Every time Junie Sanders touches the ball in one of the various streetball leagues he plays in every summer, one word is bound to follow from the emcee’s mouth: legend.
The Brooklyn native has earned the title after 23 years of dominance on the streets of New York City. Sanders became a near mythical figure when he dropped 42 points on NBA standout Jerry Stackhouse a few years ago at Rucker Park.
But the playground legend is about to hang up the sneakers.
“I’m thinking about going one more year,” Sanders said after playing at Nike Pro City at Hunter College in Manhattan on Tuesday night.
The 37−year−old has been a fixture in Argentina since the 2005−06 season when he averaged 16.6 points per game for AtlÉtico Argentino Junin. But he didn’t head down there this past winter because of a foot injury. As the years go by, Sanders said, he’s been thinking about ending his professional career and perhaps even his streetball one as well.
The well−built, 6−foot−3 guard earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Central Oklahoma in 1995 and soon he could be putting it to good use. Sanders, a 1991 graduate of John Jay HS (now Secondary School for Law, Journalism and Research) in Brooklyn, said he’d like to begin coaching and teaching, too.
“I’d like to start (coaching) young, with young kids, maybe work my way to college,” Sanders said. “I see so many young kids who don’t really have those fundamentals. I don’t see them being taught that. I remember being taught that as a kid. I got that right in my brain from the beginning.”
Ironically, he made the biggest name for himself in streetball, where fundamentals are sometimes tossed aside. Sanders can be flashy, but he’s never sacrificed the things he learned as a youngster.
He’s strong and can score in a multitude of different ways. Sanders might not be able to beat players off the dribble as easily as he once did, but he can back his man down and knock down an open jump shot with ease.
“These young men, they think they’re gonna come in here and bust my [butt],” Sanders said. “I’m gonna get out of it while I’m still alright and I still got respect in the streets.”
Sanders started playing streetball when he was 14 years old. After John Jay, he went to Independence (Kan.) Community College before landing at Division II Central Oklahoma, where he was the co−MVP of the Lone Star Conference his senior year.
From there, Sanders bounced around. He played in the USBL and went overseas to Puerto Rico, Portugal, Israel, Poland and Germany. Sanders even spent two seasons in the NBA Development League with Fayetteville. He averaged 16.9 points and 4.0 rebounds per game in 2003−04, but never got a chance with an NBA team.
After that, he pretty much made Argentina his permanent destination.
“That’s my second home,” Sanders said. “You get a double summer, no winter. Can’t beat that. Don’t need no winter clothes.”
Sanders said he regrets not staying in one place for a long time. He doesn’t think hopping around from team to team and country to country has helped him.
“Unless you’re going into Spain or a place like that, the money is pretty much the same all around,” Sanders said.
But the streetball legend’s time is almost up. One year left. It’s time for people to enjoy his game while it lasts.
“I’m gonna get out while I’m still OK,” Sanders said.
