Hoops are back, so saith the gods of the NBA. But not so fast. Maybe a lesson needs to be taught here. Maybe we'd do basketball, and ourselves, a favor by not rushing toward the open arms of Stern, Ewing, and the rest of the (apparently) impoverished league after they ran off with that floozie named Greed only to come back with their tails between their legs, telling us that she meant nothing to them. To get your b-ball fix with a little dignity, do like Clyde Frazier Jr. (no, they're not related), organizer of the Adidas Slamjam Women's Basketball Classic, probably the city's best women's high-school tournament, and check out some amateur teams that can rival the best that MSG has to offer. "The place to see the best amateur basketball is high schools," says Frazier. Schools like St. Raymond's in the Bronx, Christ the King in Queens, and Rice in Manhattan have top-notch boys' teams, while August Martin in Queens, Bishop Kearney in Brooklyn, and Christ the King (again) offer girls' ball of the highest order. Most games are free, though occasionally there will be an admission charge of $3. (We hope the kids are in talks to have an equitable revenue-sharing plan.)

Related:

• Archive: “Smart City”
• Articles by Sam Grobart
• Table of Contents: Jan 18, 1999 issue of New York | Subscribe!