Inside the Cage

The most popular outdoor basketball court in New York City is half the regulation size, offers no seating, and has sidelines bounded by a chain-link fence—but the summer league on West 4th Street in Greenwich Village has developed its share of stars and has become known throughout the world for another reason: Here, the only thing that matters is the game. Inside the Cage follows the West 4th Street's summer league through a single season, chronicling its legendary history along the way. From 1970s playground legend Fly Williams to NBA veteran Anthony Mason and L.A. Lakers guard Smush Parker, three generations of players have mastered their game at West 4th Street. And the Cage itself—located in one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in America and frequented by men from the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Harlem—proves that talent can flourish even in the most unlikely places.

Wight Martindale, Jr. has followed the West 4th Street Tournament for twenty years, and for the last decade and a half, served as one of four of its managing directors. After a successful career in journalism with Fairchild Publications as a reporter, bureau chief, and editor in chief, he shifted his attention to Wall Street, where he has been a senior vice president at Lehman Brothers, Goldman Sachs, and others. He has taught at Temple, Villanova, and Lehigh Universities, studied at Oxford and Cambridge, and holds a PhD in English Literature from New York University.