arrive at Carrington’s childhood roots in Baltimore, a city that exudes its own grimy, uber-competitive basketball culture. However, compared to the abundance of opportunities in cities like New York or Los Angeles, there are only so many spots to be filled in Baltimore. “You’re trying to make that one team, you’re trying to go to that one school, trying to be in that one area,” Carrington says.

Point-blank, if you want to make it in Baltimore, you have to earn it. Carrington is no exception to the rule, and it’s not far-fetched to presume that’s where the battle-tested guard developed his pedal-to-the-metal tenacity. Just ask the man himself. “In some way, shape or form, [you’re] a product of your environment,” Carrington says. “On the court, it’s always been that one mode for me: you got to kill that person in front of you. Figuratively, of course.”

As Carrington puts it, it doesn’t matter if your opponent is someone you’ve never played before or someone you’ve been rivals with for as long as you can remember, every ball game is a battle. For Bub, some of his most formative memories came from those long-standing rivalries. Those battles became his statement to the city that he’s got the drive and game to back up his merciless mode of playing.

One battle stands above the rest, however.

When Bub first arrived at St. Francis Academy, one of the city’s most well-known prospects, Jahnathan Lamothe, was also there. 

“He blew up big,” Carrington says. And for the rest of high school, whether it was the final minutes of practice or the AAU circuit, an overlooked Bub made it a point of emphasis to earn his stripes through his battles with Lamothe. “I wasn’t, like, talked about, or anything … [so] he was on my list. He was on me and my dad’s list, telling me you had to go at him every day. [My dad would say] wherever you see him, you got to go at him.”

Those are words you don’t take lightly. Bub’s father, Carlton Carrington II, is a revered local AAU coach, and his insight into the sport allowed Bub to stay one step ahead of his contemporaries. “You see the game from a different perspective, from a coach’s perspective. A lot of kids see from a coach’s perspective for an hour, for however long you’re in practice…I see it every hour of the day,” he says.

That father-son, coach-player dynamic is unique. It’s a high-wire balancing act for them both, and sometimes, when players are younger, those lines are blurred beyond comprehension. “When I was younger, I used to think there was no switch,” Carrington recalls. But once Bub matured, he began to see the fruits of his labor as his understanding of the people around him started to crystallize. “I stopped trying to think I’m smarter than him. He knows what he’s doing…[and] it’s always a good thing to have someone that knows what they’re talking about.”

All this culminates in the player he is today: a 6-4 guard who’s a magician pulling up from the mid-range and a smooth operator from the pick-and-roll; a player who, in an effort to be the best player he can be for his team, embraces the little things and the not-so-glamorous aspects of basketball.

But, with all of Baltimore’s unrelenting competitive spirit, there is also a cherished sense of community. Ask any basketball player from Baltimore, and they’ll tell you everyone is trying to be nothing less than the best in the city. But when that once-in-a-generation player reaches the top, and their sky-high aspirations carry into college and beyond, the whole city relishes in their success.

That pride only intensified with Carrington playing so close to home, and to Bub, it’s only right to give back to a community that shaped him into Washington’s guard of the future. So, while the NBA eagerly waits for Carrington’s first game, he hasn’t wasted any time putting his charitable activism into effect. He’s already taking part in local back-to-school and annual Thanksgiving food drives while also conceptualizing community-oriented projects with fellow teammates.

“I’m trying to be a voice. I’m trying to actually be active in the community,” Bub says. “I like helping people. I help people because I was helped.”

Photos via Getty Images.

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Hosted by AND1 as they continue pushing the envelope of streetball, the Open Run Tour was jam-packed with high-flying dunks and whiplash-inducing crossovers. Beyond the classic five-on-five matchups, the event featured a dunk contest, electric one-on-one matchups, shootarounds and a women’s three-on-three game. By bringing back some OG mixtape legends as judges, the Open Run built an atmosphere and energy that starkly contrasts that of the League; it’s physical, expressive, and most importantly, requires a completely different mindset.

“It’s a physical thing, but I think it’s also a mental thing. I think with streetball, as well as the NBA, you have to have a lot of mental toughness, you know?” says AND1 Brand Director Dexter Gordon. “It’s no blood, no foul. It toughens you up, and that’s the whole thing. … You’re gonna get knocked down, you’re gonna have the fans talking trash shit. … You get bumped around, [but] you know what, you learn a lot.”

Dating back to the days of Julius Erving and Wilt Chamberlain playing at Rucker Park, New York City has been the Mecca of streetball. The parks are where hip-hop meets basketball, where people come together through the power of sport. And though most will immediately think of Rucker Park when they hear the word “streetball,” it’s Coney Island that holds a special place in the hearts of many, including AND1’s. “It’s just good to get back out in the community. The first [NBA Ambassador] we ever signed, Stephon Marbury, was born and raised in Coney Island,” Gordon says. While Marbury and the history of his inaugural AND1 signature sneaker were felt from afar, another Coney Island native and longtime member of the AND1 family, Lance Stephenson, pulled up to the runs.

And in the decades since its humble origins in the parks of New York, streetball has forever permeated itself into basketball culture. Not only for what ensued on the court—with Shane “The Dribbling Machine” Woney, Leaky Roof, Whit3 Iverson, The Pharmacist, Skip 2 My Lou, Aaron “AO” Owens, Duke Tango and Hot Sauce selling tens of thousands of mixtapes, racking up millions of views on YouTube and leaving a mark on every streetball event they attend, including this year’s Open Run at Coney Island—but off the court, as well. Whether that’s the two headbands, the high socks or the big baggy shorts, those fashion sensibilities had ’00s hip-hop and NBA circles routinely rocking the infamous AND1 aesthetic.

