Street Ball, From A to Z

Many NBA notables first made their names on the streets ... and some became street names. A sampling:

AUERBACH WAY. Former Celtics coach and current president Red Auerbach lends his name to a ramp off of Causeway Street leading to Boston's FleetCenter.

LARRY BIRD BOULEVARD. This stretch of road runs from the junction of State Road 56 and State Road 145 to College Street—the equivalent of three city blocks—in Bird's hometown of French Lick, Ind.

HAL GREER BOULEVARD. Being the star guard on one of the NBA's greatest teams—the 1966-67 Sixers—gives you status in your hometown. Greer's street runs past his college, Marshall, in Huntington, W.Va.

KAREEM COURT. The stretch of pavement between Manchester and 90th streets outside the Forum in Inglewood, Calif., honors the maestro of the skyhook.

BOB PETTIT DRIVE. The former star forward for the Hawks, who last year was named to the NBA's best 50 players list, is immortalized on a street that cuts through Tigerland, an area near the Baton Rouge campus of his alma mater, LSU.

ISIAH THOMAS DRIVE. An access road to The Palace of Auburn Hills bears the name of the former Pistons point guard and current Raptors executive vice president, basketball. It's really just a driveway, but, hey, Thomas was known for his drives.

ZINKOFF BOULEVARD. In Philadelphia the lane leading to the CoreStates Spectrum and CoreStates Center parking lots from Broad Street is named for legendary Sixers public-address announcer Dave Zinkoff.

—K.C.B.