Miracles in professional basketball are the players themselves. One such miracle is Rafer Alston. Many might remember him as the streetball legend, but he also had a great NBA career. Flashy moves and fast dribbles, he was entertaining to watch. Has he always been the same? The pure talent that we saw when Alston was playing was initially about to go unnoticed. So, how did he join the NBA? And the most important question is who made it possible?

Growing up in the Jamaica neighborhood, Alston honed his skills playing streetball. He had exceptionally fast dribbles and tricky moves that left defenders baffled. However, those same skills didn’t translate during his college years. Alston spent his three years of college at different institutions, Ventura College and Fresno City College. Following this, he played under Jerry Tarkanian at Fresno State. Across the 33 games he played, Alston averaged 11.0 points and 7.3 assists per game. 

While these numbers were good, this wasn’t enough to land him a coveted spot in the NBA. But his high school coach knew that Alston’s skills only needed a spotlight. His never-before-seen moves needed to be witnessed by everyone. And he was correct. It made a change. His talent was spotted by his high school coach, Ron Naclerio. Alston played under Naclerio when he attended Benjamin Cardozo High School in Queens.

His former high school coach shared a few tapes featuring Alston’s skills, which eventually reached the AND1 staff. Soon, Alston caught the attention of the people and joined the AND1 Mixtape Tour. The tour saw the players visit several cities to show their talent. It also recruited equally players to join the team. 

Titled Streetball, the tour was featured on ESPN and ESPN2. Nearly 10 volumes of the tour were released. And the former NBA player became a legend in streetball. His skills were praised and recognized. It was around this time when he got the nickname Skip 2 my Lou.  How did Alston get his nickname? That goes back to when he was 15.

How did Rafer Alston become Skip 2 my Lou?

Rafer was just a teenager when he began playing against older players. He was only 14 when he came to Rucker Park, and slowly, over time, he built his confidence. His focus was to show stunning moves and playing styles to impress the audience. He was quickly named The Energizer. But that changed after a game. 

During a quick attack in one of the games, Alston added a little hop before passing the ball to a teammate, who ended the play with an exciting slam dunk. Explaining his move, he said, “One day, 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.”

He added, “And I’m gonna see if this guy go for the ball, and if he goes for the ball, I’mma wrap that thing around and throw a no-look my teammate for the finish.’ It just happened the way I just thought about it.”

This is how he became Skip 2 My Lou to the fans. “Ladies and gentlemen, we have a whole new nickname for him. That’s Skip 2 My Lou. That’s The Skipper!” “Everybody’s on the court, grabbing me. I thought it was a silly, dumb move. I had no idea that this nickname was going to be my nickname for the rest of my life.” That was the beginning for him. How and when did he reach the NBA?

Rafer Alston carved a name for himself in the NBA

After gaining popularity for his streetball game, Alston declared himself for the 1998 NBA draft. He was selected as the No. 39 pick by the Milwaukee Bucks. While he mostly came off the bench, he slowly began to show his potential. The chance came when he replaced Sam Cassell. Alston was able to lead the Bucks to a 104–93 win over the Utah Jazz.

The incredible clash of players with different skills and playing styles is what makes the NBA more interesting. Alston was just that. Another change came for him when he joined the Orlando Magic as the starting point guard in the 2008-09 season to replace injured Jameer Nelson. He averaged 12.0 points across 29 games. However, he was replaced by Nelson just ahead of the Finals which Magic eventually lost.

Following this, he played for the Nets, Miami Heat, and was eventually cut. After playing in two other leagues, he retired. In history, he is the first streetball player to join the NBA, and throughout his career, Alston became an inspiration for others as well.