Lamar Mondane From Chicago

[Mike Barnes]

For the Chicago cats, There used to be a commercial(I think a Pepsi commercial), In the New York/New Jersey area(I also remember seeing the commercial in Atlanta in 1988)in the late 80's, With a cat sitting on some steps talking about a cat named Lamar Mondane, And how nice he was in Basketball, I recently found out Lamar Mondane is from Chicago, But, I never heard of him though the years, Can anyone from Chicago(Or anywhere else)give me some information on this cat, Now, I remember cats like Ricky Green,Sonny Parker,Mickey Johnson,Bo Ellis,Isiah Thomas,Mark Aguirre,Terry Cummings,Teddy Grubbs,Ben Wilson,Efrem Winters,Marcus Liberty,Nick Anderson,Michael Finley,Raymond McCoy,Ronnie Fields,Eddie Hughes,Rashard Griffin,Ronnie Lester,Ricky Williams(Cal State Fullerton cat from the mid 70's),Craig Hodges,etc, But, Not this cat(Lamar Mondane). Any information would be greatly appreciated.
Later
Mike Barnes

[mhd]

i remember that commercial, saying something about ole boy raining down jumpers on cats, and i remember thinking how can you have a commercial about legendary schoolyard/playground cats and not mention Billy Harris, But Lamar Mondane is indeed a legend in the Chi, and like all legendary chicago ball players he had a sweet J. In the Chi you got to have a jumper, whereas in NYC you got to be able to go to the cup. (I know that is a generalization)

I will get back to you with some stories about Mondane, like where he played and who he balled with.

as for your list, got to add a couple like, LaRue Martin, NBA 1st pick, but did not make any noise in the Show, Doing very well now as an Exec at UPS in chicago, i've known this guy all my life along with his brother Kevin, who was a guard with more talent than Larue.

also, Eddie Johnson, Houston Rockets, but in high school at Westinghouse was dropping 40 on the regular, until Mark Aguirre came along one or two grades below Eddie.

Darrel Walker, who did not have much of an offensive game in the league but used to crush folks,

and of course, Maurice Cheeks, from DuSable and Washington Park, quiet as kept, he wasn't the best player on his team, that was William Dise, a big bruiser type.

[RX]

skip dillard was another, however, i do remember lamarr being present at pershing - the court over there in lake meadows - around the time i was playing...

we'd play pick-up (of course, i'd be the only female, PLAYING, that is) until the pros got on the court...then we'd gradually fade away and take out pen and pad for notes...

[Mike Barnes]

Say Mark(MHD), Good lookin on seeking out the information on Lamar Mondane my man, Also, I have to add this about your comment on cats from New York when it comes to basketball, In New York you have to have a handle(Being able to dribble very,very,well) and see the floor, Then go to the basket(LOL), Traditionally, Cats in New York do not commit to working on a jumper(That's the main reason why alot of cats never developed properly), Also, Good lookin on adding a few more cats that i forgot to mention, And Ms Ricky X, Good lookin on Adding Skip Dilliard, It's very nice to hear about young ladies putting it up(Playing the game of Basketball). I don't know if your aware of this But, Queen Latifah used to be nice in basketball also(She used play for Riverside Church).
Later
Mike Barnes

[mhd]

As Lamar Mondane brings the ball up court, people in the stands shout to the guy defending him. the defender is standing around the top of the key waiting for Mondane. Voices from the crowd warn: "you better get up on him" "you giving him too much room" Mondane takes one step across half court and launches a jumper with that sweet, pure form, swish, bottom of the net. The defender is stunned by this 5'10" cat's ability to launch with ease from so far away. the crowd responds, "we told you".

Next time down the defender gets a little closer, but to no avail, same result. Mind you, the game is at St Anselms on 61st street, the defender's home court, moreover, the defender's reputation in high school, college and playgrounds throughout the city is as one of the toughest defenders in the city. So the third time down court he is literally in Mondane's face, chest to chest, in his jock. Mondane lifts it again and drills it in his grill for the third long range bomb in a row.
That was Lamar Mondane, the defender was my brother, himself a legend. he told me this story tonight at my nephew's AAU game.

