Mason Square Park bench dedicated to the first basketball game ever played
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) – A part of World Basketball Day was a very special bench dedication at Mason Square, that site was chosen in particular as it commemorates the first-ever basketball game played– ever.
Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame President and CEO John L. Doleva was in attendance, along with Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno and State Representative Bud Williams just to name a few.
Dr. J himself, NBA Hall of Famer and UMass Amherst alumni Julius Erving, was in attendance, and he said he was happy to be back in western Mass and wrapped up by saying he’s happy he gets to be called Dr. J, because it’s similar to Dr. James, as in James Naismith, who created the sport of basketball.
“Now I’m happy to come back and see that it’s a very diverse campus, and maybe there’s some people standing here listening to me now that might wanna go to school here,” Erving said.
Copyright 2024. Western Mass News (WGGB/WSHM). All rights reserved.
Related
How to watch Iowa women’s basketball vs Washington today: Time,…
7 minutes with head coach Jan Jensen after Iowa's 50-49 loss at OregonThe Hawkeyes' first-year coach continues to see her team come up short in close games.Desp
Three Takeaways From Alabama Basketball’s Progressive Victory Over Vanderbilt
No. 4 Alabama men's basketball steamrolled Vanderbilt 103-87 on Tuesday evening.Alabama followed the "disgusting" home loss to the Rebels with a thrilling road
College basketball has been thriving during college football season. The…
Now that the college football season is over, it's time to the attention to the court and the march toward the madness of the NCAA men's tournament.On Monday ni
Hubert Davis Gives Short Answer to Costly UNC Basketball Issue…
Fourth-year UNC basketball head coach Hubert Davis was far from talkative in his press conference after his Tar Heels, who began the season garnering high expec
