Streetball in Puerto Rico

Linked to the popularity of basketball in Puerto Rico, the recurrence of streetball has become intertwined with the practice of the sport in all of its levels. Taking influence from the grassroots connection of Nuyorican streetballers to the Baloncesto Superior Nacional, the practice is widespread in Puerto Rico, with impromptu games being a highly common occurrence for decades. Organized streetball gained momentum in the early 2000s and soon became involved with the local urban culture, especially the Hip hop and Reggaeton industries, giving origin to teams like Puerto Rico Streetball and the Puerto Rico Streetballers. Organizations based in Puerto Rico have played against foreign competition, with the results including the first win of an international team over the prominent AND1 Live Tour Team. Teams native to the archipelago are affiliated to the Street Basketball Association and FIBA's 3x3 diversification program. Team San Juan, based on the municipality of the same name, was the champion of the first edition of the FIBA 3x3 World Tour.

Initially, the Puerto Ricans arriving to New York as part of the great 1940s-50s migration were spurned by pre-established ethnic groups, which was also reflected when they attempted to practice basketball along players with these backgrounds. However, this soon changed when players developed in the courts of the local neighborhoods began distinguishing themselves due to their skills. The player credited with establishing a connection between New York basketball and Puerto Rico is Héctor Blondet, who began to practice it during his teens at Fort Green. At the Rucker Basketball Tournaments he played against players including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Nate "Tiny" Archibald, Dean Meminger and Connie Hawkins. Fernando Torres, who had experienced this discrimination was also among the first two players to break the "natives only" rule of the main professional league in Puerto Rico, the Baloncesto Superior Nacional along Blondet. The two had been recruited by the Capitanes de Arecibo, but the league refused to allow the signing until the matter was taken to court. Following his arrival to the BSN, Blondet established a bolder style of playing the sport, earning the nickname of "El Mago" (Spanish for "The Magician") due to his passing and overall abilities. It was Blondet who ultimately opened the doors to Nuyorican players with his unorthodox streetball-inspired skills. He soon joined the Puerto Rico men's national basketball team, becoming an Olympian. This created a surge and a group of Nuyorican players that later came to be known as "Los Tres Reyes" (Spanish for "The Three Kings": Raymond Dalmau, Rúben Rodríguez and Neftalí Rivera.

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