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Joe Hammond, nicknamed "The Destroyer", is an American former streetball basketball player based in Harlem, New York. He attended Taft High School in the Bronx,[1] but he dropped out of school in the 9th grade and thus never played college basketball.[2] He played professionally in the Eastern Basketball Association (EBA) with the Allentown Jets and Garden State Colonials.[3]
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | Harlem, New York, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Listed weight | 175 lb (79 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Taft (The Bronx, New York) |
| NBA draft | 1971: Hardship round, 5th overall pick |
| Selected by the Los Angeles Lakers | |
| Playing career | 1969–1973 |
| Position | Guard |
| Career history | |
| 1969–1971 | Allentown Jets |
| 1972–1973 | Garden State Colonials |
A streetball player, Hammond once scored 50 points in a half against Julius Erving at Rucker Park.[4] In the 1971 NBA hardship draft, he was selected with the fifth pick of the 1971 Early Entry draft by the Los Angeles Lakers.[2][5] He also turned down a three-year contract to play in the American Basketball Association.[1]
He was arrested for dealing drugs and was sentenced to 11 years in prison.[6] In 1990, he was described as being the best streetball player ever by The New York Times.[7] He later sued Nike and Foot Locker for $5 million for using his image without his permission.[6]
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