1996 Riverside Church Hawks Basketball

1996 Riverside Church Hawks

Head Coach: Ernie Lorch
Players: Ron Artest (NBA), Lamar Odom (NBA), Elton Brand (NBA), Eric Barkley (NBA), Anthony Glover (St. Johns), Reggie Jessie (St. Johns), Chutney Gray (St. Johns), Aki Thomas (Colorado)

The 1996 Riverside Church NYC team is among the most talented in high school basketball history. Led by future NBA players Lamar Odom, Ron Artest, Elton Brand, and Erick Barkley, they are still one of the most memorable AAU teams of all time. Their record for the summer of 1996 was 69 wins and 1 loss.

The Hawks won the Peach Jam title over DC Assault and they also won tournaments in Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, Ohio and California. The players mused about all going to the same college and keeping the magic together. 

”There was a strong camaraderie among everyone. We just played hard and played well. We just wanted to win."
- Elton Brand

Their only loss was during the opening round of the Slam-N-Jam tournament in Long Beach, where they were beaten by a California team that featured Baron Davis, Tayshaun Prince, Jason Collins, Jarron Collins, and Jason Kapono. The Hawks avenged that loss in the championship game of that tournament, which they won by 20 points.

 ”The big thing I’ll always remember about that team is the chemistry that they had,” said Riverside coach Ernie Lorch. ”The camaraderie was unbelievable. We tell our teams today about those guys; about how willing they were to play together."

”They really believed in it’s not who scores as long as we score. We told them, ‘Feel good about your teammates success and you’ll feel good about your own success.”

At a time when Riverside competed with other top NYC programs like the Gauchos from the Bronx, the Panthers from Long Island, The Playaz Club from New Jersey, The New Jersey Roadrunners of Newark, the 1996 Riverside team stood out by a wide margin. They had size, athleticism, and were well-rounded. Each position was strong, with length, speed, and strength.

A History at Riverside Church

Riverside Church has a long history in NYC prep basketball. It has been a top destination for talent since AAU basketball gained significance in the early 1980s.

Their ongoing rivalry with the Bronx-based Gauchos lasted for decades. Both clubs were equal in talent and funding. The difference was perception. The Gauchos were seen as renegades, while the Hawks carried prestige through their ties to Riverside Church. But don’t be fooled by appearances. Both teams played the same game. Riverside and the Gauchos just raised the level.

Across town, the top NYC players proudly wore team-issued jackets. The Riverside jacket was the most coveted in the city. “That Riverside jacket was serious,” Campbell said. “It was a badge of talent.”

The influence of “the church” attracted respected AAU programs to funnel their best players to Riverside like minor league farm teams. Chris Mullin, Albert and Bernard King, Kenny “The Jet” Smith, Walter Berry, and Mark Jackson are just a few from Brooklyn to the Bronx who wore the Riverside jacket at one time or another.

In the early 1990s, most of NYC’s top talent played for Riverside: future NBA pro Malik Sealy, future Syracuse star Adrian “Red” Autrey, future North Carolina starter Brian Reese, and the No. 1 high school player in the country, Queens native Kenny Anderson. At the time, St. John’s was a nationally ranked, perennial top-10 team fueled by talent from the Riverside Church program.

Anderson was one of the greatest prep players of all time, coming out of Queens Archbishop Molloy High School. His play and reputation on the circuit cemented Riverside Church’s legacy as an elite basketball factory in the city.

Even before Kenny Anderson, big names like Rod Strickland, Pearl Washington, and Lloyd “Swee’ Pea” Daniels suited up with Riverside one week and wore the Gauchos uniform in a tournament in Israel the next.

1996 Riverside Church Hawks Roster

A well-balanced team that rarely lost, the 1996 Riverside Church squad featured legendary NYC forwards Ron Artest and Lamar Odom. Elton Brand started at center, and Eric Barkley played significant minutes at point guard. With three future NBA All-Stars, Riverside Church was the most dominant team of the 1990s, boasting the best offensive front line in high school basketball history.

