Wizards Beat Champs
The New York Wizards improved to 3-0 on the season with a 101-94 win over the defending league champion Delaware Destroyers. Jerome Richardson led the way with 36 points, and Amityville legend Jason Fraser contributed 15 points and 11 rebounds. Up next for the Wizards will the South Jersey Enterprise on Saturday 12/18/2010 at Robert Frost Middle School in Deer Park! 7:05 Tip Off. 12/4
Wizards Improve to 2-0
Long Island's pro basketball team, the New York Wizards, improved to 2-0 with a 135-113 win over the Hudson Valley Hype despite 45 points from former Syracuse star Louie McCroskey. West Hempstead's Aubin Scott once again led the Wizards, scoring 28 points and dishing out 11 assists,
and Jerome Richardson played his second consecutive outstanding contest, finishing with 27 points. Next up is a 12/4 meeting with the defending champion Delaware Destroyers.
Mike James To China
Chinese teams continue to add veteran NBA players to their rosters in an attempt to bring attention to their teams and raise the level of play in their country. The latest is Amityville's Mike James, who has reportedly signed a contract to play there with the Zhejiang Golden Bulls.
LI's Pro Team Wins 1st
After advancing to the Final Four last season, the defending Empire Division Champion New York Wizards, based in Deer Park, began their quest for an EBA Championship with a 116-106 home win over the North Jersey Pros. The win extends the Wizards home unbeaten streak to 11 games over two seasons. West Hempstead's Aubin Scott erupted for 41 points and dished out 10 assists to lead the way, Malverne's Darrell Wonge caused fits for the Pro's and finished with 27, and Jerome Richardson came off the bench to score 22 points, including some spectacular dunks. Their next game is Sat. Nov 20 at home against the Hudson Valley Hype. Don't forget, tickets are only $8, with a free children's ticket with every paying adult!
St. Dom's Pearson NBDL
Former St. Dominic star Antoine Pearson was selected by the Springfield Armor in the 2010 NBA Development League Draft. Pearson was a 1,000-point scorer at Manhattan.
LI Hoops By The Numbers
Long Island has sent more players to the NBA than the following states:
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
District of Columbia
Hawaii
Idaho
Iowa
Kansas
Maine
Massachusetts
Minnesota
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Mexico
North Dakota
Oklahoma
Oregon
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Utah
Vermont
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
2012 Mock NBA Draft
Its very early, but two Long Islanders are predicted to be taken in the 2012 NBA Draft by nbadraft.net.
They are Hills West's Tobias Harris at #14 and Hempstead's Terrell Holloway at # 59! If you remember, two Long Islanders were chosen in the 2009 draft: Danny Green and AJ Price! MOCK DRAFT
Good News On AJ Price!
Amityville's A.J. Price, who had a solid rookie season for the Indiana Pacers, has recovered much sooner than expected after suffering an offseason knee injury back in May while playing in a charity game here on Long Island. Price, who hopes to challenge for the starters role at point guard this season, was originally expected to be out of action possibly through November, but has already been cleared by the Pacers and will be ready for the start of training camp in October.
Antoine Agudio Update
Former Hofstra and Walt Whitman Star Antoine Agudio played for the Albuquerque Thunderbirds of the NBA's D-League last season, averaging 15.1 PPG. He played for the Milwaukee Bucks Summer League team, but wasn't invited to training camp and signed with Verviers-Pepinster of the Belgian Pro League.
Young Makes Redskins
Darrel Young, a captain of the 2004 and 2005 Amityville Long Island Championship teams and an All-League and All-County selection, made the Washington Redskins NFL team as a Linebacker!
Claxton Calls It Quits
Hempstead's Speedy Claxton signed a deal with the Golden State Warriors for the upcoming season, but as a scout, signaling the end of his injury plagued 10-year NBA playing career. Claxton was at his best from 2003 to 2006, when he averaged 11.5 points and 5.3 assists for the Warriors and Hornets, mostly coming off the bench. Those numbers earned him a free agent contract with the Atlanta Hawks, who wanted him to step into their starters role at the point, but a series of injuries limited his playing time and cut short his promising career.
Long Island NBA Update
A.J. Price of Amityville had a strong rookie season for the Indiana Pacers, averaging 7.3 points and 1.9 assists in only 15.4 minutes per game. Price's playing time steadily increased throughout the year, jumping from an average of 8 minutes per game in the season's first two months to almost 20 minutes per game by April. Price will be in the second year of his two-year guaranteed rookie contract in 2010-11, which means that he'll be playing for his NBA life. He could very well have a breakout season.
