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By Joseph Staszewski
Brooklyn Daily
Abraham Lincoln’s Isaiah Whitehead was more than just a participant in the Big Strick Classic high-school basketball all-star game last weekend. The rising senior was the de facto host and the face of New York City basketball at the event that drew some of the top players in the country to take on the metro area’s best talent.
“I tell them where to go, where to eat and everything like that,” Whitehead said of the out-of-town players.
It’s a role familiar to the 6-foot-4 Coney Island guard, ranked in the top 20 nationally in his class by multiple scouting services. He was the focal point coming into last year’s Big Strick Classic and he is the lone New York City player invited to the prestigious Elite 24 game to be played under the Brooklyn Bridge at the historic Tobacco Warehouse on Aug. 24.
Whitehead said the attention comes from usually being the lone player from the city at camps run by NBA stars LeBron James and Deron Williams along with multiple top 100 camps throughout the summer. People think of New York City and think of him.
It’s a responsibility he doesn’t take lightly, since there is a growing consensus in the basketball community that the talent in his hometown is diminishing. He proved that wrong by scoring 16 points in Team New York City’s 126–110 win, and won the 3-point contest.
“I have to show people that New York City isn’t finished like they say it is,” Whitehead said.
He is a perfect person to take on that task. Whitehead spent his entire career in New York City, unlike the numerous players who bolt for prep schools or New Jersey. Since his sophomore year he learned how to handle the attention and media with class and conviction. Whitehead is also a champion after helping Lincoln to its first Public School Athletic League city title since 2009.
Where Whitehead will take his skills next is still to be decided. He has yet to commit to a college, but has narrowed his list down to Arizona, UCLA, Minnesota, Indiana, Syracuse and Miami. He plans on making a decision before his senior season begins, after taking campus visits in September.
For the remainder of the summer, the only town he cares about is New York City as some of high-school basketball’s top events descend on it. His job is to continue to help represent his hometown in the best light.
“It’s just great for everybody to come to New York City and see it,” Whitehead said. “Everyone had heard about New York City and how great it is.”
Reach reporter Joseph Staszewski at jstaszewski@cnglocal.com. Follow him on twitter @cng_staszewski.