Brand, Artest, and Odom all stayed in college for two seasons before entering the NBA draft. All three were selected in the top 15 picks of the 1999 draft, with Brand going first and Odom fourth. It could be argued that Artest had the best career.

Aki Thomas backed up Brand at center. Chudney Gray came off the bench at guard and forward. At 6-foot-7, Reggie Jessie was a versatile guard who played both the two and three positions. Anthony Glover was a physical forward who averaged double digits in college.

Artest, Barkley, Glover, Jessie, and Gray all played for St. John’s. Brand went to Duke, while Odom played for Rhode Island. Artest, Jessie, and Gray helped St. John’s continue its basketball legacy in the 1990s.

“I remember we’d joke about all going to the same school. It was said, ‘Let’s go to a program that’s kind of down and stick together to bring it back up.’ We never did that, but the other guys did it with St. John’s,” said Brand.

C - Elton Brand

High School: Peekskill High School (Peekskill, NY)
Recruit Ranking: #5 1997
College: Duke
College Stats: 16.2 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.2 blocks per game
NBA Draft: 1st Overall 1999
NBA Stats: 15.9 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.7 blocks per game
NBA Awards: Rookie of the Year, 2× NBA All-Star, All-NBA Second Team

Elton Brand was a dominant interior presence and one of the most physically imposing players in high school basketball. Brand dominated inside despite being slightly undersized at 6‑6 in high school. He took two‑hour train rides multiple times a week to practice in a cramped church gym with his AAU team. His rise began the summer after freshman year, when he joined Riverside Church’s legendary AAU squad. There, facing future college stars, he realized he belonged among the elite.

His performance at Riverside launched his recruiting trajectory and set the stage for stardom. At Duke, his sophomore numbers 16.2 points and 9.8 rebounds, helped carry the Blue Devils to the 1999 national title game.

In the 1999 NBA Draft, Brand was selected first overall. He measured six foot eight and weighed 275 pounds with a wingspan over seven feet. That same night, his former AAU teammate Ron Artest was also drafted, going sixteenth.

Brand’s professional career lived up to the hype. With career averages of 15.9 PPG and 8.5 RPG, his blend of power, athleticism and length made him a dominant inside scorer and rebounder. He claimed Rookie of the Year honors and earned two All‑Star nods and a place on the All‑NBA Second Team. His wingspan and strength even led NBA scouts to call his hands the softest they had ever seen.

F - Ron Artest

High School: La Salle Academy (Manhattan, NY)
Recruit Ranking: #15 1997
College: St. Johns
College Stats: 14.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.1 steals per game
NBA Draft: 16th Overall 1999
NBA Stats: 13.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.7 steals per game
NBA Awards:  NBA Champion (2010), NBA Defensive Player of the Year, All-NBA Third Team, 4× NBA All-Defensive Team,

Ron Artest came up in Queens and made a name for himself as one of the most intense and relentless competitors in basketball. He starred at La Salle Academy, where he teamed with God Shammgod to form one of the best high school duos in the country.

Artest joined Riverside Church during high school, where he played alongside Elton Brand, Lamar Odom, and Erick Barkley on one of the most dominant AAU teams ever assembled.

“I actually met Elton the summer before he joined Riverside, after eighth grade, at Five-Star Camp,” Artest recalled. “I remember going up against him, he was super competitive, already working hard on his jumper. He was doing what he still does: just killing it with that simple, solid game.

Artest played two years at St. John’s, where he led the Red Storm back to national relevance. In the 1999 NBA Draft, he was selected 16th overall by the Chicago Bulls, reuniting with Brand at the next level.

He went on to have one of the most unique careers in NBA history, known for his elite defense, physical play, and fierce mentality. He won the Defensive Player of the Year award, earned All-NBA and All-Defensive honors, and played a key role in helping the Los Angeles Lakers win the 2010 NBA Championship.

Ron Artest left a legacy as one of the most feared perimeter defenders of his era, a true New York original who combined power, passion, and grit.