Danny Green of North Babylon didn't play very much for the Cleveland Cavaliers, which wasn't too surprising considering that he was competing for minutes with someone by the name of Lebron James. Green's strongest stretch came in January and February, when he averaged 3.6 points per game on 58% shooting over 7 games. On the whole, though, Green spent much more time in a suit than he did on the court. Fortunately for him, the whole Lebron thing might not be as much of a problem next year.
Mike James, also of Amityville, struggled through an injury-plagued 2009-10 in which he played only four games for the Washington Wizards and averaged 4.5 points per game. James, who was in his second season with Washington, was bought out and waived by the club after they were unable to find him a new home at the trading deadline. The 34-year old James, who has played for nine different teams in nine NBA seasons, will be a valuable free-agent pickup for a team looking for someone that can provide veteran leadership and playoff experience.
NBA Free Agent Signings
LI In All-Star Game
There were no NBA All-Stars from Long Island this season, but there have been several over the years. Here is the list, with the number of times they were NBA or ABA All-Stars in parenthesis
Carl Braun (5)
Larry Brown (3)
Julius Erving (16)
Tom Gugliotta (1)
Jeff Ruland (2)
Randy Smith (2)
Wally Szczerbiak (1)
Wizards Fall In Semis
Long Island's professional basketball team, the New York Wizards, completed a terrific second season with a trip to the EBA Final Four, where they fell 135-121 to the defending champion Delaware Destroyers. The Destroyers went on to repeat as champions. New York finished in first place in the Empire Division with a 10-1 regular season record. Looking ahead, they will be hosting two events this April/May including a Senior Showcase Game for local players finishing college attempting to get a start on their pro careers and a Pro Showcase for players looking to secure overseas contracts. Pro Agents and Coaches will be in attendance at both events. For more information contact: 631-730-6347 or E-Mail – betterball@optonline.net
Wizards Take Opener
The Wizards, Long Island's only professional basketball team, came from 19 down to defeat the Newark Patrons 130-123 in their home and season opener. Walt Whitman's Nick Carter had 39 points in his first professional game. Wizards games are a lot of fun, and they have a great offer for fans - kids are free with an accompanying adult! Next home game Saturday January 16th. For information about attending a Wizards game or free youth tickets please call 631-730-6347 or E-Mail: betterball@optonline.net
Wizards Set To Open
The New York Wizards, Long Island's professional basketball team, are set to begin their second season in the EBA (Eastern Basketball Alliance) on Saturday 1/9/10 at 7:00 PM at Robert Frost Middle in Deer Park. Stocked with many Long Island players, like Mike Mosby, Nick Carter, Brandon Wilson, Wayne Nelson, and Greg Cerillo Jr., and lots of other top talent, the Wizards are looking forward to a terrific season. For free youth tickets or other Wizards information please call 631-730-6347 or E-Maill: betterball@optonline.net
Back In The Day!
It's time for the Second Edition of our new continuing series, "BACK IN THE DAY", where we interview famous Long Island hoops stars about what it was like growing up on Long Island. This month's interview is with Amityville's MIKE JAMES of the New Orleans Hornets. Hope you enjoy it! If you missed it, catch last month's interview with Virgina Tech Coach SETH GREENBERG. GO TO BACK IN THE DAY
Pro Notes
Former NYIT point guard Manix Auriantal has signed with with Polaroid-Lami-Ved Kormend of the Hungarian basketball League for the 2008-2009 season. Auriantal, who helped NYIT reach the semi-finals of the 2005 NCAA Northeast regional, played for Union Olimpija Ljubijana in October of 2007.......
Did You Know...........
Marc Iavaroni, who played for and graduated from Plainview JFK, ia an NBA assistant coach with the Los Angeles Clippers, and former head coach of the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies. Iavaroni was a four year starter at the University of Virginia, and was named first team All-Tournament on Virginia’s 1976 ACC Tournament championship team. In the NBA, he was a starter as a rookie on the 76ers’ 1983 Championship Team along with fellow Long Islander Julius Erving, and went on to a seven year NBA career.