[richierich]

I used to hoop with Lamar Mondane at Murray(an outdoor court in Hyde Park) back in the late 70s early 80s. He was about 5'5" and could dunk but his thing was that he could shoot from the parking lot and all you would hear was strings. I'm not even sure what college he went to. He's got a son named Jack that I still hoop with out at Pershing Park(31st street behind Lake Meadows). I can remember Lamar at the Murray tournament (YVI)coming down and letting it fly from just a bit inside the half court line consistently (no exaggeration). Him and this cat named Capon would be going at it. Henry Norwood (we called him gutless) used to be the superstars on the playground back then. Along with Doc Byrd Mark Aguirre, Bo Ellis all of these cats use to come to Murray and it was like showtime.

[ June 24, 2003, 09:11 AM: Message edited by: richierich ]

[mhd]

Word, Rich, Mondane went to Northeastern, not sure how long he stayed. i remember the name Capon too.

[richierich]

Originally posted by mhd:
Word, Rich, Mondane went to Northeastern, not sure how long he stayed. i remember the name Capon too. Yeah he used to just come down and let it go from anywhere and it would be nothing but bottom.

[Mike Barnes]

Say Mark(MHD),Richierich, Good lookin on the information about Lamar Mondane, The cat(Lamar Mondane)sounds like he was very tough(Hard to check/Guard)in his day, Also, Mark, you mentioned that Lamar Mondane went to Northeastern University, Do you know if he played with Reggie Lewis(Rip)in the mid to late 80's, Bill Calhoun(The Coach at the University of Conneticut)had a very good track record at Northeastern back then(Early to mid 80's), I feel Bill Calhoun's one of the best coaches in basketball today on any level(High School,College,Street,Pro).

Later
Mike Barnes

[mhd]

Originally posted by richierich:
I used to hoop with Lamar Mondane at Murray(an outdoor court in Hyde Park) back in the late 70s early 80s. He was about 5'5" and could dunk but his thing was that he could shoot from the parking lot and all you would hear was strings. I'm not even sure what college he went to. He's got a son named Jack that I still hoop with out at Pershing Park(31st street behind Lake Meadows). I can remember Lamar at the Murray tournament (YVI)coming down and letting it fly from just a bit inside the half court line consistently (no exaggeration). Him and this cat named Capon would be going at it. Henry Norwood (we called him gutless) used to be the superstars on the playground back then. Along with Doc Byrd Mark Aguirre, Bo Ellis all of these cats use to come to Murray and it was like showtime. funny, my brother started out saying Mondane was like 5'8" but as he told the story Mondane kept growing!!

also, cats like Fan Tan, and earlier during Bo Ellis' prime you had cats like Donnie Von Moore, and Marty Murray who was all-state in like three sports for Phillips, but could not read, and the legendary Sam Puckett from Hales

[mhd]

Originally posted by Mike Barnes:
Say Mark(MHD),Richierich, Good lookin on the information about Lamar Mondane, The cat(Lamar Mondane)sounds like he was very tough(Hard to check/Guard)in his day, Also, Mark, you mentioned that Lamar Mondane went to Northeastern University, Do you know if he played with Reggie Lewis(Rip)in the mid to late 80's, Bill Calhoun(The Coach at the University of Conneticut)had a very good track record at Northeastern back then(Early to mid 80's), I feel Bill Calhoun's one of the best coaches in basketball today on any level(High School,College,Street,Pro).

Later
Mike Barnes My bad, Mike, I meant Northeastern Illinios, which is a college in Chicago.

[richierich]

Man Fantan works in the building that I work in. It's good to see him. He used to have a deadly jumper as well. He actually got the name by the way he used to pitch (baseball).Donnie played for Kansas and actually played in an NCAA tourney his senior year I think. Squirty, Bob, Fred all of them cats bring back good memories. We played ball like it was our jobs sun up to sun down and when the lights went out we went to Farmers Field to continue... man the days in Hyde Park.

