Kinston, NC: "The NBA Capital of the World"

[Tripping William]

Fascinating ESPN article (http://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/22467698/how-kinston-north-carolina-became-greatest-producer-nba-talent-america?sf182566382=1) about how "tiny" Kinston, NC, is "per capita, the greatest producer of NBA players in America." Our own Brandon Ingram features prominently, and there's even a stray mention of Mother Earth Brewing. But there are heartbreaking parts about this hard-scrabble town Down East. A thought-provoking, sometimes sobering read. But a good one.

[sagegrouse]

Fascinating ESPN article (http://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/22467698/how-kinston-north-carolina-became-greatest-producer-nba-talent-america?sf182566382=1) about how "tiny" Kinston, NC, is "per capita, the greatest producer of NBA players in America." Our own Brandon Ingram features prominently, and there's even a stray mention of Mother Earth Brewing. But there are heartbreaking parts about this hard-scrabble town Down East. A thought-provoking, sometimes sobering read. But a good one.

Money quote -- the list of Kinston NBA players.


In the past five decades, seven players from KHS -- Ingram, Reggie Bullock, Stackhouse, [Cedric] Maxwell, forwards Charles Shackleford and Tony Dawson, and 2007 second-round pick Herbert Hill -- have been drafted or reached an NBA roster. In the past six years alone, 10 Kinston Vikings have gone on to play collegiately, and local coaches say there are many more who didn't make varsity here who still played college ball somewhere.

[campered]

http://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/22467698/how-kinston-north-carolina-became-greatest-producer-nba-talent-america.................Thought everyone might enjoy this article. I was born in Kinston in 1954 and lived there for fifty years before moving to WNC, 30 miles east of Asheville. I worked there, coached some rec and JV basketball, and shook Coach K's hand after our JV game at North Lenoir High School. He was there to watch Jerry Stackhouse play in the varsity game. This article is very interesting centering on basketball, but other star players from football, who are from Kinston, made it to Duke....Leo Hart. Hope you enjoy the article!!

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

I have good friends from Kinston. Will pass this along. Good find.

[WillJ]

One complaint about the article - Kinston isn't "tiny." Norlina (home of David Henderson) is tiny:)

[HaveFunExpectToWin]

I've never heard that story about the hydrogen bombs dropping in NC. Amazing.

[left_hook_lacey]

Wral did a special on this subject last year around the time of the NBA draft.

I grew up playing pick up basketball at fair field park in Kinston, and during the 90's. I can attest, you could've put together a D1 team from the guys at that court on a Saturday afternoon. Many of whom never played in high school or even finished high school.

When I think about how quickly Kinston has.gone down hill just in my generation, and even more so when I hear my parents talk about what it was like, it really makes me sad.

[Faison1]

With long family ties to Eastern North Carolina, I can say the future of Kinston is unclear. The final death knell will be the Hwy 70 by-pass project. Diverting traffic out of town will mean even less business for the local residents.

It's tough to figure out a solution. Most of Eastern North Carolina is very poor, unlike the rest of the state. Kinston is hardly the only town struggling in the area...Goldsboro, Wilson, Rocky Mount have all been challenged to reinvent themselves with the loss of tobacco and textiles. If not for the military and college, the other Eastern towns of Jacksonville and Greenville would be bad off, too.

One kind of wonders what will happen with Queen street. It seems a shame to let the town wither when the rest of the state is doing so well.

[CameronBornAndBred]

If anyone happens to go check out NBA Central (Kinston), make sure to take in the culture that is being pushed downtown. Yes, Kinston still suffers from an abhorrent amount of crime, but there are entities hard at work to change things.
Mother Earth Brewing of course is now a big point of promotion. I still remember texting DevilDeac on my way back from a football game, "I just saw a coming soon billboard for something called Earth something brewery, heard of it?". Boom, they blew up! Then there is a certain fellow named Stephen Hill. He's my kind of guy, even though I haven't met him. He's supported Kinston in countless ways, and myself in a couple. Besides displaying my art at one of his hotels, he's also purchased a painting. He is hard at work at making Kinston a destination instead of pass-thru spot.
This is him.
http://businessnc.com/stephen-hill-is-betting-art-will-transform-kinston/
Aside from his and Mother Earth's endeavors, others are working hard to make Kinston a place to stop for cultural arts. The Chef and the Farmer restaurant is another great example. It's right around the corner from the Kinston arts council gallery on Queen Street. I hold their gallery in high regard; it is an absolutely beautiful space, plus they have a model train room in the basement. Can't beat that!
Well, you can. If you stop in before April, you can see an amazing art show, that has over 200 works of art. And one that you see might be a self portrait that took first place in the show. If you buy it, I will find you, and steal it back.

[Faison1]

If anyone happens to go check out NBA Central (Kinston), make sure to take in the culture that is being pushed downtown. Yes, Kinston still suffers from an abhorrent amount of crime, but there are entities hard at work to change things.

I hope you are right. It's been a few years since I've been downtown. I wish only the best for all of Eastern North Carolina.

[CameronBornAndBred]

I hope you are right. It's been a few years since I've been downtown. I wish only the best for all of Eastern North Carolina.