Most Watched Game?Amityville's Mike James was part of what might have been the most watched television sports events of all time, as an estimated audience of as many as 200 million people tuned in to see his Houston Rockets take on the Milwaukee Bucks. The attraction? Well other than James, it just so happened that it was the first time Chinese stars Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian, the first round pick of the Bucks, had faced each other in a NBA game. Yao finished with 28 points, Yi 19, and James a solid 5 point, 5 assists, and 5 rebounds. Houston won 104-88 Man! If we'd only thought to give Mike a Long Island Basketbalkl.com T-shirt to wear before the game!
LI Pros In Europe
*Former Bucknell and St. John The Baptist star Donald Brown is now playing professionally in Iceland
*Former University at Albany basketball standout Jamar Wilson, who played his high school ball at OSNA, will play professionally in Europe with Verviers-Pepinster, a first division team in Belgium.
Hamilton In Russia
Zendon Hamilton has signed with a Russian team by the name of Krasnoyarsk Yenisei.
Long Island Pros
Drew Nicholas, Long Island Lutheran, Efes Pilsen
PLEASE HELP US AD TO THIS LIST !
Larry Brown and Yaz
The Independent, an East End newspaper, had two articles in their August 29th edition about famous Long Island basketball players. The first was about Long Beach grad, ABA All-star, and Hall of Fame Coach Larry Brown, and the second about Baseball Hall of Famer and former Bridgehampton basketball star Carl Yaztremski. Both were written by Bob Vacca. Follow these links to read them:
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Carl Braun, Garden City
One of the premier guards of the 1950s, he played 13 NBA seasons, 12 of them with the Knicks. Averaged 15.5 points and 5.5 assists during the 1957-58 season, his best. Played in five NBA All-Star Games
Frank Brickowski, Locust Valley
The third round draft pick of the Knicks averaged 16.0 points, 6.9 rebound and 3.8 assists in 1987-88, his best in 12 NBA seasons
Larry Brown, Long Beach
Played 5 ABA seasons and was a three time All-Star and All-Star game MVP in '68. Averaged 13.7 points and 7.1 assists in 69-70. Set ABA record with 23 assists in one game. Went on to Hall of Fame coaching career, winning NCAA and NBA titles
Reggie Carter, LUHI
Played two NBA seasons with the Knicks and in '82 averaged 4.0 points and 2.7 assists in 75 games
Billy Chamberlain, LUHI
Played in the ABA for The Memphis Tams and Kentucky Colonels in 1972-73, and for the Phoenix Suns in the NBA during the 1973-74 season. Averaged 5.3 points in 78 games
Speedy Claxton, Hofstra
Averaged 11.5 points and 6.0 assists per game in 2005-6, his best iin 9 NBA seasons
Conrad Dierking, V.S. Central
The first round draft pick of the Syracuse Nationals averaged 16.4 points and 9.5 rebounds per game in 1967-68, his best in 10 NBA seasons, mostly with the Cincinnati Royals
Billy Donovan, St. Agnes
Averaged 2.4 points and 2.0 assists in his only NBA season. Now coach of the 2 time NCAA Champion Florida Gators
Joe DePre, Westbury
Drafted by the Phoenix Suns, he chose the ABA instead where he averaged 7 points per game over 3 seasons for the New York Nets
Dennis DuVal, Westbury
Drafted by Washington, he averaged 1.9 points per game in two NBA seasons
Danny Green, St. Mary's
Drafted by the Claveland Cavaliers in the second round of the 2009 NBA Draft after starring at North Carolina
Tom Gugliotta, Walt Whitman
NBA All-Star 1996-97 when he averaged 20.6 points 8.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game. First round draft pick that played 13 NBA seasons
Jeff Haliburton, Malverne
Drafted by the Atlanta Hawks and played in the 1971- 72 seasons
Tobias Harris, HHH West
Drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the 2011 NBA Draft after playing one year at Tennessee.