[RX]

this is a deep thread...damn near all these cats from chi y'all talking about stepped on the court at pershing at one time or another...

this is like a trip down a great memory lane - i used to reside on 35th and king drive, so i'd get up on saturday morning, tune into hpk, throw on my lucky turquiose sweats and converse with the bulls patch on the side ('member those?), grab my pill, head to baskin & robbins for a scoop of daquiri ice in a cup and make it to pershing for pick-up and afterwards, the "show"...

it's weird how that court doesn't get talked about much...

[Mike Barnes]

Say Rickie X, Your one of the very,very, few young ladies to ever call a basketball a pill(Very,very,old school term), Cats have been calling a basketball the rock for so long, It feels very nice to hear the original term used for a change(LOL), Also, Mark(MHD), The cat you mentioned by the name of Sam Puckett, Is he related to Kirby Puckett my man, I heard that Kirby Puckett was raised around the Cabrini Green Porjects area in Chicago, Also, Lamar Mondane sounds like he could get up(Jump very,very,high)For a little cat, Kind of reminds me of Spud Webb, who had a very big rep(Reputation)for throwing it(Dunking)on cats at Midland Junior College in Texas in the early 80's, Infact one of my boys played against Spud in the National Junior College Championship game at Hutchinson,kansas in 1982, And My man told me about this little cat from Texas who was throwing it(Dunking)on cats in the Tournament the week leading up to the Championship game(Spud's team beat my man's team which was Miami Dade Junior College), Say Mark, Do you remember when Spud throw it on George Gervin in 1986, Very funny shit, George Gervin looked liked he thought Spud was gonna lay it up(Boy was he surprised).
Later
Mike Barnes

[mhd]

Rich, i played with and against Fantan in summer leagues at Washington Park, he knew some of my boys that went to Kenwood. is he still fly, i remember he worked at some fly clothing store up north back in the day
You mentioned Capon, he went to Hales with the Gray brothers, Waynie, Reno and Dap three ice-cold baller/pimps, these cats could flat out play, Dap rarely shot and ran the point flawlessly, Waynie was deadly from anywhere on the court and Reno was a slasher, and Capon got his while you your back was turned. the gray boys were from St. Columbanus on 71st and King and we were from St. Anselms on 61st and Indiana. Playing for Mendel, we would see these cats year round in the Catholic League, summer Park district league, etc.

[ June 24, 2003, 06:07 PM: Message edited by: mhd ]

[mhd]

Originally posted by Ms Rickey X:
this is a deep thread...damn near all these cats from chi y'all talking about stepped on the court at pershing at one time or another...

this is like a trip down a great memory lane - i used to reside on 35th and king drive, so i'd get up on saturday morning, tune into hpk, throw on my lucky turquiose sweats and converse with the bulls patch on the side ('member those?), grab my pill, head to baskin & robbins for a scoop of daquiri ice in a cup and make it to pershing for pick-up and afterwards, the "show"...

it's weird how that court doesn't get talked about much... Pershing gets mad respect, you probably saw cats like Darius Clemons and Herm Hoskins from Phillips maybe Ronnie Lester, i had friends at 39th and Lake Park, but like Rich mentioned, we used to ball all day and all night like we were getting paid, we were lucky as hell too, cause we pretty much worked year round at St Anselms gym

[mhd]

Originally posted by Mike Barnes:
Say Rickie X, Your one of the very,very, few young ladies to ever call a basketball a pill(Very,very,old school term), Cats have been calling a basketball the rock for so long, It feels very nice to hear the original term used for a change(LOL), Also, Mark(MHD), The cat you mentioned by the name of Sam Puckett, Is he related to Kirby Puckett my man, I heard that Kirby Puckett was raised around the Cabrini Green Porjects area in Chicago, Also, Lamar Mondane sounds like he could get up(Jump very,very,high)For a little cat, Kind of reminds me of Spud Webb, who had a very big rep(Reputation)for throwing it(Dunking)on cats at Midland Junior College in Texas in the early 80's, Infact one of my boys played against Spud in the National Junior College Championship game at Hutchinson,kansas in 1982, And My man told me about this little cat from Texas who was throwing it(Dunking)on cats in the Tournament the week leading up to the Championship game(Spud's team beat my man's team which was Miami Dade Junior College), Say Mark, Do you remember when Spud throw it on George Gervin in 1986, Very funny shit, George Gervin looked liked he thought Spud was gonna lay it up(Boy was he surprised).
Later
Mike Barnes word on the old school Pill Mike, Sam Puckett was all-state in around 1970, so its possible that he is related to Kirby. And Spud was incredible at that height for what he was doing on the court, ol boy was fearless, especially taking it to the rack on the Iceman!

