Philip Champion

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Promo shot of Philip 'Hot Sauce' Champion for AND1

Philip Champion (born June 16, 1976 in Jacksonville, Florida), also known as "Hot Sauce", is an American basketball player who has played on the Streetball AND 1 Mixtape Tour. Champion is six-foot-one and weighs 160 pounds. Champion is widely regarded as the most famous streetball player after Rafer Alston a.k.a. "Skip to My Lou".

[edit] Biography

Originally from Jacksonville, Champion spent the majority of his youth in Columbus, Georgia. After high school he found himself in Atlanta, jobless, and having only a vague notion of what he’d like to do for a living. He found life at Run N’ Shoot, spending long hours in pick-up games and solitary practices, developing ball-handling skills that would one day bring him fame and fortune.

Champion and his manager Mark Edwards met at Run N’ Shoot early in 1999 and the two formed a friendship. Then, a few years ago, Champion violated the terms of his probation and because he could not pay the $755 fine issued by the judge, found himself in jail. In the meantime Edwards, who had begun aggressively promoting Champion’s game, was contacted by AND 1, which wanted to arrange for Champion to participate in some of the organized games they were holding on outdoor courts. Edwards went back to Run N’ Shoot, unaware that Champion had been incarcerated. After learning of Champion's predicament through a mutual friend, Edwards, an attorney, arranged to pay his fine and was headed to Los Angeles, CA and the AND 1 game. Champion joined the AND 1 team in the summer of 2000. In 2005, Champion played on the Killer Crossover Tour Classic. The Killer Crossover Tour Classic is also a streetball tour.

[edit] On the court

Hot Sauce is known for his many ball-handling tricks. Some of his famous moves include the following:

The Boomerang-This is regarded as Champion's signature move. He begins by pretending to throw a one-handed pass past over a defender's shoulder. However the ball rises straight in the air and returns to him while the defender turns his head to look for the ball.

The Hypnotizer-Champion crouches down low with his defender in front of him and dribbles the ball behind his back, switching the ball from hand to hand. He then throws the ball over his defender and pretends to continue dribbling. He then runs past the defender retrieves the ball and continues dribbling.

The Flintstone Shuffle-With a defender close to him, Champion dribbles the ball behind their foot and bounces it vertically five to six feet in the air. As the ball is in the air, Champion runs a few paces to the other side of the defender as if he were going to get the ball. The defender follows him, and Champion then returns and retrieves the ball

The Jackknife-With the defender close to him, Champion puts the ball behind the defender's head and throws it up into the air, making the defender think he has shot the ball. Champion steps a few paces to the side of the defender then retrieves that ball before it lands.

[edit] Trivia

Champion's homecourt is Run N' Shoot in Atlanta, GA.
Champion's nickname was originally "Sauce" because of a phrase he said after his shot attempts. However it eventually morphed into "Hot Sauce."
Other nicknames include "Hot Sizzle" or simply, "Sizzle."
Maintains the Duke Tango monikered slogan of being able to shake a person "fast or in slow motion."
Pre-game superstition is to go on court with shoes untied.
Grew up idolizing Isiah Thomas and Michael Jordan.
Is featured on the Midway video game NBA Ballers Phenom.
Is featured on the Ubisoft video game And 1 Streetball.
Stars in the movie Crossover as Jewelz.
Champion's signature maneuver "The Boomerang" is featured in the NBA Ballers video game.