On February 3, 2012, it was announced that Rafer Alston, also known by his legendary playground basketball nickname, Skip To My Lou, would be returning to the professional basketball scene. NBA Development League team LA D-Fenders decided to add him to their roster. A former playground basketball legend who helped And1 launch a generation-defining “streetball” empire, Rafer’s story begins in Queens, New York, with stops in Las Vegas, the NBA, China and any other city, town or gate with a basketball net.
Few basketball players today can rival the incredible rise to stardom like Rafer Alston’s. Having covered his talents for the first time in the eighth grade before beginning his epic career at Cardozo High School in Queens, New York, Rafer was soon seen on the famous courts of Rucker Park, breaking his ankles and embarrassing boys who were bending his neck. age and twice his size. He was soon nicknamed “Skip To My Lou” in honor of his patented jumping dance he did as he dribbled the ball across the court. Crowds of all ages would go berserk as they dangled from tree branches, perched on rooftops, and battled the elbow-elbowing crowds only to see the sleepy-eyed skinny boy playing basketball.
Rafer got a taste of the college basketball scene, but wasn’t very successful, after a year at Venura College, Fresno City College, and then Fresno State. Skip To My Lou was not the same when he faced college competition off the tarmac and soon returned to the East Coast to pursue his NBA dreams in other ways. Rafer would soon be offered a stage on the international streetball scene, promoted by trash-talking, face-to-face basketball apparel brand And1. Rafer helped pioneer And1 Mixtapes, a 6-part series that soon led to the And1 Mixtape Tour, an entertaining and action-packed display of streetball’s elite talents, antics, and arrogance.
Quickly becoming an international icon, the Milwaukee Bucks gave Rafer the opportunity to perform in the NBA. Coach George Karl, never given a real shot, would start his NBA career bouncing from team to team, like many other veterans. Rafer had brief stints in Toronto and Miami before settling on his first real opportunity to perform with the Houston Rockets. An effective point guard who started a handful of games and played well alongside Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming, Rafer would prove his worth as a solid leader. He would leave Houston for Orlando for New Jersey and eventually return to Miami, where he was released after missing a practice and a game.
Rafer tried his luck on the international scene in China, but now he returns to the NBA looking for a chance to come back as a 35-year veteran, still finding solace and avoiding problems on the hardwood floor or basketball ash.