[Mike Barnes]

Say Mark(MHD), I used to see Spud Webb alot in Atlanta in the mid to late 80's(Even in spots/Clubs), I could not believe how little this cat was to get up like that(LOL),I haven't seen Spud in while now, Another cat who i used to see alot(Who by the way can get up high/Jump that is)in Atlanta back then(Mid to late 80's)was John Battle from Washington,DC and i think Mackin High School/And Rutgers University in New Jersey, Last time i heard, John Battle and Regina Belle are still very happy together with their family(I think John Battle is a Minister Nowdays), Say Mark, Are you up on this cat from Chicago named Andre Battle who played for Loyola in Chicago in the early to mid 80's, Andre Battle played with Alfredrick Hughes,Carl Golston(Little cat that was nice in the backcourt).
Later
Mike Barnes

[RX]

see, now...y'all are getting onto something i know much about - number 4 - anthony webb...i used to call myself ms. spud - no joke - 'cause i was about 5'2" and that was really, really small considering where i liked to ball...hey, after that slam dunk competition on '86, i was sold on spud, baby - pumas and all!

yeah, i still use pill because i always related a rock to a ball thrown extremely hard at the backboard... graemlins/rofl.gif

oh, yeah...talkin' about playing like you got paid - i would literally be in tears because my mom would make me watch the ncaa playoffs in my room on thee ole black and white tv because barbara walters would have her special on around the same time...i used to keep a scorepad for all the nba games i watched because i didn't trust the refs...PLUS i was a die-hard depaul fan - i mean, an independent school like that wrecking shop with dallas comegys, stanley brundy, kevin edwards, rod strickland...LAWD! illinois wasn't anything to play with around that time, either...lowell and wysinger and 'em kept the big 10 on point for real!

[ June 25, 2003, 09:40 AM: Message edited by: Ms Rickey X ]

[richierich]

Originally posted by mhd:
Rich, i played with and against Fantan in summer leagues at Washington Park, he knew some of my boys that went to Kenwood. is he still fly, i remember he worked at some fly clothing store up north back in the day
You mentioned Capon, he went to Hales with the Gray brothers, Waynie, Reno and Dap three ice-cold baller/pimps, these cats could flat out play, Dap rarely shot and ran the point flawlessly, Waynie was deadly from anywhere on the court and Reno was a slasher, and Capon got his while you your back was turned. the gray boys were from St. Columbanus on 71st and King and we were from St. Anselms on 61st and Indiana. Playing for Mendel, we would see these cats year round in the Catholic League, summer Park district league, etc. Yeah Fan is still fly .. he sells women's shoes in Bloomingdales on Michigan ave. Damn you mention St Anselms I used to go skating up there in like '72,'73 on Sundays. I went to Sexton and then to Hyde Park. I lived in Regents Park from '76 til I joined the Navy. Hung around with Shawn Meredith(Kenwood class of '78),CC (RIP) Ronnie Jones(disco cat) Steve Edwards(Kenwood '78),Noel,GooGoo, David Howell and them cats. I saw Smooch the other day as well as Prince.

[ June 25, 2003, 10:02 AM: Message edited by: richierich ]

[Dolemite73]

