The Great Neck/Manhasset Allstars Basketball program was formed in the summer of 1998 as a 3-3 team comprised of one player from Great Neck, one player from Staten Island and another from the Bronx. In the fall of 1998 Great Neck resident Sylvester "Sly" Johnson decided to expand to a team of 10 players. He recruited players from the St. Mary's CYO team and some local kids from Great Neck. He eventually opened the program to any kid who wanted the opportunity to play competitive basketball and receive a scholarship for their efforts.

The program has been very successful developing and giving kids exposure to get in such programs as Rider, Rutgers, Penn, Duquesne, Wyoming, Fairfield, Stevens Institute of Technology, LaSalle, Hamilton College and one former Allstar is attending NYU Medical School.

The Allstars motto is: "Our ball bounces beyond the court." They concentrate on mentoring and teaching. In spite of the fact they don't have a major sponsor, they are able to travel and give the kids exposure to scouting services and NCAA coaches.

Their most recent trip was to Stonehill College in Easton, MA. The season begins in January and ends in August. They like to take the kids out of the area as much as possible. They take them to areas that they would not see if they were not in this program. The program is different in that the majority of our kids are very good students. They do not recruit kids because of their athletic ability. The coaching staff is very familiar with NCAA regulations and know that a kid who does not have the GPA and SAT scores will not make it to college on athletic ability alone.

They have won several championships, but that is not the main focus. The goal is to prepare the kids for their high school basketball season. "We will make them the best player they can be" for their respective programs say the coaches.

The funds they receive pay for league fees, insurance, equipment and uniforms. The Allstars 16 and under team has been invited to Orlando, FL to participate in the AAU Super Showcase in July.

The kids are looking forward to this trip and the remainder of the season. The 14 and under, 15 and under, and 16 and under teams will also participate in the Nike Swoosh Summer Leagues in the Bronx and Long Island.

Special thanks to the "Greentree" Foundation for their past contributions and the Great Neck Public Schools (Mr. Gumms) for allowing to use of the gym for practice.

Coaching staff Charles Lamont Eddins (Manhasset High School), Douglas Irby (Manhasset High School), Hector Henry (Great Neck) and Sly Johnson (Great Neck) are all NCAA certified and go above and beyond to help the 60 kids currently in the program.