The same thing happened to New Bern. 20 years ago, downtown N.B. was a dump, almost literally. Today...wow, it thrives. If you were lucky enough to buy in back then, you are reaping untold rewards. Same thing is under way in Kinston. Takes time, hard work, and optimism. And more time. I'm excited to see the change happen every time I visit.

Edit...One big caveat to Kinston is the changes on 70. Kinston lives because is it on the way to the beach from the Triangle. They built a bypass (thankfully for me as a driver) around Goldsboro, and you can now write the obits for those businesses, including such stalwart eateries as Wilbers. If they don't move, they won't survive. If Kinston gets bypassed, then they can welcome a hearty Cameronesque "Ahhhhhseeeeya" too.

[devilseven]

The iconic Neuse Sport Shop is currently constructing a second location in Cedar Point, NC between Swansboro and Morehead City near Emerald Isle. Word is that they are anticipating the 70 bypass and the demise of their original location in Kinston. Not a good sign.

[devildeac]

If anyone happens to go check out NBA Central (Kinston), make sure to take in the culture that is being pushed downtown. Yes, Kinston still suffers from an abhorrent amount of crime, but there are entities hard at work to change things.
Mother Earth Brewing of course is now a big point of promotion. I still remember texting DevilDeac on my way back from a football game, "I just saw a coming soon billboard for something called Earth something brewery, heard of it?". Boom, they blew up! Then there is a certain fellow named Stephen Hill. He's my kind of guy, even though I haven't met him. He's supported Kinston in countless ways, and myself in a couple. Besides displaying my art at one of his hotels, he's also purchased a painting. He is hard at work at making Kinston a destination instead of pass-thru spot.
This is him.
http://businessnc.com/stephen-hill-is-betting-art-will-transform-kinston/
Aside from his and Mother Earth's endeavors, others are working hard to make Kinston a place to stop for cultural arts. The Chef and the Farmer restaurant is another great example. It's right around the corner from the Kinston arts council gallery on Queen Street. I hold their gallery in high regard; it is an absolutely beautiful space, plus they have a model train room in the basement. Can't beat that!
Well, you can. If you stop in before April, you can see an amazing art show, that has over 200 works of art. And one that you see might be a self portrait that took first place in the show. If you buy it, I will find you, and steal it back.

Yep. Now they have a distillery, too. We've visited Mother Earth on three occasions, IIRC. We've also visited the Arts Council Gallery, too. Sadly, no visits to The Chef and Farmer or The Boiler Room (?) either. There have been many stops at King's BBQ over the last several decades, to and/or from the NC coast and/or New Bern.

[Sir Stealth]

They built a bypass (thankfully for me as a driver) around Goldsboro, and you can now write the obits for those businesses, including such stalwart eateries as Wilbers. If they don't move, they won't survive.

I truly hope that you are wrong about with respect to Wilber's. Its demise seems unimaginable, bypass or no.

[wobatus]

The same thing happened to New Bern. 20 years ago, downtown N.B. was a dump, almost literally. Today...wow, it thrives. If you were lucky enough to buy in back then, you are reaping untold rewards. Same thing is under way in Kinston. Takes time, hard work, and optimism. And more time. I'm excited to see the change happen every time I visit.

Edit...One big caveat to Kinston is the changes on 70. Kinston lives because is it on the way to the beach from the Triangle. They built a bypass (thankfully for me as a driver) around Goldsboro, and you can now write the obits for those businesses, including such stalwart eateries as Wilbers. If they don't move, they won't survive. If Kinston gets bypassed, then they can welcome a hearty Cameronesque "Ahhhhhseeeeya" too.


Not Wilber's! We drive down to Pawley's Island most years (we often do US 17 and make side trips) we stop at Wilber's, and/or Skylight Inn, or B's. On way back, too. My wife (from Latvia) has commented how depressed Eastern NC can look, but I've turned her into a barbecue fan, eastern NC style. She did like some of the housing stock in New Bern. :)

[wobatus]

Not Wilber's! We drive down to Pawley's Island most years (we often do US 17 and make side trips) we stop at Wilber's, and/or Skylight Inn, or B's. On way back, too. My wife (from Latvia) has commented how depressed Eastern NC can look, but I've turned her into a barbecue fan, eastern NC style. She did like some of the housing stock in New Bern. :)

I remember Cornbread Maxwell from his UNC-Charlotte Final 4 run and NIT finals the year before (lost to Kentucky in that NIT, with young Givens, Robey, Phillips, etc., as y'all no doubt recall)). With Sweet Lew Massey (Walter Davis's nephew, although same generation) and Chad Kinch, an excellent player from Perth Amboy, NJ. I knew he was from Kinston because my French teacher in grade school was from Kinston and she always talked up Cornbread.

What a great team that was.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

I remember Cornbread Maxwell from his UNC-Charlotte Final 4 run and NIT finals the year before (lost to Kentucky in that NIT, with young Givens, Robey, Phillips, etc., as y'all no doubt recall)). With Sweet Lew Massey (Walter Davis's nephew, although same generation) and Chad Kinch, an excellent player from Perth Amboy, NJ. I knew he was from Kinston because my French teacher in grade school was from Kinston and she always talked up Cornbread.

What a great team that was.

I met him at Jeff Mullins basketball camp. Very affable fellow.