Ramon Galloway paces Big 5 alumni team in The Basketball Tournament loss at legendary Rucker Park
The single elimination tournament claimed the Big 5 alumni team in the second round of action in New York.
NEW YORK — Ramon Galloway does his best to represent his family on the basketball court because his relatives show up in large numbers to support him.
The former La Salle player was part of the Big 5 alumni team that was eliminated from The Basketball Tournament in the second round by the Autism Army on Sunday night, 83-67, at New York’s legendary Rucker Park. Galloway led the team with 17 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists.
In its first game Saturday, the Big 5 team beat the Patriot League’s Ex-Pats.
» READ MORE: Rained out at New York’s Rucker Park, Big 5 alumni win resumed game in Bronx gym
“I probably have like 20 people out here,” Galloway said. “I have four or five of my cousins, and a lot of my friends came. Anytime I can get them to support me it’s a blessing because when I was a kid I never thought I would be able to make it this far.”
His basketball resume is lengthy. He spent time at South Carolina (2009-11), then La Salle (2011-13) before stints in the NBA Summer League and NBA’s development league. He went on to play nearly a decade overseas in Italy, Germany, Turkey, Egypt and the Dominican Republic.
Galloway’s father, Gerald, has been blind for 28 years after being shot in the head when Ramon was only 2 years old.
“He and my mom have always been my motivation to just keep pushing,” he said. “I know I can make it through anything, seeing what he’s been through.”
Galloway was a prominent piece for Big 5 team and one of the first phone calls general manager Rob Hollomon made when assembling the roster.
“Rob and I have been working together for the last three years to try to make it happen,” said Galloway, who previously played for 20th and Olney, a La Salle alumni team. “After we had the TBT team with La Salle, I didn’t know where I was going to go, if I was going to play with Brotherly Love or what. When Rob called me about a Big 5 team for the TBT, I was all for it once he called me.”
It started on Friday night when he knocked down 11 straight threes to win TBT’s three-point contest. Then he poured in 21 points on 3-of-4 shooting from the arc Saturday in Big 5′s first-round win over the Ex-Pats.
That game was largely spent indoors, relocated to Gauchos Gym in the Bronx due to inclement weather. Galloway was quick to admit moving back outside to Rucker Park is a different beast. It was also his first time playing a full game at Rucker.
“It’s definitely different driving, cutting and stopping,” Galloway said. “In the gym, if you stop, you’re going to stop. Here, you might slip. Sometimes the ball gets dirty so when you try to dribble or shoot ... It was a great opportunity to play at Rucker Park.”
With just under seven minutes left in the first quarter, he took a misstep near the right wing. Clutching his right ankle, he went right to the bench. Galloway checked back in a few minutes later, scoring at the rim on consecutive possessions.
“I’m the type of player if I sit out, it’s only going to hurt more,” he said. “I’d rather just keep running and deal with it later on. We were playing for $1 million, so you got to sacrifice something.”