The Painted Face, UNMASKED - Part 2 of 2

[Streetball’s Finest – 12.10.11] – The Painted Face, UNMASKED - Part 2 of 2

Inks: FLASH aka g_sk1lls
Images: Jude Thomas aka The Painted Face (via email and Facebook)

Last December 8, we featured Part 1 of the blog interview with The Painted Face aka Jude Thomas. Click HERE to read Part 1, or just scroll down for the continuation.

The Painted Face aka Hollywizzle is currently working and helping And1 with events in the West Coast area and recounts his experience in event management as key to this new job. He has a company called Hollywood Hoops where he does a lot of charity work, including a lot of high school basketball fundraising events (YouTube search: Hollywood Hoops).

As most streetball fans and basketball players know, the AND1 Live tour include the likes of Hot Sauce, Silk, Spyda, Amazn, Werm, Guy Dupuy etc..so The Painted Face is (in his own words) “..excited to fill my role with a different style of entertainment with globetrotting, freestyle, and more crowd interaction with fans.” Working with And1 is a big deal to him because he is able to put his ideas and help grow back the tour in the United States. He gives a big shout out to Linda Hill (And1 Live) and Rob Purvy (And1 Executive Director), who both welcomed him with open arms and says it’s now up to him to produce and make things happen.

I asked him a couple more questions, and have posted them below with his replies.

Flash: Who was the toughest streetballer you've gone up against and why?

The Painted Face: “The Professor (Grayson Boucher). Even though I played him well it was very difficult. Grayson is a cool, laid back kind of guy - he doesn't say too much and in his videos he really doesn't look that fast but he is! He is a very quick guard who runs like Reggie Miller using different angles on the court. In a game you will think you just have to worry about the tricks, streetball moves, etc.. but not with him because he has a great jump shot and very quick handles. I'm really known as one of the best defenders in streetball so I love testing myself and the challenges include guarding great players to still prove if I'm one of the best defenders out there.”

Flash: If you actually had to pay to watch 1 streetballer play, who would that be?

The Painted Face: “That would be one of my good friends in streetball, The Bone Collector. I've known him for more than 10 years now and he is a beast! He loves to embarrass defenders and make you regret guarding him. He is a strong player that stays in the weight room, with one of the best hesitation moves today. I've seen players give up and actually leave the game just so they won't get a taste of the torture. His demeanor in the game is very entertaining, making his character like being the bad guy in streetball.”

Flash: NBA's due back this December 25. If you had the opportunity to play for any NBA team, what team would you choose?

The Painted Face: “I will have to stay in Los Angeles and play for the Los Angeles Clippers. People might say “why not the Lakers?” but I like to be the underdog and perform kinda how Blake Griffin is doing, like making that team a better franchise.”

Flash: What was the best And1 pair you've ever hooped in? Any fond memories of that shoe?

The Painted Face: “I will have to say the AND1 KG shoes. I have the white and red pair and I still wear it in my games today. It has a tight feel and very good grip, making me a tab quicker (when I play). [as of this writing, The Painted Face is also rocking a pair of the And1 Rocket 2.0 Mids, black/black. Images are posted below - Flash].”

Flash: Final message for your fans?

The Painted Face: “I want to thank AND1 PH for all the support and for being the first to start me out there in the Asia Pacific Region. I can't wait to help you guys out there and to give back to the kids that need the support and attention. For everyone else in the Philippines, Asia, U.S and the rest of the Globe. I would love to come and give support at anytime.. much love The Painted Face!!”

And there you have it, And Juans! The Painted Face is going to be in a basketball movie called "Sweetwater", written and directed by Martin Guigui (who is a big basketball fan). This movie is about the story of the first African-American to make it to the NBA, Nathaniel "Sweetwater" Clifton. Actor Wood Harris will be playing Sweetwater and Jude Thomas will be playing as a popular street basketball player in New York City (movie production will start in the middle of 2012). You can email The Painted Face (jthomas@and1live.com) or check out his videos in YouTube (Hollywood Hoops).

Watch out for more baller spotlights in the future, and feel free to email us at and1pinas@gmail.com for suggestions on who you want to be featured next. You can also check out our Facebook fanpage (www.facebook.com/and1ph) and follow us on Twitter (@and1ph) for news, features, and the latest updates about the And1 brand in the Philippines.