Bronx Basketball Hall of Fame Dinner was a hoops fans’ delight

The 2023 class welcomed 16 new members

A Bronx Basketball tale took on the Villa Barone Manor last night where the Bronx Basketball Hall of Fame held its second annual awards dinner. As someone who attended the induction ceremonies both years, I can speak firsthand to the dual effect this nascent tradition has in honoring the great players who honed their craft in the Bronx while bringing old and new friends together in joyful observance of these success stories. 

Last year’s class was loaded with names like Nate “Tiny” Archibald, Rod Strickland, and Dick McGuire who are undisputed legends in these parts.

This second rendition was a sublime follow-up, with the roster going like this (in no particular order): Bobby Cremins, Jack Curran, Jamal Mashburn, Howard Garfinkel, Tom Konchalski, Butch Lee, Steve Sheppard, Anne Gregory, Debbie Miller Palmore, Niesha Alice Butler, Jane Morris, Hugh Evans, Johnny Mathis, John Isaacs, Cal Ramsey, and Michelle Roberts.

Seven of the members were honored posthumously. Johnny Mathis only passed away in September and had been looking forward to hearing his name called. The former John F. Kennedy High School coach of 35 years was memorialized into the BBHOF with the help of several friends and colleagues in attendance. Derek Doward, president of the BBHOF, called for a “10 dribble salute” as one person dribbled a basketball 10 times while the crowd observed a moment of silence.

Johnny’s son, J.C. Mathis, accepted the golden ball reserved for the newest members and acknowledged how excited his father was to get inducted into the hall. Originally from Georgia, Johnny Mathis became almost like an adopted son of the Bronx while impacting a seemingly countless number of lives during his time at JFK. He won five PSAL Borough titles. 

I had a chance to reconnect with J.C. for a picture afterward. He was so gracious in his demeanor and humbled by the overwhelmingly positive reception for his father. The apple did not fall far from the tree in the Mathis family in terms of both father and son being class acts.

Everyone had a story to tell too.

There was Anne Gregory, whose powerhouse career at Fordham led her to become the leading points scorer (2,548 points) and rebounder (1,999) in school history. She spoke from the heart about what it meant to her to be honored on this occasion and shared her love for basketball and the Bronx. Specifically, Gregory’s Bronx roots come from the Parkchester neighborhood and St. Helena Catholic parish. 

When Gregory made her way out of the Villa Barone, she had one man come up to her who showed his appreciation for watching her when he was student at Fordham’s Lincoln Center campus. Another gentleman was amazed by her statistics, particularly her rebounding record, a skill which he called a “lost art” in today’s game.

Cremins was one of the final members to be honored. It’s been 11 years since Cremins retired from coaching but he is forever a legend in these parts. What he did as a coach at Georgia Tech was remarkable, as well as the pipeline of New York City players—like Kenny Anderson and Stephon Marbury to name a few—that he recruited to the ACC school. Cremins and the all-time winningest high school coach Jack Curran share an alma mater, All Hallows High School. For them to be in the same class that goes into the BBHOF was special. 

I didn’t know that Cremins’ parents came right from Ireland. Then he said, “County Kerry” and it really resonated with me. Like his parents, my great grandparents immigrated from Kerry and settled in the Bronx. Small world! 

It was so nice to speak with Cremins, who went out his way to make sure his sister would get a picture of us together. Seeing Cremins made me think about the late great Bobby Knight who passed away on Wednesday. We should not take for granted the impact of these legends. 

Niesha Alice Butler shined at Riverdale Country School where she scored an NYC record for a male or female with 3,127 points. She also joined Kareem Abdul-Jabaar as the only players to be named to the all-city team four times. Butler attended Georgia Tech and later played for the New York Liberty.

But as great as she was a basketball player, Butler is still doing big things, now as a software engineer. Nowadays, she uses her platform to present inner-city kids with opportunities beyond athletics, citing the crazy low percentage of athletes who actually go pro. 

She made clear that athletics should be a “vehicle”, and not “a distraction”, in order for a child to ultimately realize their full potential. She has backed up her words with action by creating a non-profit called Ballin Technologies meant to serve young kids who both love sports and want to pursue careers in STEM. Her advocacy for the youth elicited a few rounds of applause from the audience.

Including Butler and Gregory, there were five women inducted into the BBHOF this year. Doward noted he was “most proud” of that component of the proceedings. 

It also wouldn’t have been right to not have Tom Konchalski and Howard Garfinkel as posthumous inductees. The two legendary scouts tag teamed the famous High School Basketball Illustrated containing the most detailed scouting notes ever. Started in 1965 by Garfinkel, he sold the almanac’s rights to Konchalski in 1984. 

Over 600 future NBA players and over 10,000 D1 players attended Garfinkel’s Five Star Basketball Camp. Back in the 60s and 70, a third of NBA players had attended the camp. 

Fittingly, former Manhattan College men’s basketball head coach Slice Rohrssen represented both of them in accepting the honors. 

It can’t be overstated how important Slice is in carrying on the legacy of Konchalski. When Tom died in February 2021, Slice was at his bedside. When he left the hospital that day, Slice thought of the idea to create a foundation to honor Tom’s legacy.

Today, the Tom Konchalski Foundation raises money for scholarships and hosts basketball clinics for the youth. 

Truly, that spirit of giving back is what the Bronx Basketball Hall of Fame is all about. I was fortunate enough to witness it and I already look forward to next year.