Shannon Bobbitt: NYC’s Point Goddess
In the hood either you sold crack rock or you had a wicked jump shot. As described by the Notorious BIG on his track Things Done Changed. For Shannon Bobbitt, it would be the wicked jump shot along with an array of basketball dribble moves that would give her a way out. Everybody played ball in my neighborhood, and for many the game provided an escape from the harsh realities of the inner city. After some time Bobbitt became the one girl in the neighborhood who was as good or better than any boy you could find. She was undersized, listed at 5’2, but was fearless and lightning quick with or without the ball in her hands. Her handle became eye opening and she would shake even the toughest defender.
Legendary Head Coach Pat Summitt (🙏🏽) gives instructions to her Point Guard Shannon Bobbitt with Candace Parker overlooking. Photo courtesy of Alamo.com
Bobbitt was a juggernaut on the court. Despite her height, she exuded a confidence about her game that screamed NEW YORK CITY Point Goddess‼️ There had been girls in the neighborhood who were good but there was something different about Bobbitt. She was relentless in the pursuit of her dreams and it showed in the way she approached the game. Every Saturday morning I’d walk over to Foster Projects to see who was out there playing pickup, and Bobbitt would already have been there for hours, putting up hundreds of shots and doing drills at full game speed. I admired her work ethic and the way she went about doing the work while nobody was watching.
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For High School Bobbitt attended Murry Bergraum in lower Manhattan, NYC. The girls’ basketball team at Bergtram has a rich history of producing top-tier talent and having Bobbitt at the 1 was going to all but cement a City and State Championship for the Lady Blazers. Bobbitt helped lead her team to two straight PSAL and State Federation titles. Every year Bobbitt improved her game and was arguably the best player in New York City her Junior year. Her team went 30-0 that year and would go on to win a National title. Senior year more of the same and then off to Trinity Junior College to put that work in and earn a Division 1 scholarship. At JUCO she won a NJCAA Championship and was named WBCA Junior College Player of the Year.
What Bobbitt lacks in size she more than compensates with Heart and determination as seen here going up against Epiphany Prince and a tough Rutgers squad. Photo courtesy of Alamy.com
The University of Tennessee is where she would make her mark on the basketball world. She had finally arrived, and was playing for legendary Head Coach Pat Summit alongside special talents like Candice Parker, Alexis Hornbuckle, and Nicky Anosike. Bobbitt helped guide the Volunteers to two Division I Championships in 2007 & 2008.
With the 15th pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft, the LA Sparks made Bobbitt their first pick of the 2nd round. She would be teaming up with her college teammate Candace Parker and get a chance to also play with Hall of Famer Lisa Leslie…. How crazy is that for a girl from Harlem NYC?!?!
Shannon Bobbitt #6 of the Los Angeles Sparks brings the ball upcourt against the Phoenix Mercury during the WNBA game on August 27, 2009 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The Mercury won 98-90. (Photo by Evan Gole/NBAE via Getty Images)
Bobbitt would later play for the Indiana Fever and then the Washington Mystics. After her WNBA playing career was done Bobbitt would go overseas and play in Turkey.
After all of the success, Bobbitt can often be found where it all started. But instead of fighting to find a way out, she’s extending a hand to the young people who desperately need her help. Every summer Bobbitt hosts a youth basketball clinic that all the neighborhood kids look forward to. Aside from her give-back efforts, Bobbitt is also a published author, penning her first book entitled Bobbitt: 5’2 Giant handling the odds. In the book, she details the rough road that led her to beat the odds and become one of the best female Point Guards to ever come out of New York City. She has also established The Shannon Bobbitt foundation where she helps provide much-needed resources to the youth who need them in an attempt to keep them off the streets. Bobbitt’s hard work didn’t go unnoticed and even though she was undersized her height did not prevent her from being successful on the court. She was inducted into the NJCAA Hall of Fame, an accomplishment that will never be erased.
Bobbitt has taken her life and made it a book. It is a great read and very motivational for anyone wanting to defy the odds. Photo courtesy of
Shannon Bobbitt is a living legend. She appeared in the highly acclaimed Showtime documentary Point Gods and is highly respected in the Basketball ecosystem in New York City and beyond. We salute Bobbitt for all of her accomplishments and hope that she continues her path to greatness, using basketball as the vehicle to get her there.
I need everybody to go and purchase Shannon Bobbit’s book Bobbitt: 5’2 Giant Handling the Odds right now! You can order it HERE