Bringing Streetball back month (March) will be the stories of the comeback of streetball this summer. Just to give you a little early info, this is an interview I did for the And 1 streetball Video game: Interview Black Opts & “Prime Objective”
Josh: First off, what’s your real name?
PO: Lonnie Harrell
J: What’s your player number on the team?
PO: 21.
J: Tell me about your nickname, “Prime Objective.” How’d you get it, and what’s it mean?
PO: I got it from playing at Rucker Park in New York. The commentator (Hannibal)... I got the name like after the third time I touched the ball, cause all three times I touched it I scored. And he’s like “his prime objective is to score!” And after, everybody just called me Prime Objective.
J: Where’d you grow up?
PO: Washington D.C.
J: Growing up in Washington, what courts did you like playing at?
PO: First of all Malcom X, in South East DC, that’s where I learned... that’s where my game came from. I played out there by myself. Me, and I would visualize nine other people on the court with me. And I would play a full game, or I would go out there and play against a whole lot of little boys, there would be like 6, 7 of them trying to steal the ball from me, and after they left the court, I would play there by myself.
J: How did you first become interested in streetball?
PO: I actually wasn’t interested in streetball, it’s just that that’s where basketball comes from. It all depends where you grow up, where you’re from... like Professor, never even played basketball outside – he always played indoors, because that’s where he’s from. Where I’m from, we played outside. We had a lot of outdoor courts, but even when we didn't, we would take a rim, nail it on a tree out the back of our house, and that would be our court. So I mean, that’s what I know. So Streetball wasn’t new to me, it’s not foreign to me. The thing that was, was going and learning how to play a regulation game.
J: What was it like growing up in D.C?
PO: I’m proud I’ve been from D.C. because it made me what I am today on and off the court. On the court, it definitely made me tough because you’ve got a lot of guys who are like the best basketball players, but they play hard, and they used to foul a lot. But it made me tough.
Also, we have a lot of basketball players in D.C. who are not recognized. You always hear about New York being the Mecca because NBA players came through and played but back in the days,
we had guys who played [in D.C.] that were just as good as those guys. Prime example, we had one guy named Hawkeye Whitney who played in the NBA and he was a great player. Adrian Dantley, the scoring leader in the NBA before Michael Jordan came. But we’re never recognized because of that. Dantley played Streetball. So we really don’t get the credit that we deserve. But as we stand here today, like myself and Baby Shaq on the AND1 team, we’re the best scorers on the team. So I’m happy to be from D.C. and we have a whole lot of other guys that can score. We got a lot of shooters in D.C.
So I’m definitely happy to be from D.C. because it taught me a complete game, to be able to do everything. You would never be able to say that Prime can handle but he can’t shoot. Nobody says anything about Prime... something Prime can’t do, it won’t have anything to do with basketball.
J: Who have been some of your biggest influences?
PO: I believe my mother, number one, cause if it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t have my drive and I wouldn’t be here today right now. Lord knows what I’d be doing. A lot of my idols were football players. I love football. My uncle, he definitely helped make me what I am, cause I grew up in a house with five women, and he was the only man in my life. So definitely him, and other than that, a lot of football players... I’m a big Eric Dickerson fan, he’s like my all time favorite athlete period, in any sport. And then I like George Gervin and Scotty Pippen.
J: What do you like the most about Streetball?
PO: I just like the raw form of it. To be able to come out and express yourself... I played D1 college ball for Georgetown, I played in the NBA with Orlando, I’ve been to plenty of NBA camps, things like that. It’s all controlled unless you are their “chosen star,” their chosen one who they want to blow up. I’ve experienced playing on a team where you’re better than 5, 6 players on the team but you’re not the “chosen one” so you’ve got to kind of hold back, which is not good to me. I think that’s the problem with basketball today. But Streetball is like the freestyle of hip hop or rap, you know, you just walk up to the mike and do your... whatever comes out, comes out. It’s like the best expression... it’s the most fun that I’ve had ever playing basketball.
J: In your opinion, what’s the key to being a good Streetballer?
PO: First of all, I think you have to know the game. I host the Open Run, and I see a lot of kids come out there with some fabulous tricks, but they can’t pass and shoot. So those are things you learn from the game. I think that comes too from watching the tapes, because you might see a clip of somebody doing this, somebody doing that, but that’s not going on in the full game. So they take that part of the game and forget about fundamentals and the little things. So I think definitely you have to learn the game first because it will make it easier for you to be able to do the extras.
