By Joseph Staszewski
Streetball’s mystery man no longer lives in the shadows.
Rich Ross has been quietly dominating some of New York City’s top summerball unlimited tournaments over the last two seasons. The 32-year-old guard from Rosedale, who plays professionally overseas, flew under the radar despite averaging 40 points a contest nearly everywhere he laced up his sneakers, earning him the nickname 40 Lite. A lot of that lack of attention comes from the fact that Ross did not play at a big-time high school, never took the court for a college basketball team and has a game based on fundamentals, not flash.
“Rich Ross is one of the most underrated streetball players to date,” said Randy Cruz, co-CEO of the Hoops in the Sun league. “A true superstar that’s underappreciated with a quiet demeanor… I think Rich Ross’ humbleness and the way he approaches the game makes up for not playing college ball. Now playing across the water as a professional adds to the mystery of Rich Ross.”
But while Ross’s matter-of-fact personality may keep him out of the spotlight, his game has finally brought him to center stage. He scored 82 points June 30 to break the hallowed Rucker Park single-game scoring record of 74 set back in 1977 by Joe “The Destroyer” Hammond. Former NBA Most Valuable Player Kevin Durant once had 66 and former Iona College star Steve Burtt Jr. dropped 58. Ross bested them all, despite playing only 30 minutes over three quarters.
Since then, he’s had plenty of people reach out to congratulate him and many others asking him to join their team.
“It just feels different,” the 6-foot-6 Ross said. “I don’t know. Everyone is just surprised and shocked. I still don’t believe it myself.”
He could have scored more in Lox 914’s 134-79 victory over winless Restless in the Entertainers Basketball Class at Rucker Park. Ross missed five free throws as well as a few shots and did not attempt any 3-pointers.
With his team comfortably ahead and Ross at 28 points at the half, the squad decided to make it a special night. They kept feeding him and watched him hit jumpers and score at the rim against a team attempting to shut him down.
“They tried to not let him get it, so they would double-team and triple-team him,” said teammate Haron “H20” Hargrave, a former Campus Magnet star. “We were all part of the history and we wanted to make sure it happened for a good guy like Rich.”
When Hammond broke the record he sat out the game’s final five minutes, telling the coach he wants a kid one day to break his record. He’s never seen Ross play, but is interested in doing so in the future.
“It had to happen, but I wish I was there to see it,” Hammond said.
It wasn’t the only record Ross claimed this summer. He dropped in 54 points in the Hoops in the Sun All-Star game July 19. It’s all part of the breakout year for one of city’s top players.“His name is going to become more of a household name,” Hargrave said.
Before this, Ross was almost impossible to dig up information about, because his game has been out of the public eye.
The Harlem native played his high school ball at Legacy School for Integrated Studies, which dropped its basketball program in 2007. He chose not to play college ball, simply saying, “I didn’t want to at the time.”
He went to Globe Institute of Technology and slowly regained the itch to play in an organized setting. His friends always joked with him that he could have gone to the NBA.
Instead, Ross spent five seasons with the semipro Westchester Dutchmen of the Eastern Basketball Alliance. His time there is one of the few things that appears in a Google search. Ross, who also suited up for the American Basketball Association’s Bronx Holy Flames, had played two seasons overseas, including in South America with Penarol Mar del Plata
“Rich is a mystery,” said Miguel Rodriguez, who has covered the Dyckman league for the tournament since 2012. “I try to search his name; there really isn’t much coming up. It just says his streetball lore.”
Ross etched his name even further into it which his performances at Rucker Park and Hoops in the Sun. There will be great pressure and exposure that comes with it, but Ross is up for the challenge of his new popularity.
“I think this is my best summer, I broke two records,” Ross said. “More to come, I’m not finished. I’m trying to beat every record in the city.”
