Meet the New Streetball King of Queens: Mr. Leaky Roof
Queens, New York, has solidified its reputation as an explosive hotbed of raw and unmatched basketball talent.
Back in the day, the blacktops echoed with shouts and laughter as legends like "Fly" Williams and Earl "The Goat" Manigault redefined what it meant to dominate street hoops.
Fast forward to the '90s, and the likes of Rafer Alston, known as "Skip to My Lou," brought their mad handles from the playgrounds to NBA arenas, putting Queens on the map as a streetball mecca.
The Next New York Basketball Sensation?
We may have found the next up-and-coming Queens streetball star at July's NYC Open Runs. Isaiah Brown, aka "Leaky Roof," aka "Mr. Walking Buckets" sat down with us for a few moments to talk a little shop about his career, dropping nearly 100 points on the court, and what's on tap.
Read our short interview below.
Who is your favorite player of all time?
My favorite player of all time is definitely Tracy McGrady.
Who is your favorite AND1 player of all time?
I’m torn when it comes to this question because i grew up on Skip to My Lou and I'm from Queens. But Hot Sauce was my favorite; honestly I learned different ways to dribble the ball watching him hoop.
How would you describe your game?
I'd say my game is free, fun, a little unorthodox because I'm a lefty, but definitely exciting.
We heard you scored 61 in a Kenny Graham west 4th street run. What’s the most you’ve ever dropped in a game?
Yes I did, but that's not the most I've ever had in West 4th either! My high in West 4th is 73, but the most I ever dropped in a game is 96 points.
Who is your favorite music artist, or your top 5 in your Spotify playlist?
My top 5 artists of all time not in order would be Nas, Jadakiss , Lil Wayne, Jay Z, and Big Pun.
Favorite venue to play?
My favorite place to play is Leaky Court which is my park in my neighborhood in flushing Queens - Pomonok Houses North.
How often do you play at Pomonok Houses and when can fans come watch?
I play in my neighborhood as often as i can. If I don't have games outside of the hood, I'm on my block playing and usually I post on my instagram when we going to be hooping. Fans are always welcome.
Where do you see the future of streetball? :
The future of street ball is very bright. With the way content is being pushed these days, I think street ball is in a great time right now.
What motivates you on and off the court?
My main motivation is my daughter and my family- I want to be able to take care of them so everyday I get up and work as hard as possible.
I plan on continuing to make a difference in my neighborhood and helping kids stay on a straight path. And for myself I just want to make my family proud and be able to provide for them.
So, why the name Leaky Roof?
If you didn't know what my name means I have a question for you. When your roof leaks what do you put down to catch the water?
A bucket. I get buckets [laughing].