Streetball has long been New York City’s premier DIY sport. “You don’t need a lot of equipment or a lot of people to play,” says Brooklyn photographer Larry Racioppo. He first fell in love with the game as an 11-year-old, growing up in Sunset Park in the ’50s.
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“New York then was very different, especially its blue-collar neighbourhoods,” he says. “Basically you were your neighbourhood: you went to the local school and played in the street in front of your house, then as you got older, in playgrounds and parks within walking distance.”
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This sense of community fueled the sport, building up to tournaments at courts like Rucker Park in Harlem and the Cage in Greenwich Village, where legends are made. But long before reaching those heights, talents are honed on neighbourhood streets and local parks.
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