Basketball all-stars don’t just play in Brooklyn — they are made in Brooklyn.
Billy Cunningham Cunningham, who grew up in Flatbush, won a city championship during his time at Erasmus Hall. The forward went on to be a five time all-star from 1968–73, a Hall of Famer, and one of the league’s 50 greatest players.
The borough of Kings has crowned plenty of basketball royalty over the years. In honor of the NBA All-Star events taking place in Brooklyn this weekend, we look at six great all-stars who cut their teeth playing hoops on borough courts.
Connie Hawkins
Hawkins went a long way from being a playground legend in Bedford-Stuyvesant and his high school days at Boys High. The Hall of Fame forward played in five All-Star games from 1968–73, including one in the American Basketball Association.
Bernard King
King got his start playing on the court at Fort Hamilton high school in Bay Ridge. The prolific scorer for the New York Knicks and New Jersey Nets was a four-time all-star from 1982–85 and again in 1991.
Chris Mullin
The Flatbush native and Xaverian alum played in five All-Star games from 1989–93 and won an Olympic gold medal with the 1992 Dream Team. Mullin is also a Hall of Famer, and the forward was named one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history.
Stephon Marbury
Marbury first made his name growing up on Coney Island and playing at Abraham Lincoln High School. He eventually took his talents to the NBA, where the former Nets and Knicks player participated in two All-Star games in 2001 and 2003.
