Bone Collector is getting his biggest break yet. Otherwise known as Larry Williams, the 6-foot-nothing, all-everything ball-handling demon has turned Harlem's Rucker Park into his personal stage.
After wowing the Rucker faithful with a shoelace-poppin' crossover dribble that is fast becoming legendary, the 21-year-old told the Voice that he earned his nickname "twisting ankles and tearing ligaments with a single dribble." Looking around at the NBA, college, high school, and no-school stars, he added, "I'd like to think that right now I'm the best player in this whole league."
Bone Collector grew up in Pasadena, Texas, but never played organized ball there, so he packed his duffel bag and headed for the world's most famous playground, where he is averaging 22 points and five rebounds with a team called RBK. Off the court, he's trying to make it as a rap artist.
"It's been a real rough life, man, lots of obstacles to overcome," he said. As he spoke, Bone Collector glanced at a tattoo on one of his arms, depicting a creepy skeleton's head with a long dog bone running through it. "I look down at that tattoo every now and then, especially while I'm playing. It serves as a reminder of my difficult upbringing."
Before washing up on the shores of Rucker Park, Bone Collector did make a stop out West, playing half a season at Chaffey College in Rancho Cucamonga, California. Struggling in the classroom, he trotted over to Globe Institute of Technology in Lower Manhattan, one of the few powerful junior-college programs in the Northeast. He gave the Knights 9.5 points, 2.5 assists, and a bundle of headaches per game with his helter-skelter handle last season.
"We called him the 'Turnover Collector' ", said Globe head coach Ken Wilcox. "There's no question that, basketball-wise, he does things that other guys can't do on the court, but there were nights when he just drove me crazy with his dribbling."
Providence and Florida A&M have expressed interest in his basketball services, but as Ken Wilcox said, "That's true, but there's that whole academic thing he has to work out first."
Meanwhile, Bone Collector's also played this summer at the West 4th Street courts and at the Jay Erving Summer Classic in Philly, where Allen Iverson spotted him. Word is that the two ankle-busters may step off in a duel.
"Sounds good to me," said Bone Collector, staring at his tattoo as he spoke. "Let's get it on."
