City of Basketball Love

Tom Reifsnyder (@tom_reifsnyder)
--

As parents and teenagers poured through the gymnasium doors at Life Center Academy in Burlington, N.J. on the first Saturday of April, three 17-year-olds in bright blue uniforms sat with their backs against a padded wall, practically grinning from ear to ear in anticipation of their first game.

Of course, it would be expected that a trio of players who were about to begin their final go-around on the AAU circuit would be excited about getting back on the court with their Team Final squad for the first live action of the summer.

But for Tony Carr, Lamar Stevens and Josh Sharkey, it was a moment they had been thinking of for more than two years.

When their team took the floor to warm up for a matchup with NJ Got Game at scrimmages their organization hosted, the three Philadelphia natives couldn’t help but smile.

A few minutes into the game, Sharkey, a 5-foot-10, 165-pound point guard, came off the bench to join Carr, a 6-4, 180-pound point guard, and Stevens, a 6-7, 210-pound small forward. Mere seconds later, Sharkey cleanly ripped the ball from the opposing point guard and shuffled it to Carr, who then served it up to Stevens for an easy score.

It was just like old times.

~~~

The last time the three had gotten a chance to be teammates in an official setting was during their freshman year of high school, when they were teammates and classmates at Abington Friends School in 2012-13.

That season, with all three making substantial contributions on the varsity level, resulted in a 20-7 record and a Friends Schools League championship.

Despite an early taste of success, the trio’s time at Abington Friends was fleeting.

Carr, who describes his freshman year with the Kangaroos as an “unbelievable experience,” transferred to Catholic League powerhouse Roman Catholic for his sophomore year in hopes of playing on a bigger stage. Sharkey followed Carr to the Catholic League, transferring to Archbishop Carroll, while Stevens opted for the Haverford School.

But when they ran across the hardwood as teammates for the first time since their days as underclassmen at Abington Friends, any thoughts of current high school affiliation paled in comparison to the collective joy emanating from their reunion.

“Sometimes you play with teammates that are scared to get on you or a coach that might hold his tongue because of whatever reason, but I know playing with my brothers they’re not going to hold any punches,” Carr said of Stevens and Sharkey. “They’re not going to let me miss a defensive stop or let me miss a pass.”

Team Final won in blowout fashion, as is typical for the Nike-sponsored squad, with Carr, Stevens and Sharkey each making a contribution to the victory, and, more importantly, proving their chemistry was as strong as ever.

“He’s my brother,” Sharkey said of Carr. “We talk on the phone every day. Ever since we were little, we just connected.

“And it’s the same with Lamar. All three of us, we’re brothers. We’re all a part of each other’s families.”

~~~

These days, the three are just about inseparable. Not often will you see just two of the three hanging out together--it’s usually all three or bust.

However, the origin of their brotherhood can be traced to the two point guards in the group.

Carr, who lives on York Street, and Sharkey, a native of 8th and Godfrey, grew up playing together at various playgrounds and youth leagues in North Philadelphia. Stevens, who lives in North Wales, about 15 miles northwest of Carr and Sharkey, didn’t come in contact with either until middle school.

There’s a bit of a discrepancy when it comes to the exact date Carr and Sharkey became friends. Carr claims the two have known each other since the age of “four or five,” while Sharkey believes they first met at the age of six.

Regardless, it’s a friendship more than a decade in the making.

“Our parents were good friends and we were just in the basketball world so I guess it just came from that,” Carr said. “We pretty much played only against each other in our early childhood, and then once AAU started we started playing together and things like that.”

Although Carr and Sharkey were becoming fast friends, they didn’t get a chance to play together in AAU until the 2009-10 season with Philly Triple Threat, as Carr had always played a year up; and that’s also when Stevens joined the mix.

In every group of three, there’s usually a middleman that brings the other two together. In this case, Carr is the foundation. Carr, already close with Sharkey for several years, met Stevens in middle school and the two almost immediately clicked.

“I’ve known Tony since I was about probably like nine or 10, maybe 11,” Stevens said. “But it feels like I’ve known him all my life because you don’t really know yourself at that young of an age.

