He was once tagged “The best point guard in the world (you’ve never heard of)” by SLAM Magazine.
When you talk about legendary point guards, names like Magic, Thomas, Stockton, Nash, Kidd, and Paul come to mind.
But for those who know basketball outside of the NBA, the name “Skip To My Lou” tells the tale of a player who skipped his way from New York City parks to the bright lights of the best basketball league in the world.
Born in Queens, New York, in 1976, Rafer Jamel Alston grew up in a neighborhood where basketball wasn’t just a game, but a lifestyle. And for some, a pathway to something better.
Before suiting up for the Benjamin Cardozo High School Judges, Alston had already created a reputation for himself on some of the most popular outdoor basketball courts in the world.
At 14 years old, he was holding his own against college-level starters and earned the name “The Energizer” from famed Rucker Park MC Duke Tango.
A year later, “Skip To My Lou” was born after Alston toyed with an opposing defender
Looking to bring some energy (pun intended) to a game, Alston put a little pep into his step before dishing off to a teammate for a thunderous dunk.
“The other team was shooting a free throw. And I was like, ‘What could I do to get these people off their feet again?’ I thought of something right on the spot. I said, “If I get on a two-on-one or three-on-one fast break, I’m going to let the ball bounce beside me, I’mma start skipping.”
When he wasn’t putting on a show on the blacktop, Alston was dominating the hardwood as a member of the Judges.
At least when he played, that is.
Growing up with a troubled home life with his mom working two jobs and his dad embedded in the drug world, Alston’s school attendance record wasn’t exactly the best, and as a result, he only played ten games in his final two years of high school combined.
However, during the times when he was available to play, he averaged more than 30 points, despite playing less than 20 minutes per game.
While names like Stephon Marbury, Chauncey Billups, and Shammgod Wells dominated the media as the top point guards of the 1995 high school class, Alston was earning his rep on the streets and the AAU circuit thanks to his ankle-breaking crossovers, jaw-dropping handles, and crowd-pleasing creativity.
Without a high school resume, Alston drew little college attention.
But as a result of his time in California as part of the AAU program, Ventura Pirates coach Phil Matthews offered the New York native a spot on his community college team.
Blending the fundamental game with some streetball flair, the Pirates, led by Alston, finished the season 37-1 and captured the state title.
“Sometimes when the game was ours, I let him showcase his skills,” Coach Matthews admitted. “He knew how to incorporate his streetball skills into our system.”
The next stop in Alston’s journey came at Fresno City College, where he redshirted his first season before averaging 17.3 points and 8.6 assists the next year while earning his junior college degree.
Alston’s time with the Rams was just a stepping stone to bigger things, as Fresno State Bulldogs head coach Jerry Tarkanian had his eyes on the young point guard as someone who could help pilot his high-octane offense.
Along with three future NBA players (Terrance Roberson, Chris Herren, and Tremain Fowlkes), Alston made the Bulldogs one of the most fun NCAA teams to watch during the 1997-98 season.
Averaging 11 points and 7 assists, he helped them to a 21-13 record. While it didn’t result in a trip to the NCAA Tournament, the Bulldogs reached the semi-finals of the NIT Tournament.
As well-known as Alston had become in the basketball world, his level of fame would reach a level that he couldn’t have ever imagined.
When he’d suited up for the Rucker Park tournament and other NYC events, his high school coach, Ron Naclerio, decided to capture the action on tape.
The grainy footage of a then-16-year-old soon made its way into the hands of AND1, the popular streetball-themed apparel company.
Blended with hip hop music, Alston’s on-court wizardry, teaming with various other members of the New York City basketball community, became the first installment of the legendary AND1 Mixtape series, simply known as “The Skip Tape”.
For basketball purists, this tape left their heads in their hands, but for fans of the streetball flair and creativity, it was like a VHS version of the bible.
“Walking with Rafer near Rucker is like strolling down Michigan Avenue with Michael Jordan,” Anthony McCarron noted in the famed SLAM article. “When Rafer’s in the game, you can hear the oohs and aahs from blocks away.”
While “Skip To My Lou” had quickly taken over the basketball world, with young players heading to the blacktop to try and mimic his creative handles and fancy passes, Alston had other things in mind.
Selected in the second round of the 1998 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks, Alston soon found that not everyone appreciated his on-court wizardry.
Instead of donning an NBA uniform, he found himself honing his professional game with the Idaho Stampede of the CBA.
Making the Bucks’ final roster for the start of the 1999-2000 season, he found himself sitting deep on George Karl’s bench behind Sam Cassell and Vinny Del Negro.
Seeing just 361 minutes of floor time in 23 games, Alston finished his rookie year averaging 2.2 points and 2.6 assists.
Two more relatively uneventful seasons in Milwaukee led him into free agency.
After being signed and waived by the Golden State Warriors, he inked a deal with the Mobile Revelers of the NBDL (now known as the G-League).
Alston would not return to the development league for another ten years, earning several ten-day contracts with the Toronto Raptors to finish out the 2002-03 season. A one-year stop in South Beach saw Alston return to Canada to become the Raptors’ starting point guard for the 2004-05 season before being traded to the Houston Rockets.
During his four seasons in Houston, Alston piloted an offense that featured future Hall of Fame players such as Tracy McGrady, Yao Ming, and Dikembe Mutombo.
While he’d finally established a home and a starting role with the Rockets, a midseason trade during the 2008-09 schedule provided the New York-born point guard a chance to shine on the NBA’s biggest stage.
As part of a three-team deal featuring Houston, Orlando, and Memphis, Alston was traded to the Magic, where he teamed up with Dwight Howard and Rashard Lewis to advance to the NBA Finals against the Lakers.
Although the Magic fell 4-1, Alston’s career playoff high of 20 points helped Orlando to stave off a series sweep.
Following a 27-game run with the New Jersey Nets, Alston’s NBA career came to a controversial end with the Miami Heat in 2010. As part of a three-headed point guard system with Mario Chalmers and Carlo Arroyo, Alston struggled with Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra’s structured system.
While this marked the end of his NBA career, Alston’s basketball story was far from over.
Returning to where it all began, Alston joined the AND1 Mixtape Tour, teaming with various other streetball legends and hopefuls, traveling the country to showcase the playground game.
For those who thought he was just a young kid with a fancy nickname and even fancier ball-handling skills, Alston proved the skeptics otherwise when talking about his journey.
“For me, it was like a breath of fresh air because of the path I put myself through…not getting it done as far as the classroom in high school and having to go junior college and then go to Division I. Some of us take the path less traveled, and that’s what happened to me. I persevered and kept working hard.”
Today, Alston is back in the Houston area, taking up the role of head coach at Lutheran South Academy.
