Before I get all sick over the Big East representing so thorough in this years NCAA tournament I thought I should give some love to my brother that brought his brand of Brooklyn excitement to the hardwood. CONRAD McRAE was nicknamed McNASTY for the ferocious zeal that he played the game with. His specialties were thunderous slam dunks and emphatic shot rejections.
CONRAD was a athletic and energetic player, but at 6ft. 9in. he was undersized to play the center position in the big leagues despite finishing Syracuse with a stellar career. CONRAD took his game overseas and found tremendous success playing in the Italian and Turkish leagues. The following press blurb was taken from the Ankara Daily News…
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“A hat-trick of basketball stories for you today, the first one we would prefer not to have to write. Forward Conrad McRae has died of a heart attack while in training with the Denver Nuggets. McRae was well known to Turkish basketball lovers from spells with Fenerbahce and Efes Pilsen. In his Fener days, he made himself one of the most popular players in the Turkish League, not only because of his fluent points scoring but because of his flamboyant style and crowd-pleasing antics. With Efes he was less successful. Some of the magic seemed to have gone and it was apparent he was never going to be the team player then- coach Aydin Ors wanted. The club released McRae before he had completed a single season. Nevertheless the fans will remember with affection the sight of him soaring in like a giant eagle for one of the slam dunks he and they so loved.” |
That’s just how I remember ol’ boy too.
R.I.P. McNASTY
No Tech or Brooklyn connection, but for mentioning the Big East you reminded me of Malik Sealy, of Tolentine in the Bronx and then St. John’s in the same era. He also died in 2000, killed by a drunk driver a few months before Conrad died.
You might know my homie (Nullus) Anton Marchand, who heads the Conrad McCrae Basketball Camp for de yout dem ina Brooklyn. My two sons played in that league like 2 years ago.