“We weren’t always best of friends until probably a year before I went to Abington Friends.”

~~~

The trio enjoyed great success in their first year playing together with Triple Threat, going on to place third at Division II AAU Nationals in 2010. If Carr, Stevens and Sharkey needed any evidence to validate their chemistry, this would surely fit the bill.

Carr decided to attend Abington Friends for his seventh grade year, and, playing the leadership role as he does so often on the court, encouraged Sharkey and Stevens to follow him. Sharkey joined Carr that same year, while Stevens joined a year later, transferring from Pennbrook Middle School for the eighth grade.

Once Stevens arrived, the trio was ready to get back to business, both on and off the court. To this day, all three light up with excitement whenever someone mentions their first year together at Abington Friends.

“That’s probably the only time where I actually really enjoyed going to school,” Stevens said with a chuckle. “It was really fun. Everyday was just like, really just a fun time with them because we just always have fun when we’re together.

“And then we go on the court and we’re beating teams by 30 and just having fun. It was a really good experience being able to go to school with two of your best friends.”

The group went undefeated during their eighth grade season, tearing teams apart like it was child’s play. All three played starting roles and significantly contributed to their team’s domination.

By the end of their eighth grade year, the three knew their bond was truly special. They had developed a swagger and confidence from their great success at the middle school level, but perhaps were a little naïve in thinking it would be so simple to replicate in their first season of high school ball.

“It was completely different,” Stevens said of his freshman year. “They were always telling us like, ‘Wait ‘til you get to high school. It’s not going to be that easy. You’re not going to go 27-0.’

“We never really believed them, but it was definitely an adjustment.”

It was most certainly an adjustment for Stevens, who missed a majority of his freshman season at the varsity level with a badly strained hip. The pain bothered him early on, but he didn’t officially stop playing until taking an odd step and going down in a game against the Haverford School.

Carr was the most fortunate of the three, getting the starting nod at point guard from longtime head coach Steve Chadwin for the near entirety of his freshman campaign. In his healthy games, Stevens went back and forth between starting and coming off the bench, while Sharkey served as Carr’s faithful backup, often playing the role of sixth man.

“Tony started the majority of the games, they all started some games...I had them starting for various reasons,” Chadwin told CityofBasketballLove.com in 2013, just before they transferred out. “But let’s put it this way--it really isn’t a matter of starting, they were a highly integral part of our success this year and winning a Friends Schools League championship. They all had their fingerprints all over it.

“I don’t remember having three [freshmen] at the same time that really impacted our team, so that to me is something pretty cool, pretty nice to coach.”

After a second-place finish in the regular season, the Kangaroos took down Friends’ Central, the Friends Schools League regular-season champions, to capture the 2012-13 tournament crown.

The immediate future of Abington Friends basketball was looking brighter than ever with Carr, Stevens and Sharkey set to play their next three years at the school after winning a championship in their very first season.

Playing basketball, winning championships and going to school with your best friends--what more could a group of hoops-crazed teenagers ask for?

“Great experience, man…I’m kind of at a loss for words…it was like, you go to school with your best friends everyday, see them everyday, and then you get to do the one thing that you love, play basketball with each other,” Carr said of his time at Abington Friends.

~~~

But the experience wouldn’t last long, as the three best friends decided to go their separate ways in the summer of 2013, each transferring to a different school.

It was the lure of Philadelphia’s Catholic League that sparked the disbandment, with Carr looking to follow his dreams and play amongst the best players in the city.

Although he had his sights set on Roman Catholic, Carr wasn’t sure of what his role would be when he arrived at the school.

“The Catholic League is the best league in the city, and I consider myself one of the best players so I wanted to play in the best league,” Carr said of his reason for transferring. “Coach [Chris McNesby] didn’t really recruit me that hard, but I was confident in myself that I knew if I went there I could help the team in any way, whether it was playing four minutes or 32 minutes.”

Once Carr told Stevens and Sharkey that he was leaving, the other two felt compelled to follow suit.

Stevens, in particular, had trouble pinpointing the reasoning behind the breakup.

“I don’t know…I guess we just were…that’s a tough one,” Stevens said, somewhat lost for words. “One of us looked to play on a bigger stage, and once one of us left it was just like, ‘All right.’

“We were planning on going to the same school together, but just how like the recruiting happened from the coaches and the schools that called us…it just didn’t happen and we ended up at different schools, which was unfortunate.”

Sharing Carr’s dream of playing in the Catholic League, Sharkey transferred to Archbishop Carroll to play alongside high-flying wing Derrick Jones, who will be playing collegiately at UNLV this coming season, and a talented group of fellow Division I prospects.

The trio had been following each other’s lead since day one, but this time, Stevens diverged. Instead of becoming Catholic League rivals with his two best friends, Stevens opted for the Inter-Ac League and settled at the Haverford School, where he would team up with several Division I prospects, including Temple-bound guard Levan Alston.

After transferring to three different schools, their days as teammates may have been over, at least for the time being, but their friendship was anything but finished.

Despite their change of scenery, the trio remained in each other’s corner, faithfully attending their respective games and sharing words of wisdom when necessary.

“We try to go to as many of each other’s games as we can,” Stevens said. “So they’re able to tell me stuff that maybe others really won’t, be blatantly honest like, ‘You weren’t playing hard,’ or like, ‘You need to go up and get every rebound. You need to be more aggressive,’ stuff like that.

“So it’s like having another coach in a way, but it’s as you’re friend and you know he really has your best interest in mind.”

Already having been best friends for more than a decade, Carr and Sharkey’s move to the Catholic League has brought a unique dynamic to their relationship. Despite the intense rivalry between their respective schools, the two lead guards continue to train together faithfully in the offseason.

“We learn a lot from each other,” Sharkey said of his relationship with Carr. “[Tony] helps me with my point guard skills ‘cause he makes a lot of good decisions on the court.

“We learn different moves from each other, and a lot of people might not like us being that close ‘cause he goes to Roman and I go to Carroll and we’re rivals, but that’s my brother.”

