Ferris World Basketball Tips Off the 2023 Summer League

by Warren Rosenberg, MetroSports Magazine June 21, 2023

On the closing day of Spring 2023, the Ferris World summer basketball league tipped off on the front court at Gardella Field in White Plains, New York. While fall, winter and early spring are considered the traditional seasons for indoor basketball, where fans get to watch their favorite NBA and NCAA teams compete on the hardwood, summer in the New York Metro region is time for an exciting and competitive brand of street basketball played on our neighborhood urban courts.

On the evening of June 20, “Summer’s eve” to be exact, the 2023 Ferris World Summer League began with two games in the men’s division, the opening game pitting the ‘Go Getters’ against ‘Team Rockland’ and in the second game putting ‘The Pound’ up against ‘LMFT’. Team Rockland won the first game by a score of 74-63 and LFDT defeated The Pound 58-50 in the nightcap.

Above: Game 1 with Go Getters (White and Blue uniforms) vs Team Rockland (Grey and Green) Below: Game 2 with The Pound (Red uniforms) vs LMFT (Yellow)

While the Entertainers Basketball Classic founded by the late Greg Marius and held at Harlem’s historic Rucker Park (and featured in MetroSports Magazine’s Sept-Oct 2016 issue) is perhaps most familiar, there are other well-known tournaments throughout the area which include Dyckman, Hoops In The Sun, Kenny Graham’s West 4th Street, and Ferris World Ball in White Plains. Judging by the tremendous crown cheering on the teams at Ferris World’s opening night, this is becoming one of the premier summer leagues in the region. Admission is free, the competition is strong, viewing lines from around the court are clear, and entertainment is provided by a live DJ and MC.

As stated by Ferris World’s league co-director, Gerard “Oopie” Seward, “Ferris World Ball is a high school boys’ and men’s summer basketball tournament, the brainchild of the late Jerome “Bump” Robinson, a hometown hero and the leader of the White Plains Community Action Partnership (CAP), which assisted largely ignored low-income and Black communities throughout the city. After years of running the league, Bump passed the baton to me, and I promised him I’d use his blueprint to continue building up our community and upholding the standard of quality basketball he had cultivated on Ferris Avenue.

In addition to the music, on-court announcer, and barbeque available for purchase, fans were treated to the opportunity to win one of 15 pairs of high-end sneakers donated by Reebok, Kamikaze II Low OG ‘Black White’ men’s and Club C Cardi ‘Aqua Dust’ women’s to be distributed by raffle.

We’ll be back throughout the summer and for the tournament finals in August to report more on Ferris World Ball.