On Thursday September 20th, the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame will induct their 23rd Hall of Fame Class.
The event will tip off at 6pm at the famed New York Athletic Club on 59th street and Central Park South.
The New York City Basketball Hall of Fame will welcome veteran High School basketball coach Charles "Chuck" Granby from Campus Magnet High School (formerly Andrew Jackson HS) Cambria Heights, Queens.
For the past 43 years, the community changed around him but Coach Granby has delivered the same message to his student-athletes. "If you don't get an education there's a good chance you're going to have what I call the ugly life style. Your dog's going to be ugly, your cat's going to be ugly, you're going to have an ugly car, and you're wife going to be ugly. All because you did not go get an education." The humorous but honest speech Coach Granby gave to his players over the years was a reminder that there was life beyond basketball.
As a coach Granby has compiled a milestone record of 703 coaching wins and 199 losses. Coach Granby, a North Carolina native, arrived in Harlem, New York at the age of five. He would attend Morris High School and New York City Community College. Then later serve two years in the Army. After Army life he attended Bradley University where his team won the National Invitation Tournament in 1960.
This year's class of player inductees also include:
11 year NBA veteran point guard and Bronx native Ricky Sobers who attended DeWitt Clinton High School in New York City.
Ray Felix (1930-1991) a nine year NBA veteran and New York City native attended Long Island University
Connie Simmons (1925-1989) this center a Newark, New Jersey native would attend Flushing High School. Simmons was the second player to enter the NBA without attending college
Charley Yelverton a New York City native attended Rice High School and Fordham University. In 1971 Yelverton was selected 25th by the Portland Trail Blazers in the second round
Don "Red" Goldstein a Brooklyn native attended Samuel J. Tilden High School in Flatbush. He led Louisville to its first NCAA appearance playing for the Cardinals. In 1959 the Final Four had an array of stars with Oscar Robertson leading Cincinnati and Jerry West leading West Virginia.
Other inductees are "Contributor to the Game" Jack Kaiser coach at St Johns and director of athletics, and "Contributor to the Game" longtime NBA referee Dick Bavetta.