Zendon Hamilton, Sewanhaka
Averaged 6.0 points and 4.7 rebounds in 2001-2, his best so far in 6 NBA seasons
Phil Hankinson, Great Neck
Averaged 3.9 points and 1.8 rebound in two season with the Celtics
Jim Hayes, St. Agnes
A 3rd round pick by the Detroit Pistons, he chose to play for the New York Nets in the ABA, where he averaged 3.1 points per game in his only season
Art Heyman, Oceanside
First pick in the 1963 NBA Draft by the Knicks after starring at Duke. Averaged 18.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per game in 1967-68, his best of 6 ABA and NBA seasons
Marc Iavaroni, Plainview
Averaged 6.0 points and 4.4 rebounds in 1984-85, his best in 7 NBA seasons. Iavaroni was hired as the head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies on May 31, 2007
Mike James, Amityville
Undrafted, he averaged 20.3 points and 5.8 assists per game in 2005-6, his best in 9 NBA seasons
Shelton Jones, Amityville
Drafted by the Spurs in the second round, he averaged 4.8 points and 2.2 rebounds in his only NBA season
Kevin Joyce, Merrick
Drafted in the first round by the Golden State warriors, he chose the ABA, where he averaged 14.9 points and 4.0 assists in 1974-75, his best of three ABA seasons
Tim Kempton, St. Dominic
Averaged 6.1 points and 3.8 rebounds per game in 1988-89, his best of 8 NBA seasons
Jim Kissane, Chaminade
Drafted by the Cincinnati Royals, he chose the ABA, where he got into 2 games with the Minnesota Pipers
Toby Knight, Port Jefferson
Second round pick of the Knicks, he averaged 19.1 points and 6.1 rebounds per game in 1979-80, his best in four NBA season - all with the Knicks
Mitch Kupchak, Brentwood
First round pick of the Washington Bullets, he averaged 15.9 points and 6.9 assists per game in 1977-78, his best in 9 NBA seasons. Current GM of the Lakers
Brian Mahoney, St. Agnes
In his only season, Averaged 3.1 points per game for the New York Nets in 1972-3. Was head coach at Manhattan College and St. John's
Joe Mullaney, Chaminade
Played briefly in the NBA for the Celtics, and then went on to coach in the NBA and ABA, compiling a 322-244 record in 8 seasons
George Nostrand, Uniondale
Played in the BAA, one of the leagues that later became the NBA., for 3 seasons and then one in the NBA. Averaged 8.2 points per game
AJ Price, Amityville
Taken in the second round of the 2009 NBA Draft by the Indiana Pacers after starring at UConn.
Tom Riker, St. Dominic
A first round pick, he played for the Knicks for 3 seasons, including the NBA Championship team of 1973. Averaged 2.7 points and 1.7 rebounds
Mike Riordan, Great Neck
A 12th round pick by the Knicks, he averaged 18.1 points, 5.2 assists and 4.9 rebounds in 1972-73, his best in 9 NBA seasons
Jim Rowinski, Hicksville
Drafted by the Jazz in the 4th round, he played in 23 games over 2 seasons
Derrick Rowland, Brentwood
Drafted by the Denver Nuggets in the 10th round (8th pick, 211th overall) of the 1981 NBA draft. Got into 2 games for the Milwaukee Bucks during the 1985-86 season
Jeff Ruland, Sachem
The two time All-Star averaged 22.2 points and 10.2 rebound per game during the 1983-84 season, his best in 8 NBA seasons. He was a second round draft pick of the Golden State Warriors
Al Skinner, Malverne
Averaged 12.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game in 1976-77 season, his best in 6 ABA and NBA seasons. Former Head Coach, Boston College
Randy Smith, Bellport
The 7th round pick of the Buffalo Braves, he was known for his feathery shooting touch, eye-popping 360-degree dunks, and unsurpassed speed on the floor. Two time NBA All-Star averaged 24.6 points and 5.6 assists per game in 1977-78, his best in 12 NBA seasons. MVP of the 1978 All-Star Game, coming off the bench to collect 27 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists. Played in 906 consecutive games, at the time an NBA record
Wally Szczerbiak, C. S. Harbor The first round draft pick of the Minnesota Timberwolves averaged 20.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 2005-6, his best in 10 NBA seasons. Named to the All-Star Team in 2001-2
Bill Thieben, Sayville
Averaged 4.0 points and 3.2 rebounds in two seasons for the Fort Wayne and Detroit Pistons. Attended Hofstra
Ernie Vandeweghe, Oceanside
Averaged 12 points and 5.6 rebounds per game for the Knicks in 1952-53, his best of 6 NBA seasons. His son Kiki also played for the Knicks
Foots Walker, Southampton
The 3rd round pick of the Cleveland cavaliers, he averaged 9.0 points and 8.4 assists per game in 1979-80, his best in 10 NBA seasons
Bill Wennington, LI Lutheran
The first round pick of the Dallas Mavericks, he averaged 7.1 points and 4.6 rebounds in 1993-94, his best in 13 NBA seasons
Howard Wood, East Hampton
Averaged 3.4 points for the Utah Jazz in his only NBA season
A.J. Wydner, St. Agnes
Played in 6 games for the Celtics during the 1990-91 season.
