Hello.

I have a friend visiting on the long weekend who is interested in seeing a basketball game. I know nothing about sports. Where can I go to see a basketball game live? Doesn't necessarily have to be a big-named pro team. Could even be a local game? Any ideas or leads of where to start, would be helpful.

Thanks,

gtrekker2003

Starting with the pro's, the NY Knick(erbocker)s play at Madison Square garden. You can look for tickets on their web site, but chances are better you'll find tickets at stubhub.com, gotickets.com, or other brokers. The NJ Nets play in the Meadowlands across the river in NJ.

There are also several big name colleges in NYC w/ BB teams, including St. John's and Fordham.

Your options will be dictated by the date of the visit and which teams are playing at home.

Another option would be to find a neighborhood bb court with pickup games. Sorry - can't help you there, but perhaps others can.

You're too early in the year for professional or college basketball - you won;t see any of that before late September or October at the earliest.

NYC has extremely high quality playground basketball (sometimes you see pros or about to be playing there) at Rucker Park on I think 155th street. But this is hard-core playground bball in a sort of gritty neighborhood.

If you go to the NYC Parks Department website and look up the park they'll list any tournaments/special activities - and how to get there.

By "the long weeked" do you mean Labor Day? If so, that is not basketball season. The Pros start the beginning of Nov and colleges start later.

So your best bet may be some local amatuer league/pick up games. I can't help you there - maybe some NYer has an idea.

If you mean some other time (other than Labor Day) tell us exactly when and we can give you the schedules of different teams.

This web ite will take you to the info:

http://gis.nyc.gov/parks/lc/NYCParkMapIt.do

I was trying to post the same time as nytrveler was making his first entry (the site is being "twitchy" so I'm having a bit of trouble).

Anyway - his info is good about the parks dept. Forget about any NBA or college games - you're a couple of months too early

"The Cage" at west 4th street and 6th ave. in the village has some of the best amateur basketball in the city.

http://www.insidehoops.com/west-4th-...sketball.shtml

sorry, didn't pick up the "long weekend" part, meaning 5 days from now. The others are correct, it is not yet bb season for colleges or pros.