J: How would you describe your style of play?
PO: I have a laid-back style... I have no expressions and my demeanor is non-chalant. I bust people’s ass, score points. I’m a trash-talker though. I shoot... my shooting is my strength because I’ve got like unlimited range, so the games I play now, these games I’ll be at 10 threes, 12 threes, 8 threes, a couple times 6 threes, and not even the college line, from deep. I shoot and make shots from half court. So that’s how I shoot.
J: What would you say are some of your trademark moves?
PO: I made up some moves just for the fans, like for the kids and stuff because we used to have this Mountain Dew Breakdown that we had to do for the commercial. So when I was out there, I was like joking around with the cameraman and made up some crazy move. And every time I
shot after I did the move, I made it. So I was like, shoot, this is my new move! And once they saw it on television, the next time I went to the game, all the kids were like “Yo Prime, I got your move! I got your move!” And when I was doing it, every time I’d shoot I’d say “Buckets! Buckets!” So the kids started calling the move “buckets” and were like “Prime! I got the buckets! I got it! I know how to do the buckets!” And I was like, wow, I wasn’t even paying attention, I was just joking!
So that’s like one of my moves, but also I’ve got... my real trademark its a Steve Smith move. Backing somebody down, and you just get a fake dribble... you throw your shoulders like you’re going right, you’re going left... it’s an old, simple move and it’ll work every time.
J: What gets you most happy on the court?
PO: When people are passing me the ball. What makes me most sad is when they don’t pass me the ball.
J: Tell me how you first became a part of AND1?
PO: Well actually I played in a few games back in the beginning. I got a call from a friend who was like “do you want to play in this game?” So I used to play but, at the same time I was still trying to get into the NBA and stuff, and I didn’t think it would be good for me at the time, as far as the whole “Streetball Stigma” when trying to get into the league.
And then a couple summers ago, like 5, 6 years ago, they had this big game in New York, the AND1 team versus New York Legends. They considered me a New York Legend because I got MVP at the Rucker tournament. So I played for the New York team against AND1 and I had 55 points.
J: Did you win?
PO: No, see it was a controversial game, because I made a shot from behind half court. We were down by [three], so Shane the Dribbling Machine, he thought he’d be smart... “Look, if you catch it, we don’t have no fouls to give. If you foul him, he only gets two free throws so [they] can win the game.” It was a good coaching move.
But me, knowing basketball, knowing that this was going to happen, as soon as they threw me the ball, I just jumped and shot it, from behind half court. And when he grabbed me, they blew the whistle, and the shot went it. So it was a four-point play. But, you do the math. The referee was like “the shot’s no good, but you get three free throws.” Now why would you get three free throws if it’s not a shooting foul? Do the math.
J: Yeah, that’s weird.
PO: Right. We were down three. So that made the game tied up, and they beat us in overtime. But it was cool because we knew who won... Skip (Rayful Alston) threw the microphone because he was mad, and then Main Event kicked the ball in the river. I got over it. Plus 55 points and a contract.
J: What’s been your best moment on tour?
PO: I’d like to say the game during this winter tour. Me and Helicopter, we were going back-to-back shooting threes. It was like a sequence. We hit 10 three pointers in a row. We started off at the college line. I made a three pointer, and he came and made a three pointer. I came back and shot it from the NBA line, he came back and shot it from the college three. I came back and shot it a step behind the NBA line, he came back and shot a college three and made it. Then I came back and poured it from half court and made it. And that was it. I made it. The crowd was going nuts. That brought the reaction you would get if you saw someone do the best move ever or best dunk, I got that reaction from shooting jump shots. I ran up the stands,
going through the crowd and everybody was giving me fives and everything. I had made 5 three pointers in a row but I stepped back further each time. Back to back to back to back, all the way to half court and did my world famous cart wheel! Lol
J: Must have been fun to watch.
PO: It was incredible.
J: What’s been your toughest moment on the tour?
PO: The only tough moment I have, once again, is when people don’t pass me the ball, and my first year on the tour (2001), I had surgery on my thumb, and I missed like the whole season. I only played the last four games.