Carr has gotten the best of Sharkey in their matchups of late, going 2-0 against the feisty Carroll point guard in 2014-15. However, both have experienced their fair share of success since leaving Abington Friends.

Carr, who has started at point guard for Roman over the last two seasons, led the Cahillites to a PIAA Class AAAA state title in 2014-15, the first in the school’s history. The silky smooth floor general, who scored 12.8 points per game this season, was aptly named Pennsylvania Sportswriters Class AAAA Player of the Year for his efforts in leading Roman to both a Catholic League and state title as a junior.

Sharkey, who came off the bench as a sophomore, officially took the reigns at point guard for Carroll in 2014-15, scoring 12.4 points per game and leading the team alongside UNLV-bound Jones, junior shooting guard Ryan Daly and sophomore guard David Beatty to the Class AAA state championship game, which Carroll lost to Catholic League dynamo Neumann-Goretti. Sharkey was named to the Philadelphia Sportswriters All-State Class AAA third team, and was also named to the Coaches’ All-Catholic second team.

Although his teams haven’t been quite as successful as Carr’s and Sharkey’s, Stevens has been nothing short of phenomenal during his two years at Haverford. 

Once skinny and a bit uncoordinated, the powerful 6-7 forward has transformed himself into a certifiable threat on the offensive end, and a ferocious rebounder to boot. This season, Stevens finished the year with the 17th highest scoring average in Philadelphia at just over 18 points per game. He also racked up a number of postseason honors, being named to the Philadelphia Sportswriters All-State Class AAAA second team and the Coaches’ All-Inter-Ac first team.

~~~

The first of the trio to play for Philly Triple Threat in AAU ball, Stevens was also the first to join Team Final, Philadelphia’s lone member of the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL). He left Triple Threat for Team Final in 2011 and hasn’t looked back since.

However, after three successful years with the elite AAU program, Stevens felt as though something was missing.

With the likelihood of reuniting with both Carr and Sharkey on the high school level looking bleak at best, Stevens reached out to his two best friends, recruiting them to play with him on Team Final. Carr was the first to act, leaving Triple Threat to play with Stevens in the summer of 2014. It took a little longer to land Sharkey, though, as he opted to play with Delaware-based WeR1 in 2014.

But one year later, the reunion is now complete.

“We always talked about it,” Carr said of teaming up again with Stevens and Sharkey. “Even through our years, even our sophomore or junior years, we were like, ‘Wow, man, I really wish we could play together again.’ We would always talk about it.

“And high school would really be tough for us to reunite, but AAU is perfect because you can play with whatever team you want to without it being like…somebody might not want you to play for them, or things like that. A lot of things come into play. So AAU is perfect, and we made it happen.”

In a way, it’s almost like Abington Friends all over again. Instead of Carr, it was Stevens who orchestrated the recruitment, encouraging his former high school teammates to join him on Team Final, but the trio’s roles practically mirror those from their days as Kangaroos under Chadwin.

Stevens, a four-year veteran of Team Final, and Carr, who joined last year, play starting roles alongside Roman small forward Nazeer Bostick, Carr’s high school teammate, Reading High School shooting guard Lonnie Walker and Hershey High School power forward Dylan Painter. Sharkey, one of the first to come off the bench, serves as Carr’s backup, just like the old days at Abington Friends.

But this time, they’re not playing in the Friends Schools League. They’re playing in the Nike EYBL, which is an entirely different animal. Stevens knows all about the rigors of playing in the EYBL, and has given Sharkey advice on how to adjust to this new, high-pressured environment.

“You’re playing against not just college players or Division I players, but the Division I players that are going to excel and are getting offers from the top schools, and potentially are pros,” Stevens said of the EYBL. “So, it’s just a big adjustment and we told him like the things he needs to work on, what he needs to do and what he can’t do to help our team because it’s just something you need to know about.

Despite the increased level of competition, both Stevens and Carr believe Sharkey can be a key asset to Team Final this summer, particularly on the defensive end, where Carr calls him “one of the best in the city.”

“He’s a great defender, and if he can show college coaches that he can lock down top guys in the country, that would be a big boost to his status on the circuit,” Carr said of Sharkey.

Carr brings up a crucial point. With roughly seven months until the start of his senior season, Sharkey has just one Division I offer—a bid from Samford University, a member of the Southern Conference. A successful summer on the EYBL circuit with Team Final could be exactly what Sharkey needs to jumpstart his recruitment.

Carr and Stevens, who both stand at least six inches taller than Sharkey, have been much more fortunate in terms of college offers, especially of late.

The duo has received 24 total offers since April 11, the first day of the EYBL’s opening event at Boo Williams Sportsplex in Hampton, Va. Carr and Stevens now share offers from Indiana, Virginia Tech, Maryland, Pittsburgh, Temple, Penn State and multiple others.

While it might not be crazy to think that two, or maybe even all three could team up at the college level, Carr pumped the breaks when asked if the trio had seriously discussed another reunion.

“Not yet,” Carr said. “We talk about it here and there but we don’t really focus on that. We’re just focused on getting together in AAU, so college is like a stretch.”

Right now, they’re just happy to call each other “teammate” again.

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