Dr J, one of the greatest players of all time. A four time MVP and 16 time All-Star in his 16 ABA and NBA seasons. He averaged 31.9 points, 12.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 1972-73.
Julius Erving, Roosevelt
Prosper In Sweden
Mepham's Lester Prosper, who starred for SUNY Old Westbury, is playing professionally in Sweden
Nets Arena Underway
The NBA's Nets, who played on Long Island during their glory years, saw construction on their new arena in Brooklyn finally get underway. Crews have completed the foundation, with the arena set to open in the summer of 2012.
Danny Green With Spurs
Former St. Mary's star Danny Green was signed by the San Antonio Spurs after being released by the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs drafted him in the second round last year.
St. Dom's Pearson NBDL
Former St. Dominic star Antoine Pearson was selected by the Springfield Armor in the 2010 NBA Development League Draft. Pearson was a 1,000-point scorer at Manhattan.
Schmidt To Spain
Jonathan Schmidt, who led St. Anthony's to a State Championship and CW Post to the top of the D2 college rankings while becoming Post's all-time leading scorer, has signed to play professionally in Spain.
Seawright Joins Leon
Uniondale's Kahiem Seawright has signed with Leon of the Spanish Gold Pro League this season. Seawright starred at the University of Rhode Island of the Atlantic 10.
AJ Price Looks Good
A.J. Price, who is fighting to reestablish himself after an offseason knee injury, looked good in Indiana's first two preseason games. In opener against the Grizzlies, he scoring 12 points in just under 15 minutes, and in the second game against Orlando, he finished with 15 points.
Danny Green Waived
After a poor preseason, the Cleveland Cavaliers have waived former St. Mary's star Danny Green. A second-round draft pick in 2009 from North Carolina, Green averaged 3.3 points and 2.0 rebounds in four preseason games. Last season, he appeared in just 20 games for Cleveland.
El-Amin Goes Pro
Former Stony Brook U. standout guard Muhammad El-Amin has signed a professional contract to play for the PVSK Pannonpower Pecs basketball team in Hungary. El-Amin, who was the 2010 America East Player of the Year, averaged 16.7 points for the Seawolves last season
Playing Pro Ball?
If you know a Long islander playing or coaching professional basketball anywhere in the world, please let us know about it! We'd like to keep everyone else up to date !
Dr. J Trivia
We all know Roosevelt's Julius Erving was named one of the 50 greatest basketball players of all time, but those of you that never got to see him play probably assume it was all because of his ability to score, often with spectacular dunks. That's certainly part of it, but when Dr. J retired in 1987, he was #1 on pro basketball's career steals list and #6 on the career blocked shots list. That' s a rare combination of skills, and only a small handful of players in NBA history appear in the top 6 on the career scoring, blocked shots and steals lists.
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Mike James Day
Every year, Amityville's Mike James of the NBA's Washington Wizards throws a basketball party for his home town fans. It will be held again this coming Saturday 7/25 at Bolden Mack Park in Amityville, and the featured event is a game between Mike's Amityville All-Star Team and And-1. There is also good food, music, and games for the kids. Leading up to the event, there was also a charity golf tournament, and a free kids basketball clinic conducted by Mike and his formaer coach, Jack Agostino.
Dr. J Comes Home!
Thirty years ago, the Virginia Squires sold Julius Erving's contract to the Long Island based New York Nets. The powerful Squires, who also had George Gervin, another of the 50 Greatest Players Of All Time, were strapped for cash. The transaction marked the beginning of the end for the Virginia franchise, and the salvation of the Nets, who went on to win two ABA Championships in the next three years behind the Doctor. To learn more Nets and ABA history, go to REMEMBERTHEABA.com
NBA DRAFT SPECIAL
Green To Cavs
Price To Pacers
North Babylon's Danny Green and Amityville's AJ Price both had their dreams come true when they were selected in the 2009 NBA Draft. Green was the 46th pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Price the 52nd pick by the Indiana Pacers. Green seems like a perfect fit on a team that just added Shaquille O'Neal to its roster and will once again be a serious contender for the NBA Title. Price joins a struggling Pacers team that Pacer GM Larry Bird says he wants to rebuild with "winners" like Price and UNC's Tyler Hansbrough, their first round pick. As second round selections, neither Green nor Price will receive guaranteed contracts.
