Dame Dash Calls on Diddy and Jim Jones for Harlem Basketball Tournament

Hip-Hop entrepreneur and former Roc-A-Fella Records owner, Dame Dash, is revitalizing Harlem’s Kingdome Classic basketball tournament. The 10-week event, which starts on June 23, was a staple in Harlem during the late 80’s. But the tournament folded after other leagues, such as the Entertainer’s Basketball Classic, grew in popularity. In 2004, Dame Dash took over the program and now the tournament is growing in size and popularity every year. “Kingdome is one of the things that shaped me and molded me as a man because of its swagger,” Dame Dash told the NY Daily News. “I thought it would be something good, being that I’m from Harlem, that I can come back to Harlem and help the people out. That could be my little gift.” This year’s tournament, which takes place on 115^th St. and Lenox Ave, will feature a variety of celebrities, including Diddy, Jim Jones, the Sacramento Kings' Ron Artest, the Houston Rockets' Rafer Alston and the New York Knicks' David Lee. “The atmosphere at the games is nuts,” David Lee tells the NY Daily News. “You really get the feel that it’s the coming together of the community in Harlem and the coming together of people who love basketball.” In addition, the event will feature teams sponsored by Diddy’s Bad Boy Records, DMX’s Ruff Ryders and Jim Jones’ Diplomats.