F - Lamar Odom

High School: Christ The King, Queens, NY
Recruit Ranking: #1 1997
College: UNLV / Rhode Island
College Stats: 17.6 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.8 assists per game
NBA Draft: 4th Overall 1999
NBA Stats: 13.3 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 3.7 APG
NBA Awards: Parade Player of the Year (1997), NBA All Rookie First Team (2000), Two-time NBA Champion (2009, 2010), NBA Sixth Man of the Year (2011)

Lamar Odom was one of the most unique prospects to ever come out of New York City. At six foot ten with elite ball handling, vision, and athleticism, he played like a guard in a forward’s body. Odom started high school at six foot one and grew nearly six inches in a year, turning into a matchup nightmare with a rare skill set for his size.

During his sophomore year at Christ the King, Lamar Odom set a new scoring record in the Catholic High School Athletic Association championship game by putting up 36 points. His dominant performance helped lead the team to the city title, marking a milestone in his early basketball career.

He starred for Christ the King and later at Redemption Christian Academy and St. Thomas Aquinas Prep. As a sophomore, he helped lead Christ the King to a city title, the first for the school since the days of Lew Alcindor. By his senior year, Odom was named Parade Player of the Year and was widely considered the top player in the country.

Odom played point guard for the 1996 Riverside Church Hawks, one of the most dominant AAU teams in history. That squad went 69 and 1 during the summer and featured multiple future NBA players. Odom ran the offense with his size, feel, and creativity, often compared to tall playmakers like Magic Johnson and later to Kobe Bryant’s 1994 Patterson team.

He originally committed to UNLV but never played there due to academic issues. He transferred to the University of Rhode Island and put up 17.6 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game in his one college season. He hit a buzzer beater to win the Atlantic 10 championship and led his team to the NCAA Tournament.

Odom was selected fourth overall in the 1999 NBA Draft. He played fifteen seasons in the league and won two championships with the Los Angeles Lakers. He also earned Sixth Man of the Year honors and made the NBA All Rookie First Team. His versatility, size, and playmaking helped redefine the forward position.

G - Erick Barkley

High School: Christ The King, Queens, NY, Maine Central Institute 
Recruit Ranking: 1998
College: St. Johns
College Stats: 14.6 PPG, 4.6 APG, 2.6 SPG
NBA Draft: 28th Overall 2000
NBA Stats: 2.9 PPG, 1.5 APG

Erick Barkley was a quick, smart floor general known for his elite ball handling and ability to distribute the ball. He starred for St. John’s for two seasons, where his defense and speed made him a disruptive guard. Barkley’s skills earned him a first round NBA draft selection. Though his NBA career was short, his college and AAU performances left a lasting impression.

In high school, Erick Barkley was a key starter for the Riverside Hawks AAU team, playing alongside future pros Lamar Odom, Ron Artest, Elton Brand, and Anthony Glover.

Erick Barkley, Speedy Claxton, and Lamar Odom were all teammates at Christ the King High School in Middle Village, Queens, during the mid-1990s. In the 1995–96 season, Christ the King was ranked No. 14 nationally with a 26–1 record. The team featured Barkley as a junior, Claxton as a senior, and Odom as a junior. However, Odom left the program before his senior year. Despite Odom's departure, Barkley and Claxton continued to play together at Christ the King.

Barkley and Artest later starred together at St. John’s, leading the team to the Elite Eight in 1999. Barkley was selected 28th overall in the 2000 NBA Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers. After two seasons, he was traded to the Spurs and then immediately to the Bulls, who waived him the same day.

The Legacy of 1996 Riverside Church

The legacy of the 1996 Riverside Church Hawks remains a cornerstone of New York City basketball history. Though the city’s basketball scene has changed since the 90s, that team’s impact endures. Their talent, teamwork, and relentless drive set a standard few have matched. Though they never all ended up at the same college, their shared experience shaped their careers and left a lasting mark on the game in New York. The 1996 Riverside Church team will always be remembered as one of the greatest high school squads ever assembled in the city.

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