Streetball coming to Sikeston

SIKESTON -- The hottest streetballers on the planet will be making a stop at the Sikeston Field House possibly for the first and only time.

The Streetball Live Tour will be in Sikeston to put on a one-of-a-kind, family oriented show featuring players with a variety of basketball skills.

"We're putting together a new tour which is cutting threw Sikeston just to see how the market responds," Tour director Carlos Nelson said. "If the reception is good we will think about coming back again."

The Streetball Live Tour features entertainers from the widely popular And 1 Mixed Tape Tour featured regularly on ESPN2. Players like Hot Sauce, Spyda Air Up There, The Professor, I'll Be Right Back and many more will put their skills on display.

"We're known as the Harlem Globetrotters of the new millennium," Nelson said. "We have guys with 74 to 75 inch verticals, excellent ball handling skills and just have the skills of professional basketball players."

One former streetballer had the opportunity to take his game to the ultimate level.

Rafer Alston, who was known as Skip To My Lou while on the tour, is now a professional basketball player in the NBA. Alston left the And 1 tour to join the Milwaukee Bucks in 2001. Alston was a key component in the Orlando Magic's 2009 Eastern Conference Championship team who fell to the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals last year.

"He was one of the fortunate ones from And 1," said Nelson, who was also a part of bringing the concert/play "Meet the Browns" to the Field House late last year. "But, there are many others on the tour that could play at the professional level."

Proceeds from the Tour's stop at the Field House will go to the Sikeston athletic department. Donations will also be given to various other non-profit organizations affiliated with the Streetball Live Tour.

"It's definitely a very exciting show," said Nelson. "It's great entertainment, good basketball and is family oriented. You can bring a five-year-old or 85-year-old.

"I would like for everyone to come out and experience this. This will be history. This could be the last time the Sikeston area could see something like this."