Pee Wee Kirkland
Encyclopedia
Richard Pee Wee Kirkland is a former street basketball player from New York City
, United States of America. His play at Rucker Park
(originally organized by Holcombe Rucker
) in the 1970 and 1971 season is regarded as legendary.
He lives in the east New York section of Brooklyn around Linden Boulevard
.
and was made an All-City guard. He was awarded a scholarship and attended Kittrell College
and was on the basketball team averaging 41 PPG
. He then attended Norfolk State University
and played on the basketball team, teaming up with later NBA star Bob Dandridge
. His teams had phenomenal years. The Spartans won the CIAA title in 1968 with a 25-2 record; they lost in the second round of the NCAA Division II Men's Tournament. The next year their record was 21-4 and they lost in the first round of the D-II tournament. In 1969 he was drafted
by the Chicago Bulls
with the fourth pick in the thirteenth round. It is speculated that he turned the offer down, because he was making more money being a drugdealer. At the time, the opportunities offered to him outside of the NBA were far more lucrative, in terms of financial gain and public recognition. Kirkland then got caught up in street life activities and eventually landed in prison, first in 1971 in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania
.
of America.
He presents his messages in the "School of Skillz" -- a basketball and life skills campaign that is co-sponsored by Nike
. The camps began in 90's on Saturdays in Harlem
and has since become a nationwide endeavor. He has won championships as a high school coach at The Dwight School
, a prestigious private school on the Upper West Side, in New York City. One of his early breakthroughs involved reaching out to youth such as Hanif "Camel" Warren. As an educator and social worker, Kirkland utilizes the respect he receives from young people because of his gangster past to reach at-risk youth and break down their misconceptions about "keepin' it real" on the streets.
He was a faculty member of Long Island University
teaching classes about the Philosophy of Basketball Coaching. In 2000, he earned a master's degree in human services from Lincoln University
. He has started his own recording label, So Gangsta Music (SOG).
Streetball.com caught up with Pee Wee Kirkland at Hoops in the Sun at Orchard Beach recently.http://www.streetball.com/video/streetball-legends-pee-wee
in the song "Grindin
" from their 2002 release entitled "Lord Willin'
." The line "Legend in two games like I'm Pee Wee Kirkland" refers to his skill as both a drug dealer and basketball player. He is also featured in the music video for the song "New York Minute" by rapper French Montana. Kirkland is shown throughout the video alongside rappers French Montana and Jadakiss
. He is also mentioned in Terror Squad
's Lean Back
. The line referenced mentions "Not even Pee-Wee Kirkland could imagine dis, My niggaz didn't even have to play to win the championship". He is also mentioned in Always on Time
by Ja Rule
("I'm a playground legend like Kirkland Pee-Wee"). He also appears in the Documentary "Sneaker Stories", filmed in 2008.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, United States of America. His play at Rucker Park
Rucker Park
Rucker Park is a basketball court in the Harlem neighborhood of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is located at 155th Street and Frederick Douglass Boulevard across the street from the former Polo Grounds site...
(originally organized by Holcombe Rucker
Holcombe Rucker
Holcombe Rucker was a playground director in Harlem for the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation from 1948 to 1964. He founded the New York City pro-am basketball tournament that still bears his name, and is the namesake of a world-famous basketball court in Harlem.Rucker, who grew up...
) in the 1970 and 1971 season is regarded as legendary.
He lives in the east New York section of Brooklyn around Linden Boulevard
Linden Boulevard
Linden Boulevard is a boulevard in New York City. It starts off at Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn and stretches through both Brooklyn and Queens. This boulevard, especially the area of Cambria Heights between Springfield Boulevard and the Nassau County line represents a smaller version of shopping...
.
Basketball career
He played varsity basketball at Charles Evans Hughes High SchoolBayard Rustin High School for the Humanities
The Bayard Rustin Educational Complex at 351 West 18th Street between Eighth and Ninth Avenues in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, is a "vertical campus" of the New York City Department of Education which contains a number of small public schools, most of them high schools...
and was made an All-City guard. He was awarded a scholarship and attended Kittrell College
Kittrell College
Kittrell College was a two-year historically black college located in Kittrell, North Carolina from about 1886 until 1975. It was associated with the African Methodist Episcopal Church....
and was on the basketball team averaging 41 PPG
Points per game
Points per game, often abbreviated PPG, is the average number of points scored by a player per game played in a sport, over the course of a series of games, a whole season, or a career. It is calculated by dividing the total number of points by number of games. The terminology is often used in...
. He then attended Norfolk State University
Norfolk State University
Norfolk State University is a four-year, state-supported, coed, liberal arts, historically black university located in Norfolk, Virginia. It is member school of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund and the Virginia High-Tech Partnership.-Academics:...
and played on the basketball team, teaming up with later NBA star Bob Dandridge
Bob Dandridge
Robert L. "Bob" Dandridge is a retired American professional basketball player.-Early years:He attended Maggie L. Walker High School in Richmond, Virginia and Norfolk State University, teaming up with Pee Wee Kirkland. His teams had phenomenal years...