Nevertheless, a lot can change in over a decade, and it’s no understatement to say the basketball landscape has radically shifted in a post-Mixtape Tour world. Dexter Gordon encapsulates this sentiment, saying, “We really kind of started the mixtape, but now look, every kid has a mixtape.” And when everyone’s playing catch-up, you have to stay one step ahead.

But Gordon isn’t too concerned with acclimating to the age of social media; quite the opposite. “As big as AND1 was in the ’90s and early 2000s, think about this: there was no social media. But we still reached other countries with the Mixtape Tour and the VHS mixtapes, and then they went to the DVDs, but now everything is online,” Gordon says. “So I think social media is a great tool, you know?”

Looking forward, AND1 is undergoing a balancing act of sorts, introducing streetball to a new generation of fans while preserving its decorated roots. “We’ll never stop celebrating our past, our legacy, our culture. … [But] moving forward, we kind of have to meet the younger kids where they are. So, of course, some things have to change, [and] you have to adapt to what’s going on,” Gordon says. And that starts with finding new talent to represent the culture, with current Globetrotter and former national champion Alexis Morris—AND1’s first female athlete—being one of their key additions.

This isn’t just basketball; it’s about creating a community and giving out opportunities. And nothing captures that better than streetball.

When asked about the impact the Open Run holds off-the-court, Dexter Gordon had many things come to mind—whether that’s the gratitude people expressed towards the OG Mixtape Legends or young NBA players recounting memories of watching Hot Sauce. But one stood above the rest: “We were going to the communities and, you know, for that day and that time of that event, man, there was no violence. You had gang members, guys that had beef with each other that would come together in this park [and play ball].”

Portraits by Evan Bernstein.

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Organized by One Goal One Youth, an organization that’s dedicated to empowering youth athletes and provide educational opportunities, founder Rachel Naughton led the helm of putting together the first “Ballin’ HBCU” High School Basketball Showcase. They teamed up with AND1 to host an invitation-only tournament that featured over 40 of New York, Delaware, Pennsylvania and Maryland’s best high school athletes. The goal? To be the bridge that connects these players with the academic and athletic programs of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

On the sidelines: Hall of Famer Ben Wallace—a long-time supporter of AND1—signed autographs for the fans in attendance, posed for pictures with the players and staff before tip-off while sharing pre-game words of encouragement to all the aspiring players.

“It’s important to me to come back and support events like these because I was in the same spot, playing on the same stage and it worked for me,” he said.

And it’s true. Before stifling the NBA’s best scorers with his near-unparalleled defensive tenacity and shot-blocking, Wallace made a name for himself through these basketball camps, where he got the attention of former All-Star Charles Oakley. From there, he transferred to and became an HBCU-alum at Virginia Union, and the rest is history. “It’s important to come back, show support, and let these players know anything is possible,” Wallace added.

Alongside the former four-time Defensive Player of the Year were various AND1 Mixtape Legends—including Shane “The Dribble Machine” Woney, Duke Tango, Leaky Roof and The Pharmacist—who were taking the sights and sounds while signing autographs for attendees with Big Ben. While all that transpired, the showcase incorporated a youth band performance and several giveaways to punctuate the day with more energy.

All this culminated in the showcase’s competitive girls’ and boys’ games on May 11th. The girls’ game tipped-off first, as the MEAC “Rise” overcame a ten-point deficit and outscored the SIAC “Overrides” 67-53, with guard Alyssa Febres winning Game MVP. In celebration of their achievements, five women from the showcase received full scholarships to Benedict College. The boys game closed out the double-header, where the SWAC “Attacks” outlasted the CIAA “Chosen Ones” 86-78, with guard D’Andre Gibbs awarded Game MVP.

But even as the buzzer sounds in the 76ers’ Chase Fieldhouse, with the first Ballin’ Showcase drawing to a close, the show goes on. To kick off the summer season, AND1 resumed their Open Run Tour at Coney Island, New York, on June 23rd, as their neverending mission of spotlighting the next generation of players and uniting individuals through the game continues.

Photos by Anthony Geathers.

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Each piece of memorabilia tells a story, whether it’s Bill Russell’s game-worn jersey from the 1965 Finals or the threads from a veteran Bill Walton and a rookie Jayson Tatum, who made his debut just seven years ago. Together, they showcase not only the continually evolving state of the franchise but the League, as well. The walls of the exhibit act as a journey through the organization’s history as displays transition from the extremely short shorts of decades past to today’s jerseys that are lighter and more boundary-pushing than ever and some not-so-short shorts to boot.

Altogether, the exhibition boasts 11 of Boston’s championship rings alongside the 1981 Larry O’Brien Trophy, Cedric Maxwell’s Finals MVP of the same year, and the defunct Walter Brown Trophy—awarded to the team that won the NBA Finals and passed from team to team until the 1975-76 season, when the Celtics were the last team to secure the trophy.

But ultimately, what connects these pieces of memorabilia, some of which have as much as 50 years of history between them, is the green-and-white that represents the team from New England. If you’re a Celtics fan or simply obsessed with basketball lore, The Vault inside the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame holds all the knowledge for a limited time.

Photos via Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

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