Originally posted by richierich:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by mhd:
Rich, i played with and against Fantan in summer leagues at Washington Park, he knew some of my boys that went to Kenwood. is he still fly, i remember he worked at some fly clothing store up north back in the day
You mentioned Capon, he went to Hales with the Gray brothers, Waynie, Reno and Dap three ice-cold baller/pimps, these cats could flat out play, Dap rarely shot and ran the point flawlessly, Waynie was deadly from anywhere on the court and Reno was a slasher, and Capon got his while you your back was turned. the gray boys were from St. Columbanus on 71st and King and we were from St. Anselms on 61st and Indiana. Playing for Mendel, we would see these cats year round in the Catholic League, summer Park district league, etc. Yeah Fan is still fly .. he sells women's shoes in Bloomingdales on Michigan ave. Damn you mention St Anselms I used to go skating up there in like '72,'73 on Sundays. I went to Sexton and then to Hyde Park. I lived in Regents Park from '76 til I joined the Navy. Hung around with Shawn Meredith(Kenwood class of '78),CC (RIP) Ronnie Jones(disco cat) Steve Edwards(Kenwood '78),Noel,GooGoo, David Howell and them cats. I saw Smooch the other day as well as Prince. </font>[/QUOTE]Its a small world Rich. Me and my brother(Eargasm) went to Sexton too. A lot later of course.

[julian_kelly]

Terry Cummings, Kenny Patterson...I used to love Depaul basketball back in the 80's .... Looking back its wild that they never went any further in the tournament than they did.

I used to love seeing Depaul play Notre Dame...especially when David Rivers played... David Rivers and Depaul's guards would go back and forth...really good stuff

julian kelly


Originally posted by Ms Rickey X:
...PLUS i was a die-hard depaul fan - i mean, an independent school like that wrecking shop with dallas comegys, stanley brundy, kevin edwards, rod strickland...LAWD!

[mhd]

Mike, your knowledge of the chi never ceases to amaze me, you named some very talented cats, if those guys were coming out today they would probably make it to the show,

RIch, if you were skating at St Anselms in the early 70s, i probably checked in your smelly shoes and gave you your skates!

[Mike Barnes]

Say Mark(MHD), Good lookin on the very kind words my man, I definitely respect your knowledge of the craft(Basketball)and history of the cats who played it very much(No matter what city they played it in), Say Rickie X and Julian_Kelly, Your going way back with Depaul Basketball naming cats like Terry Cummings,Stanley Brundy,Dallas Comegys,Rod Strickland,Kenny Patterson, Terrance Greene,Kevin Edwards, Etc, During that time, Joey Meyer had a crew of cats to work with hard, One of my alltime Favorite cats from Depaul is Teddy Grubbs from Chicago and if i remember correctly he went to King Hih School, To me, Teddy Grubbs was one of the best cats that i've ever seen from Chicago(Along with Isiah Thomas,Mark Aguirre,Terry Cummings,Ronnie Lester,Ben Wilson,etc), Teddy Grubbs was one of the 10 best cats in the country in 1979(Probably the best High School class ever produced), I was very,very, disappointed when this brother did not play up to his expectations, Hopefully, Teddy Grubbs has his life together nowdays.
Later
Mike Barnes

[Mack-Williams]

Mike you are a walking History Book. I enjoy reading your post. I use to be a huge Depaul fan back then too but I was in early stages of life between 6-8. Father put me on.

[richierich]

Originally posted by mhd:
Mike, your knowledge of the chi never ceases to amaze me, you named some very talented cats, if those guys were coming out today they would probably make it to the show,

RIch, if you were skating at St Anselms in the early 70s, i probably checked in your smelly shoes and gave you your skates! That's too wild!!!

[Mike Barnes]

I also wanted to add that the Kenny Patterson and Dave Rivers matchup was for only one year(Kenny Patterson was a senior in 1984/85, while Dave Rivers was a Freshman), But, Like Julian_Kelly mentioned, The matchup with Dave Rivers and Rod Strickland were legendary in the mid to late 80's. Depaul had a pipeline of guards going back to the late 70's with Gary Garland and Clyde Bradshaw(New Jersey Cats), Then Kenny Patterson(New York), Then Rod Strickland(New York), Joey Meyer had alot of trouble recruiting cats from New York after Rod Strickland left to go Pro in 1988(Also on the low, Rod Strickland and Dave Rivers were both cut by John Thompson for a spot on the Olympic Team in 1988, And Those of us who follow College Basketball know what happened after that), Another very nice matchup in the backcourt back then(Mid to late 80's)Was Pearl Washington and Dave Rivers for 2 years straight, Both Cats(Pearl Washington and Dave Rivers)were slipping in alot of wet spots the two times that they went toe to toe in 1985 and 1986(getting shook to the floor)
Later
Mike Barnes

[richierich]

While we're on college.. remember how Butch Lee (Marquette) use to just come down and abuse defenders?? One of the best college guards I have ever seen in my life.

