Streetball gets a bad wrap. After being exposed to the And1 Mixtape Tour, and occasional Rucker Park Tournament highlight, it’s easy to envision four guys standing around while one guy dribbles, each possession punctuated by a slam dunk with little or no defense.

But the Ball Up “Search for the Next” is completely different from its predecessors. It’s a 10-city tour looking for the best undiscovered player in the country that culminates in $100,000 and a roster spot for the tour’s winner.

In 2003, the most popular streetball player in the world right now, The Professor, was one of them.

While attending an And1 Mixtape Tour stop in Portland, Oregon in 2003, the 5’10,” 155-pound 19-year-old Professor competed in an open run competition prior to that evening’s game and did well enough to get invited back that evening to square off against Team And1.

After a solid performance in the game, he joined the team full-time and was suddenly getting paid to play basketball, literally overnight.

“Yeah, true story. We would’ve been fully content just watching the game,” said Professor about the experience. “I got there early and saw that there was an open run going on and that there was a chance. I hopped in as soon as I could and showed them what I could do.

“And next thing I know, I’m selected to play against the And1 Mixtape Tour team. I got the crowd excited again a few times in that game, and then that night, they asked me to go on tour with them, and I was just shocked.”

Ball Up started in 2009 and took the concept of touring streetball to a new level.

“The whole experience has been a blessing. I’ve been able to travel the world, got to call basketball my job thanks to the company giving me my first contract in 2003. So I just feel really blessed to be in this position and that Ball Up wanted to start this movement up again.”

The Professor is humble, but let’s not forget how sick he is.

Here’s that move, in a single frame:

In every city on the tour, a team of local talent, assembled earlier in the day at an open run, faces off against the Ball Up All-Stars, including streetball legends The Professor, Bone Collector, AO, Sik Wit It and Air Up There.

The team is coached by former NBA world champion and 12-year vet Tracy Murray – which warrants special mention, because as a teenage basketball junkie in the 90s, I used to love watching him stroke the three-ball from deep.

So when I saw him leaning against a wall in the lower level of Ralston Arena, I had to tell him that. And, have my daughter take a pic.

This isn’t the Harlem Globetrotters playing the Washington Generals every game, every city, over a period of years, replete with hi-jinks and “laffs.”

It’s a literal competition, pitting the hungriest ballers against the Ball Up All-Stars in front of their families and hometown crowd.

The Ball Up team has everything to lose, while the local team has everything to gain. The mix of combustible elements creates a great fan experience. Plus, there is not a sniff of zone defense, which is what made the NBA great at one time.

As far as making the team, at a Ball Up event, you get to watch the drama unfold, as it did for the former Grayson Boucher, aka The Professor, with two players from the local team (as the full squad stands in the middle of court in front of the entire crowd) selected to move forward in the competition at the conclusion of the game.

It’s high level basketball and a reality show right in front of your eyes.

Below, Ball Up CEO Demetrius Spencer, The Professor and the New Orleans Pelicans’ Eric Gordon determine who will move forward, while two participants anxiously await their fate.

Two MVPs from each city are then invited to participate in a 20-person, two-day combine camp at the end of the tour. 10 finalists are selected from that to play against the Ball Up All-Stars in a championship game taking place in Ball Up’s hometown of Los Angeles.

The MVP of that game earns a spot on the Ball Up roster and a professional contract worth $100,000. Each stop on the tour features an NBA guest coach.

“I have a good relationship with Ball Up,” said Eric Gordon, the NBA guest coach for the Omaha tour stop.

“It’s just been fun. I enjoy the game and so do they. You just gather a bunch of guys out here in Omaha and try to beat the Ball Up team. Mostly, it’s all about having fun and enjoying the game.”

Nobody captures the energy and excitement of a Ball Up event like Sik Wit It, streetball icon and ball handler extraordinaire.

Just like The Professor, Sik Wit It attended a tryout for the And1 tour that ultimately changed his life.

