New York City Basketball Hall of Fame

The 27th New York City Basketball Hall of Fame will be held on Wednesday, September 14th at the famed New York Athletic Club on Central Park South on 59th street.

This year's inductees are players Steve Burtt, Olden Polynice, Sam Stith, Jayson Williams and Willie Worsley. Coach inductee is Gus Alfieri. Contributor inductees are Jim Couch, and Jerry Reinsdorf. Trustee inductee Howard Garfinkel.

Gus Alfieri, the guard attended St Francis Preparatory School HS (Queens) and played for Hall of Fame coach Joe Lapchick at St Johns in 1959. Alfieri is a former coach of St Anthony HS (Jersey), where he coached two championship teams. He is also an author of The Heart of a Champion, and a biographical book on his former coach Joe Lapchick tilted Lapchick. For the past forty-years he has been the director of the All-American Basketball Camp.

Steve Burtt a 6-2 the guard, attended Charles Evans Hughs HS (NYC), played for the Iona Gaels. As a Gael he was a all-time leader scoring 2,534 points. Burtt was named a three-time All-MAAC first team (1982-1984) and a two time All-MACC Player of the Year (1983-1984). Later, he was selected 30th over-all pick by the Warriors in the 1984 NBA draft (1984-1985). Burtt played for the Westchester Golden Apples (1985-1986), Los Angeles Clippers (1987-1988), Halifax Windjammers (1991), Phoenix Suns (1991-1992), Iraklis Thessaloniki (1992), Washington Bullets (1992-1993), Maccabi Rishon LeZion (1993-1994), Illycaffe Trieste (1994-1995), Reyer Venezia Mestre (1995-1996), Genertel Trieste (1996-1997), Casetti Imola (1997-1998), Scandone Avellino (1998-1999) and Banco Sardegna Sassari (1999-2000).

Olden Polynice, the 6-11 center attended All-Hallows HS (Bronx), played for the University of Virginia (1983-1986). Polynice was selected 8th over-all pick in the 1987 NBA draft by the Chicago Bulls, but traded to the Seattle Supersonics for Scottie Pippen. He played for Hamby Rimini (1986-1987), Seattle Supersonics (1987-1991), Los Angeles Clippers (1991-1992), Detroit Pistons (1992-1994), Sacramento Kings (1994-1998), Seattle Supersonics (1999), Utah Jazz (1999-2001), Las Vegas Slam ABA (2001-2002), Grand Rapids Hoops CBA (2002-2003), Pennsylvannia Valley Dawgs USBL (2003), Gary Steelheads USBL (2003), Los Angeles Clippers (2003), Long Beach Jam CBA (2004), Michigan Mayhem CBA (2004-2005) and Los Angeles Aftershock ABA (2005-2006).

Sam Stith 6-2 guard attended St Francis HS (Queens) and went on to attend St Bonaveture (1957-1960). Stith was drafted the 56th over-all pick in the 1960 NBA draft by the Cincinnati Royals. He played for the New York Knicks (1961-1962), Allentown Jets EPBL (1962-1963), Wilkes-Barre Barons EPBL (1963-1964), and in 1963 he won the Eastern Professional Basketball league championship.

Jayson Williams a 6-10 center attended Christ the King HS (Queens) then later played at St Johns (1987-1990). Williams was selected as the 21st over-all pick in the 1990 NBA draft by the Phoenix Suns. He played for the Philadelphia 76ers (1990-1992), New Jersey Nets (1992-1999), and Idaho Stampede CBA (2005). The center was an NBA All-Star (1998) then in 1999 he had a season ending injury after he broke his right leg. Williams officially retired in 2000 after nine NBA seasons.

Willie Worsley a 5-9 guard attended Dewitt Clinton HS (Bronx) and later attended University of Texas at El Paso (1965-1968) he is a part of the legendary 1966 NCAA Championship team. The movie Glory Road (2006) was a screen adaptation of that 1966 Championship team. Worsley played for the New York Nets ABA (1968-1969). Once the New York Nets team folded, he later became a coach at Spring Valley HS in Rockland, NY.

Jim Couch for the past 60 plus years, Mr. Couch has held a national training foundation. A nonprofit organization that is dedicated to improving aspiring basketball athletes. Mr. Couch has trained countless future pros his most famous student Lew Alcindor he met in 1960. In Dyckman projects on the court, he trained, then 13-year old Alcindor. He was first to produce a televised outdoor Rucker summer league basketball game for Time Warner Cable in 1972.

Jerry Reinsdorf a Brookyn native is the owner of Chicago White Soxs and Chicago Bulls. During his tenure as Chairman of the Bulls franchise, the team has won six NBA Championships (1991-1993, 1996-1998), advanced to the postseason 24 times, reached the Eastern Conference Finals seven times, claimed eight Central Division titles and won .552 (1,384-1,122) of its games. Reinsdorf will be inducted twice this year first on September 9th to the Class of 2016 at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass and then in New York City Basketball Hall of Fame.

Howard “Garf” Garfinkel (1930-2016) is the cofounder of Five-Star Basketball Camp. Garfinkel was a top evaluator of basketball recruitment and summer basketball. Garf’s camp became legendary proving ground with many legendary players attending Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing, Moses Malone, Isaiah Thomas, Grant Hill, Pearl Washington, Alonzo Mourning and LeBron James to name a few.