FWMSr has been telling me about this book my entire life. Tonight was the 35th anniversary celebration of Heaven Is A Playground‘s publication, the book Barack Obama said was “the best basketball book [he’d] ever read”, the book based on a summer of basketball in Foster Park in Flatbush, Brooklyn where my dad and his friends played daily. Many of the players mentioned (some with names changed in the pages) were in attendance and it was akin to a long overdue family reunion.
Dad wanted to bring the camera to shoot pictures, but I wanted him to be free to move around and hang with his friends, so I offered to shoot the party for him.
Haven’t seen him that happy in a while. Good times.
Sponsored by Converse and Slam Magazine. Hosted by Bobbito, music by Rich Medina.
Photo Gallery after the jump.
Forgive some of the blurriness, I didn’t have the shutter speed set right.
UPDATED: Short vid of FWMSr reminsicin’ on the old days.
Did your dad ever play with Telander (the author)? Or talk to him when he was hanging around? That is just amazing that he was there during that time…once again, your pops needs his own reality show.
yep. dad was a small character in the book.
Hey Junior!! I was supposed to be there last night too. I’m your long lost Uncle Les Miller LOL. I’m down in the Princeton area of NJ now but heard my BK crib is a block down from you. I was supposed to meet you two visits ago by your Pops :-). It’s 314 you know where…………Anywhooooo, nice pics, made feel like I was there also and sad at the same time, seeing a lot of familiar faces. Have a Happy Holiday Season and we’ll meet one day soon.
Sincerely Miller to Miller as me and your Pops say!!!
Les
<3
Yeah the reunion was a hugh success and I would have missed this for the world. Had a great time with Rick T., Al King, Craig Smoak, FWM, FLY, Lionel Worrell, Lace and the rest of the fellas.
Les: soon and very soon!
Eric: good times last night
I wish my old man was cool like that. Mine only cares about yardwork and inconveniencing me.
Damn, now I gotta go re-read the book. It has been a few years.
LOL at Damien.
wow, really Frank, thats how it went down? Money!!!!!
True Dat…True Dat…Money!!!
I’m back in Northern Cal now but I had a great time…enjoyed seeing Rick, Eddie, Mark, Skeemo, Cameron, Mark D, Tony, and all the crew from Foster Park. Hope we can do it again soon.
Greatest basketball book ever. A question I have had for years is whatever happened to Sgt. Rock? Did he play college or pro ball?