West Fourth Street Courts facts for kids
The West Fourth Street Courts, often called "The Cage", is a famous outdoor basketball court in New York City. You can find it in a cool neighborhood called Greenwich Village. "The Cage" is super important for "Streetball" games, which are like basketball tournaments played on outdoor courts. What makes it special is that it's not a normal-sized court!
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Playing at The Cage
The West 4th Street League was started by a limousine driver named Kenny Graham. This league has become a big part of basketball history on outdoor courts. Many famous players have played at The Cage. These include legends like Dr. J, Walter Berry, and Jayson Williams.
Tough Basketball Games
Because the court is smaller than usual, players often use a very physical style of play. This means there's a lot of "banging inside," where players use their bodies to get good positions. Even though there are lines on the court, players often ignore them during games!
Many players want to play at The Cage. This means the competition to get on the court is very tough. If a team loses, they usually don't get to play again right away. This makes every game super intense!
Watching the Games
People who run the West 4th Street League think that over 100,000 fans come to watch the games every summer. These numbers are similar to how many people watched games at another famous court, Rucker Park, back in the 1960s and 1970s.
Getting There
The courts are built right over the West Fourth Street – Washington Square subway station. There is an entrance to the subway right next to the courts. This makes it easy for players and fans to get to The Cage.
The Cage in Media
The Cage is so famous that many national TV commercials have been filmed there. Some former NBA players, like Anthony Mason and Smush Parker, learned their tough basketball style by playing at The Cage. The court is even shown in the video game NBA Street V3, where you can play games on a virtual version of The Cage.