. His teams had phenomenal years. The Spartans won the CIAA title in 1968 with a 25-2 record; they lost in the second round of the NCAA Division II Men's Tournament. The next year their record was 21-4 and they lost in the first round of the D-II tournament. In 1969 he was drafted
1969 NBA Draft
The 1969 NBA Draft was the 23rd annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on April 7, 1969 and May 7, 1969 before the 1969–70 season. In this draft, 14 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players. A player who had finished his four-year...
by the Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
with the fourth pick in the thirteenth round. It is speculated that he turned the offer down, because he was making more money being a drugdealer. At the time, the opportunities offered to him outside of the NBA were far more lucrative, in terms of financial gain and public recognition. Kirkland then got caught up in street life activities and eventually landed in prison, first in 1971 in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania
Lewisburg, Pennsylvania
Lewisburg is a borough in Union County, Pennsylvania, United States, south by southeast of Williamsport and north of Harrisburg. In the past, it was the commercial center for a fertile grain and general farming region. The population was 5,620 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Union...
.
Life in prison
In prison he scored 465 points in 8 games. He also played in prison from 1981 to 1988 in La Tuna, Texas. In the Anthracite Basketball League of central Pennsylvania he scored 100 and 135 points in one game.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diIYs2cS7NU&feature=relatedRedemption
Now a reformed man, Kirkland travels the country speaking to youth about decision-making and pathways to success, in addition to self-esteem and other various issues plaguing the inner-citiesInner city
The inner city is the central area of a major city or metropolis. In the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Ireland, the term is often applied to the lower-income residential districts in the city centre and nearby areas...
of America.
He presents his messages in the "School of Skillz" -- a basketball and life skills campaign that is co-sponsored by Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
. The camps began in 90's on Saturdays in Harlem
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
and has since become a nationwide endeavor. He has won championships as a high school coach at The Dwight School
Dwight School
The Dwight School is an independent, college preparatory school located on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Dwight offers the International Baccalaureate curriculum to students ages two through grade twelve. Approximately forty countries are represented among its student body.-History:Founded in 1872...
, a prestigious private school on the Upper West Side, in New York City. One of his early breakthroughs involved reaching out to youth such as Hanif "Camel" Warren. As an educator and social worker, Kirkland utilizes the respect he receives from young people because of his gangster past to reach at-risk youth and break down their misconceptions about "keepin' it real" on the streets.
He was a faculty member of Long Island University
Long Island University
Long Island University is a private, coeducational, nonsectarian institution of higher education in the U.S. state of New York.-History:...
teaching classes about the Philosophy of Basketball Coaching. In 2000, he earned a master's degree in human services from Lincoln University
Lincoln University (Pennsylvania)
Lincoln University is the United States' first degree-granting historically black university. It is located near the town of Oxford in southern Chester County, Pennsylvania. The university also hosts a Center for Graduate Studies in the City of Philadelphia. Lincoln University provides...
. He has started his own recording label, So Gangsta Music (SOG).
Streetball.com caught up with Pee Wee Kirkland at Hoops in the Sun at Orchard Beach recently.http://www.streetball.com/video/streetball-legends-pee-wee
Depictions
Kirkland was mentioned in a song by the rap group ClipseClipse
Clipse is a Virginia Beach, Virginia-based hip hop duo. Formed in 1992 by brothers Malice and Pusha T , the group is heavily affiliated with production team The Neptunes and signed to Star Trak Entertainment.- Exclusive Audio Footage :The Thornton brothers were born in The Bronx, New...
in the song "Grindin
Grindin'
"Grindin" is the second single from the Virginia Beach rap duo Clipse. The song was produced by The Neptunes and featured on the Clipse's debut album, Lord Willin...
" from their 2002 release entitled "Lord Willin'
Lord Willin'
Lord Willin' is the debut album from Virginia hip-hop duo Clipse. Released in late 2002, the album was certified gold by the RIAA on October 1, 2002...
." The line "Legend in two games like I'm Pee Wee Kirkland" refers to his skill as both a drug dealer and basketball player. He is also featured in the music video for the song "New York Minute" by rapper French Montana. Kirkland is shown throughout the video alongside rappers French Montana and Jadakiss
Jadakiss
Jason Phillips , better known as Jadakiss, is an American rapper. He is a member of the group The LOX. Jadakiss is one of the three owners of the imprint known as D-Block. In early 2007, Jadakiss signed to Roc-a-Fella Records / Def Jam Records.-Early life:By the age of 16, Jadakiss was a freestyle...
. He is also mentioned in Terror Squad
Terror Squad
Terror Squad may refer to:*Informal name for an anti-terrorism security body*Terror Squad , a hip-hop group started by Fat Joe**The Album * Terror Squad , 1987...
's Lean Back
Lean Back
"Lean Back" is a 2004 single from the Terror Squad's album True Story. It features Fat Joe and Remy Ma, and was produced by Scott Storch. Fat Joe raps verses one and three, and Remy handles verse two...
. The line referenced mentions "Not even Pee-Wee Kirkland could imagine dis, My niggaz didn't even have to play to win the championship". He is also mentioned in Always on Time
Always on Time
"Always on Time" is a song by American rapper Ja Rule, featuring Ashanti, and produced by Irv Gotti. The music was written by 7 Aurelius, Ja Rule and Irving Lorenzo. The song became both Ashanti's first Hot 100 number one single and Ja Rule's second....
by Ja Rule
Ja Rule
Jeffrey Atkins , better known by his stage name Ja Rule, is an American rapper, singer, and actor.Born in Hollis, Queens, he began his career in the group Cash Money Click and debuted in 1999 with Venni Vetti Vecci and its single "Holla Holla"...
("I'm a playground legend like Kirkland Pee-Wee"). He also appears in the Documentary "Sneaker Stories", filmed in 2008.