J: When you’re in the stands and you’re watching the Open Runs, and you’re judging the players, what are you looking for when you decide who gets to advance into the building?
PO: A player who’s flat out outstanding, like as far as his hops if he can dunk, or his handling, his moves... I look and see who can play basic fundamental basketball because first of all, they’re going to be competing against myself, and I’m a pro, so I can’t come out here with a kid who don’t have true basketball because it makes me look stupid as far as the matchup, know what I mean? I’ll go in a local neighborhood and play in the playground with anybody, but when I’m out here on my job, this is what I do, I want it to be competitive because it’s going to make me play harder. It’s not good to play at the level of competition because you’re supposed to have killer instincts at all times. But some people are not like that.
So I look for somebody who can flat-out play regular basketball. I use Professor as an example. The first time I saw him play, they didn’t even pass him the ball. So I saw how he was moving about, and how he was playing the game, and I was like, “damn, that kid can play! I’m going to give him another chance to come back and play.” When he came back the second time, he was getting the ball more, and he was incredible. So I could have just looked at him that day and be like, “he didn’t do nothing so I’m not going to pick him.” Then there wouldn’t be no Professor.
J: Now what about after the Main Runs, when you guys are in the locker rooms and you guys have to decide who gets voted out, who gets to stay on the bus?
PO: The Main Runs? I don’t really pick… but we do as a team. Some people go off who did the most moves, or style or whatever, I want to see the stats. Like if the guy had 2 points but he hustled his ass off and got 14 rebounds, I would take him and give him another chance because he’s someone that we can use, because that person is trying to get a spot on our team.
So I look at everything, like personalities, do I want to be his teammate? Is this the type of guy I want to be around? Share something special with? Because this is special to me, it’s like real groundbreaking. We’re doing something we grew up doing and just now being recognized and respected, even though there are some higher beings who don’t like it, they say that we’re ruining the game, but yeah if we’re ruining the game, your child loves us. So what’s important to you?
J: What sort of music groups do you like listening to?
PO: I listen to everything, man, like right now, if I had a 5 disc changer, definitely Jay-Z’s in there, Young Jeezy, Maroon 5, I like The Dream and something old school like Anita Baker. That’d be my 5 right there. I like everything, I like John Mayer.
J: What’s your favorite movie?
PO: Oooh, favorite movie? That would be Boomerang.
J: Do you have any superstitions or rituals you do before a game?
PO: No superstitions or rituals.
J: When you retire, what do you want to be remembered as?
PO: When I retire… wow, I never thought of that… I just want people to remember that Prime Objective, Lonnie Harrell, was true to the game… I will want people to really take a look at my game and see the blessings and the talent I was given. Being 6’7”, being able to dribble with both hands, shoot with both hands, to do things that all the guys do, tricks and moves and still be able to jump… do the best of both, on the ground and in the air. I want people to see that I was an all-around player, regardless if I make it to the NBA or not.
I would want to be mentioned like how people talk about Earl Manigault, the Goat, stuff like that. Because if you look at me, there are things that these guys did in their lives that were documented because they came from New York or whatever, like they had another movie Soul in the Hole about Booger and everything, I have a story in the background that can go way beyond that, because when I was younger, I did mine against guys that were in the NBA.
They talk how some of these guys in New York, “oh yeah, 52 on Dr. J” and so on, but in my time, my era, there’s a lot of big-name basketball players out here right now that I destroy. I scored 40 points in a half against someone. And stuff like that, so, I wish somebody would have enough respect that they could take that and just be like “damn, look at what this kid has done.” And then the difference between me and him too was that, they probably went to small schools, things like that. I made it to Division 1 college, I got my opportunity to go to NBA, but you know, it’s political, it’s a numbers-game thing. Hopefully, it’ll work out for me then somebody will be interested in that story, and then it will be like Prime was the shit, like, for real, he put it down.
Cause New York is the Mecca. I went to New York and destroyed the Rucker. Destroyed it in one year! And this year I’m going back to close the chapter because it’s gone, it’s the past now… like I told you, my past is not like these other guys’ – I’m not from New York. So this year I’m going to go back and refresh their memory and then walk away from them. At my age now!
J: Any final words for the fans?
PO: If you don’t believe how good that I believe that I am, get in front of me. Friend or foe!
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