A Day To Remember
For A.J Price and Danny Green, June 25th, 2009, will be a day to remember. When the NBA draft commences tonight at 7PM ET, these two Long Island-born players will be anxiously waiting to hear their names called in front of the hometown crowd at WaMu Theater. For both Green and Price the wait figures to be a long one- not a single reputable mock draft has either player taken in the first round. In fact, if Price should spend too much time perusing NBAdraft.net, he may begin to wonder if his name will be called at all. Price's draft stock has recently taken a hit as the result of rumors regarding his health. The reports, which concerned an aneurysm in Price's brain thought to be the result of the near-fatal Arteriovenous Malformation he suffered in 2004, proved to be erroneous. However, teams are also concerned about Price's recent ACL reconstruction surgery. They wonder if he will have the lateral quickness to keep up with NBA guards on the defensive end. Nonetheless, NBA teams are particularly cautious when it comes to red flags about a player's health, and especially so on draft day. Green, fresh off a national championship run at North Carolina, is in a more comfortable position than Price is as draft day approaches. Despite the fact that he can pretty much rest assured that his name will be called, Green has almost no idea which team will call it. He has worked out for Los Angeles, Cleveland, Charlotte, Chicago, Portland, Memphis and New Jersey, among others. Unless a trade is made, one city both Green and Price can count out as a potential draft day destination is New York. Mock drafts see Green going anywhere from the 34th to the 55th pick, and Price is projected to go at best as the 41st pick, and at worst to go undrafted. As a result of the 2007 draft-day deal for Zach Randolph the Knicks lack a second-round pick, which means that the North Babylon-born Green and the Amityville product Price won't be suiting up for their hometown team anytime soon. No matter which teams select Green and Price, 2009 looks to be the first draft since 2000 in which a Long Island-born player will get drafted. In 2000 Hempstead's own Speedy Claxton was taken with the 20th pick in the first round by Philadelphia. If both Green and Price are selected 2009 will mark the first draft in the modern (two-round) era in which more than one Long Island-born player is drafted. Should Price go undrafted, it will mark yet another setback for a talented player whose career has been beset with numerous injuries and misfortunes. The draft, then, is sure to be a memorable one for Green, Price and Long Island basketball fans, for better or for worse.
Randy Smith Dead At 60
Randy Smith, one of the greatest basketball players ever to come out of Long Island, passed away at the age of 60 in Connecticut, apparently from a heart attack while working out. An extraordinary athlete, Smith starred at Bellport High School, then was an All-American in basketball, soccer, and track at Buffalo State. He went on to an outstanding 12 year NBA career, mostly with the Buffalo Braves. He played in 905 consecutive games, at the time an NBA record, and was considered the fastest player in the league at the peak of his career and an excellent defender. The two time NBA All-Star was MVP of the 1978 All-Star Game, scoring 27 points. He averaged 16.7 ppg over his career and 17.5 ppg in the playoffs. He finished as the Braves all-time leading scorer, surpassing Bob McAdoo. He played one season with the Knicks later in his career, averaging 10 points and 3 assists per game. After his playing career ended, he joined the NBA front office as director of player programs, then coached in the Continental Basketball Association. He then joined Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Conn., where he worked as Director of Player Development until his death. The Randy Smith League, an inner-city youth basketball program he sponsored, carried on in Buffalo after he left the city. He is enshrined in the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame and the Suffolk County Hall Of Fame. He is survived by his second wife, Angela, two sons, Brandon and Dominique, and a daughter, Terran. READ MORE CAREER STATS
Kenny Jones ABA Star
Kenny Jones of Wyandanch High School and Kentucky State University has made the East All-Star team in the American Basketball Association, representing the ABA Champion Kentucky Bisons. Kenny also made 3rd team All ABA, averaging 17.8 ppg, and 8.7 rpg
Wizards 5-5 First Season
The New York Wizards, Long Island's new pro team, lost a tough one on the road to the 7-2 Nova Hawks, dropping a 101-98 decision in their season finale and finishing 5-5. A depleted Wizards squad traveled to Maryland to play one of the top teams in the EBA, and almost stole the show before losing the game in the final 20 seconds. The Wizards had only 7 players and utilized a 3 guard starting lineup with league leading assist man and starting point guard Leon Pursoo, who played for LuHi, joined in the backcourt by Brandon Butler (CW Post) and Faith Academy's Greg Cerillo Jr. Cerillo and Butler put on a shooting display the Maryland fans will not soon forget. As Nova attempted to double Sachem's Mike Mosby (17 points and 19 rebounds) and Malverne's Anthony Cox (27 points and 15 rebounds) Cerillo proceeded to drain 5-7 from the 3-pt line and 2-2 from the field, including 11 points in the first quarter, finishing the game with 19 points. Butler virtually matched this display with 5-8 from the 3-pt line, finishing the game with 23 points. The 3 guard combination also racked up 8 steals (Cerillo-4, Butler-2, and Pursoo-2), but it was not enough as a last second goal tending call against the Wizards sealed their fate! Falling just short of the playoffs in a terrific first season, New York will now prepare to begin a barnstorming campaign to help promote the EBA in the Long Island New York area! They will also be holding tryouts for this years crop of college seniors. Watch for an announcement.
