5 shot at Harlem basketball tournament

Five people were shot on a Harlem basketball court Wednesday night during an annual basketball tournament, officials and witnesses said.

Gunfire erupted around 10 p.m. at the Holcombe Rucker Park court on Frederick Douglass Boulevard near W. 155th St. after a dispute during a game for the Entertainers Basketball Classic, witnesses said.

"They started arguing, about a bad call or something like that," said Rodney Harris, 47. "The guy was standing no more than five feet away from me. He pulled a gun out of his pocket and shot once. He then shot one more time. Everyone started running."

“He was real close to me,” Harris said. “I thought I got shot."

Nate Robinson, a former point guard for the Knicks, was at the game but escaped unscathed, witnesses said.

"He was watching the game,” Harris said. “After the shooting, he was okay. He wasn't hurt...he left like everyone else."

The five shooting victims were taken to area hospitals and all expected to survive, police said. One other person also was injured in the incident.

The shooter started running amongst the crowd but then walked calmly across the street toward the Fine Fare supermarket and fired a few more rounds, Harris said.

"Then he just walked away. He didn't even run. My friend, a basketball player, got shot in the ankle,” he said. “It could have been worse."

Abdul Sam, 25, who works at a nearby deli, also heard the gunshots and commotion.

"I heard about four shots. Everyone started running," Sam said. "This summer is crazy."