Gary Springer Sr. (born February 18, 1962) is an American former professional basketball player who is best known for his collegiate career at

Iona Iona (; gd, Ì Chaluim Chille (IPA: �iːˈxaɫ̪ɯimˈçiʎə, sometimes simply ''Ì''; sco, Iona) is a small island in the Inner Hebrides, off the Ross of Mull on the western coast of Scotland. It is mainly known for Iona Abbey, though the ...

between 1980–81 and 1983–84.

High school career

Springer grew up in

Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater Harl ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

and attended Benjamin Franklin High School (BFHS). He played on a dominant basketball team with the likes of

Richie Adams Richie Adams (born March 15, 1963)1986–87 CBA Official Guide and register, page 214 is an American former basketball player known for his college basketball career at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) as well as for his manslaughter ...

Kenny Hutchinson Kenny Hutchinson (born December 13, 1963) is an American former basketball player. He emerged as a top college prospect while playing basketball in New York City at Benjamin Franklin High School and Martin Luther King Jr. High School. While pla ...

and

Lonnie Green Lonny or Lonnie is a given name usually used for males. People * Lonny Baxter (born 1979), American former basketball player * Lonny Bereal (), American R&B singer, songwriter and producer * Lonny Theodore Ted Binion (1943–1998), American ca ...

, all of whom were jointly credited with making BFHS the country's top-ranked team in the fall of 1979. Walter Berry then joined the team one year later, making it possibly one of the greatest New York City high school teams of all time.

College career

After high school, Springer played basketball for the

Iona Gaels The Iona Gaels are the athletics teams of Iona University, in New Rochelle, New York. They compete in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) and participate in 21 NCAA Division I programs. Varsity athletic programs Men's basketball ...

. Springer went on to earn varsity letters all four years at the school and graduated as one of its most lauded players. He compiled 1,866 points and 1,021 rebounds in his 121-game career. Additionally, Springer was a three-time honorable mention All-American, a three-time All-

Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC, ) is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with NCAA Division I. Of its current 11 full members, 10 are located in three states of the northeastern United States: Connecticut, New Jersey, and N ...

selection, a four-time All-Metropolitan Area choice, and as a

freshman A freshman, fresher, first year, or frosh, is a person in the first year at an educational institution, usually a secondary school or at the college and university level, but also in other forms of post-secondary educational institutions. A ...

in 1980–81 he was the

Haggerty Award __NOTOC__ The Lt. Frank J. Haggerty Award is given to the All-New York Metropolitan NCAA Division I men's college basketball player of the year, presented by the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) and the Met Basketball Writers Association (MBWA) ...

winner. The annual award is bestowed upon the New York City metropolitan area's most outstanding men's college basketball player. During one week in his freshman season, he recorded totals of 58 points, 23 rebounds, and made two game-winning shots. His first shot was a buzzer-beater to defeat

Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...

, 82–80, followed by a 20-foot shot with six seconds remaining to defeat

Holy Cross Holy Cross or Saint Cross may refer to: * the instrument of the crucifixion of Jesus * Christian cross, a frequently used religious symbol of Christianity * True Cross, supposed remnants of the actual cross upon which Jesus was crucified * Feast ...

, 57–56. For his efforts, ''

Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twice ...

'' named him their national player of the week. The Gaels also reached the postseason three out of his four seasons. They reached the first round in the

1982 NIT The 1982 National Invitation Tournament was the 1982 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition. Selected teams Below is a list of the 32 teams selected for the tournament.

, the second round in the 1983 NIT, and the round of 48 in the 1984 NCAA Tournament.

Professional career

After his collegiate career, Springer was drafted by the NBA's

Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Ea ...

, but never played in the NBA due to injuries. Springer played briefly for the Puerto Rico Coquis of the

Continental Basketball Association The Continental Basketball Association (CBA) (originally known as the Eastern Pennsylvania Basketball League, and later as the Eastern Professional Basketball League and the Eastern Basketball Association) was a men's professional basketball m ...

(CBA) during the 1984-85 season.

Personal life

Springer has three sons, Gary Jr., who also later starred at Iona in the mid-2000s, Jordan played at

Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

in the early 2010s and Jaden, his youngest son, played for

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to ...

and was the 28th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers. His nephew is NBA player

DeAndre' Bembry DeAndre' Pierre' Bembry (born July 4, 1994) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for Saint Joseph's University. He was na ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Springer, Gary 1962 births Living people American men's basketball players Iona Gaels men's basketball players Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) Philadelphia 76ers draft picks Power forwards (basketball) Puerto Rico Coquis players Basketball players from Manhattan