“In 2001, there were 2,000 people came up from LA to Bel Air Park to try and make a team of 12,” explained Sik in the video below. “I got on, and they signed me to a three-day contract; Washington D.C., Atlanta and New York. I did well, they liked my style and they signed me to a $20,000 contract.”

Watch him in this interview and tell me you don’t love the guy:

Each tour event is filmed and later broadcast as part of the “Ball Up: Search For The Next” TV series on Fox Sports. Here are the remaining dates:

July 5th – Houston, TX – Hofheinz Pavilion
July 11th – Chicago, IL – Jones Convocation Center
July 12th – Indianapolis, IN – Fairgrounds Coliseum
July 19th – Miami, FL – Bank United Center
July 25th – Atlanta, GA – McCamish Pavilion
July 26th – Birmingham, AL – Bill Harris Arena
July 28th – July 29th – Combine held in Los Angeles, CA
August 1st – Los Angeles, CA – Stubhub Center – Championship Gam

Complete tour details, open run tryouts and ticket information is available at www.BallUp.com.

Check out Ball Up on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.

We were fortunate to review the newly designed and developed D Rose 3.5 Signature Basketball Shoe from adidas with input from Chicago Bulls superstar point guard Derrick Rose. The shoe has improved performance, bolder style and more personal details than its predecessor and launched just a few weeks ago. The D Rose 3.5 shoe is inspired by Derrick’s dedication and hard work to his game and features adidas’ most innovative performance technology, premium and rich style elements and personal details.

To exceed the performance needs for Derrick’s unique style of play, which includes extreme changes in direction, acceleration and explosiveness, adidas designers made the D Rose 3.5 more supportive, comfortable and responsive than its predecessor. The shoe fits even closer to the foot for faster cuts and features a SPRINTWEB upper engineered specifically for his style of play, which reduces weight with maximum support and breathability.

Additional performance features include an ergonomic ankle collar pocket to ensure maximum support during hard cuts and a breathable mesh tongue to improve comfort. SPRINTFRAME technology features an external heel counter to reduce weight and allow for energy return and motion control, giving Derrick his best performing signature shoe to date to improve his performance on court.

The bold spiral overlay pattern is inspired by Derrick’s goal to tighten his game, and functionally, it increases flexibility and provides optimum toe protection. The synthetic leather upper features the spiral protruding from the D Rose logo on the ankle to represent how his on and off-court success continues to grow from the support of his family, who inspired the logo. Chicago call-outs on the inside of the tongue showcase the essence of Rose, including a “Rooted in Chicago” graphic with lettering, colors and shapes inspired by Derrick’s tattoos and the Chicago flag. Each colorway of the D Rose 3.5 will feature special graphics, materials and colors that give details about Derrick’s life and style of play.

The three stripes are again featured on the back of the shoe to represent Rose’s speed, and now wrap around the outsole so opponents will see them not only when he drives past them, but also goes over them.

The D Rose 3.5 launched at retailers worldwide on January 31st for $160 in away (black/white/red) and home (gray/black/red) colorways. The shoe will launch in six additional editions through April.

The new D Rose 3.5 not only looks incredible, but the fit and finish of the new shoe from adidas hits new levels for comfort and stability. These new offerings are extremely lightweight but add to the strength of an already top-shelf shoe. The attention one gets from wearing the new D Rose 3.5’s might surprise you because everyone wants to check them out on and off the court.

Spring is here and summer is around the corner, so it’s time to get outside and get active. Put down the computer, shut off the video game and get your tail out in the fresh air with a basketball, a Frisbee or whatever else gets you moving around.

Champion sent us some of their new Double Dry gear to try out, and we were very impressed. You can see a photo of the t-shirt above, and it feels just as comfortable as it looks.

The t-shirt has sleek, ergonomic seams that provide a more streamlined fit. They’re triple-stitched for strength and flat-locked for non-chafe softness. Believe us – they are extremely comfortable and allow for a flexible range of motion. The shorts also provide a maximum ease of movement along with good ventilation, and you can adjust the inner drawcord for a flexible, custom fit.

Finally, you look great in this stuff.