20 PPG In The NBA
The following Long Islanders averaged 20 points or more per game during at least one NBA season:
Julius Erving, Roosevelt
Tom Gugliotta, Walt Whitman
Mike James, Amityville
Jeff Ruland, Sachem
Randy Smith, Bellport
Wally Szczerbiak, Cold Spring Harbor
Interesting to note that they all came from public schools!
Knick Assistant Coach
and Northport Native Phil Weber
Knicks Over Nuggets
The Knicks won for the 12th time in their last 13 games and improved to 16-9 overall with a 129-125 win over the Denver Nuggets 12/12
Landry Fields
and 5 Secrets to the New York Knicks' Recent Success...GO TO STORY
Are The Knicks Back?
The New York Knicks started off this new era looking a lot like the Knicks of the past nine years by going 3-8 in their first 11 games.... GO TO STORY
Back In Melo Hunt?
The New York Post are reporting that the Knicks are back in the running for Carmelo Anthony. POST STORY
Carmelo A Knick?
The rumor mill is hot and heavy with stories that Carmelo Anthony would like to become a Knick next season after his contract expires with Denver.
However, there is the old issue of the possible work stoppage after this season, which in turn might encourage Anthony to sign a contract while he can get his money now, and not risk a lower salary cap and lower salary.
Knicks Sign Mason
The Knicks announced the signing of 6'5 shooting guard Roger Mason Jr., who played for the Spurs last season. Mason is a strong 3 point shooter that can also play the point.
Knicks Sign Rautins
The Knicks signed Syracuse guard Andy Rautins, the 38th overall pick in this years NBA Draft. Rautins averaged 12.1 ppg and 4.9 apg in 35 games for the Orangemen, helping them reach the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament. The 6'4 Rautins gives the Knicks another three-point specialist off the bench next season.
Frazier Talks LeBron
Amare Without Nash?
Every since the Knicks signed Amare Stoudemire, many have wondered if the five time All Star can be effective without Steve Nash as his point guard. Here's a point of veiw
Opportunity Knocks for Randolph
Mike James and Jack Agostino at annaul Free Clinic
A choice that can change your child's life!
Krista Kilburn-Steveskey Basketball Camp
Mo Cassara
Basketball Camp
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LONG ISLAND'S HOME COURT!
Gus Alfieri's
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KnicksGear.com
KNICKS FAN HEAVEN!!
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BASKETBALL CAMP
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INTERSTATE
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Residential Courts
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ALL ISLAND
CAMP
BASKETBALL
ALL ISLAND
Tom Fitzpatrick's
and Tom Diana's
The Premier
Instructional Camp
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PROFESSIONALS
Basketball
Events
If you would like to
promote any
basketball related activity on Long Island
or involving teams
from Long Island,
let us know!
AEDs
For Schools
and Gyms
COMPLETE
PACKAGES AT
GREAT PRICES
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Heartbeat
Medical
TUTORING-ALL LEVELS
LEONA & STEVE
SAT/ACT
College Essays Regents Prep COOP
Study Skills
Proven Results
516-627-0024
If you build it......
Residential Courts
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Health and Beauty Products
At Extremely
Low Prices!
Orthodontics
Sports Dentistry
EMERGENCY
Dental Services
Mid-Island
Dental
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Store
Basketball
The
Coaching DVDS
First Aid Kits
Institutional
Equipment
Home Furnishings
Basketball Movies
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