[AK]

Lots of familiar names. Mike "Fan Tan" Bryant is definitely still a fly dresser. Rich, I'm sure we must have hooped together around Hyde Park back in the day. I played many summers in the Murray/YVI. Another cat who turned Murray out (before the move to YVI) was Tony Parker, father of the Spurs PG.

Mike, unfortunately Teddy Grubbs suffered from mental illness, which I don't think has gotten any better. I played in college wih his brother, Jeff. Teddy used to come down to school and he was in pretty bad shape. I saw Jeff a couple years ago and he said Teddy wasn't doing too well. Great talent, sad story.

[Mike Barnes]

Say Mack Williams, Good lookin on the kind words my man, I appreciate(Alisha Meyers)it, Alan King, Good lookin on the information on Teddy Grubbs money, I hope that brother(Teddy Grubbs)can turn his life around very soon, Also, RichieRich, Your definitely right on time with your comment about Butch Lee being one of the best guards in college basketball back in the mid to late 70's my man, I used to have crazy arguements with cats about who was the best guard in college back then, Butch Lee(Marquette),Ricky Green(Michigan), Or Phil Ford(North Carolina), I always felt that Phil Ford was the best back then because of the way he(Phil Ford)could control a game from start to finish(Especially running the 4 corners offense), Cats used to bug because i didn't say Butch Lee was the best because he was from New York(Manhattan), But, On the low, The main weakness that Butch Lee had in his game was, He was never asked to set cats up when he played at Marquette(Running an Offense), Al McGuire(Rip)Recruited Butch Lee to score, And Butch Lee did that very,very, well, But, When Butch Lee started out in the League(NBA), He had a very hard time trying to run a team, Because he never was put in that position before, If Butch Lee would have been 6'4, He would have done much work in the League(NBA)to me, But, I remember the Pizza Hut Classic College Allstar game(For the cats who go way,way back)in 1978, When Maurice Cheeks(Then a Senior at West Texas State)cracked Butch Lee's ass hard(Picked his pocket/And Butch Lee did not want to bring the ball up the court the rest of the game, And that game, Had alot to do with Maurice Cheeks getting Drafted by the Philadelphia 76'ers that year, Say Alan,RichieRich, Do you cats know if the Prarie View League is still around in Chicago.
Later
Mike Barnes

P.S. If Butch Lee had Sam Worthen's(Legendary cat from Brooklyn,NY)passing ability, He would have had a very,very, nice career in the League(NBA), Sam Worthen was one of the best passers every to play the game.

[richierich]

I'm not sure about that one (Prairie View).
When is The Rucker Park Tourney?? My cousin in Brooklyn told me also about the And 1 tourney. I wanna catch one of these this year.

[Mike Barnes]

Say RichieRich, From what i understand, The Rucker is in Progress already(I think the Rucker Started last week), I heard Lebron James was up there(The Rucker)last week with Sebestian Telfir(Who played, And he' very nice with his), Also my man mentioned to me that there is a Pro Tournament at Hunter College located at Lexington ave and 68th st, That started last week, I heard Shaheen Holloway(Former Seton Hall cat),Stephon Marbury,Lamar Odom,Ron Artest,Elton Brand,Jamaal Tinsley, Etc, are playing, The games are played Tuesday's and Thursday nites, The first game starts at 6:30pm and the second game starts at 8:30pm, I don't know if Rafer Alston is playing at Hunter College though(I know Rafer Alston will be playing Uptown/Rucker though for a few), Also, There's West 4thst Pro Tournament(West4st and Ave of the Americas), I think the start times are first game 6:00pm Monday thru Friday, Then 5:OOpm on Saturdays and Sundays), As for the And1 Games, I have a schedule that i'll have to checkout, Since your in Chicago, I will let you know when the And1 cats are coming to your city my man.
Later
Mike Barnes