In an ode to New York City's deep history with lacrosse, the Premier Lacrosse League is collaborating with hip-hop icon Method Man for a special collection.
The PLL worked with the legendary Wu-Tang Clan member and Staten Island native to launch the Five Boroughs Collection. It's part of an effort to give back and highlight players and organizations in New York City that do work for the love of the game.
"When I moved to Staten Island, there weren't any real lacrosse programs, especially for people under high school age," Method Man said in a news release. "So it's great that we, myself and the PLL, are reaching out to the urban youth in the Five Boroughs. There's a lot of untapped talent here."
Harlem Lacrosse, Bronx Lacrosse, Brooklyn Lacrosse, Hempstead Lacrosse and City Lax are the organizations that will receive PLL and Champion branded products.
New York has a rich history of lacrosse and the PLL hasn't been shy about tapping into the sport's past.
In June, they unveiled special uniforms for Indigenous Heritage weekend, paying homage to the game's Native American roots. New York also has a close proximity to Native American communities, strengthening its ties to the sport.
Canadian immigrants established lacrosse clubs in the New York City area in the 1870s. There were 12 teams in the area by 1895. New York University made history in 1877 by becoming the first American college to adopt lacrosse.
The impact reached Method Man -- whose real name is Clifford Smith Jr. -- too.
Smith's cousin introduced him to the sport, taking him to Smith's first lacrosse practice. He played for the Hempstead Tigers and described lacrosse as: "having track, football and hockey all in one game."
"I was just amazed," he said. "It was my first time ever seeing anything like that. Next thing I know I was in a uniform."
Years later, he's playing a key role in the next generation's clothing.