Honoring Philly hoops greats of the (recent) past

Dionte Christmas figured he could get away without playing. Showing up at Ben Franklin High School during Saturday’s crazy rainstorm already showed genuine gratitude for this honor. These Philadelphia basketball players from his era all appreciated the certificates they received from the Brotherly Love League, “a way of giving you a known basketball legend the proper recognition … you created so many historic memories.”

There was a Legacy game as part of the festivities on North Broad Street, an old-timers game of sorts, the old-timers mostly in their 30s.

“I haven’t played in a while — months,” said Christmas, the former Temple star who had a brief NBA stint and many years playing professionally overseas. “I’ve been doing things as far as coaching. I just got off a flight two hours ago. I was in Miami with Ben Simmons, working with him, helping him get in shape.”

Philly hoops, a small world, sometimes in strange ways.

“I flew in this morning just [for] this game,” said Christmas, also on the staff at Cristo Rey High. “I wasn’t going to play. I didn’t want to go out there and look [bad.] When I walked in, we only had five guys. I was like, ‘Damn it. I’ve got to play.’ If we had eight guys, I was going to sit.”

The teams had already been split up. The other team had eight. Sure enough, Christmas looked rusty. His first three, trademark Christmas step-back move ... air ball.

Meanwhile, D.J. Rivera, pride of Neumann Goretti, former Philadelphia Catholic League player of the year, took off for a layup right off the tap. Then Rivera hit a three-pointer from the wing. When he added a corner three, the score was RIVERA 8, EVERYBODY ELSE 0.

Still playing competitively?

“I called myself retired two years ago, I just stayed in shape,” said the former St. Joseph’s and Binghamton guard. “I just love the game.”

Last place he played?

“I played in Oman, near Dubai, in 2021,” Rivera said.

Playing with a gym full of men he’s known most of his life, “it made me feel young again,’’ Rivera said. “For the beginning of the game.”

He laughed, but he looked fine the whole way.

“You just don’t want to see anyone come away injured,” joked Lynn Greer, who was coaching in a Philly-New York all-star game in the second game of the doubleheader, and was honored with the others at halftime of the legends game.

It was all memory lane. There was former Drexel big man Robert Battle getting out to a passing lane to tip a pass out of bounds.

“He can still dunk, too,” Greer pointed out.

Recognizable names up and down the rosters. Khalif Wyatt, who just joined Adam Fisher’s staff at Temple … Mike Green, who was on the Penn State staff the last two years ... Marv Kilgore, who had big games for UTEP back in his day.

“It was good,” Kilgore said of playing. “I’m just happy to still be out here. I’m happy to see my guys in good health. My family’s here. My son gets to see me play. That part means everything to me.”

A little math: Of the 16 players honored at halftime, including Doug Overton and Stefon Jackson and Greer, who all sat out, there were 23,596 college basketball points scored back in their day from these Philadelphia ballplayers (including four 2,000-point scorers and one who put up 1,999).

Where did these men play professionally? Where didn’t they play? NBA, G League, CBA, ABA, PBL, NBDL, Euroleague, Poland, Russia, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Ukraine, Australia, Spain, Belgium, Germany, France, Brazil, Mexico, Israel, Bosnia, Argentina, Czech Republic, Crete, Bolivia, Peru, Niger, Puerto Rico, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, China, the Philippines, Romania, Belarus, Oman.

So many frequent flyer miles on so many airlines. Everyone in the game played somewhere. Paul Graham, Ty McKee, Anthony Frazier, Ray Strickland, Lewis Leonard, Michael Cuffee.

“We just want to honor as many as we can,” said league president Novar Gadson.

They’ll never run out.

Gadson had played at Bartram High and Rider and is still playing professionally overseas, in Japan this past season. Gadson and Ramone Moore and Mike Ringgold, local hoops luminaries themselves, are in charge of this summer Pro-Am.

“To honor guys like us — what these guys are doing is amazing for the city,” Christmas said. “We’ve been missing something like this for a long time. Those guys just filled the gap.”

As for his own game, Christmas quickly brought it out of moth balls. A deep step-back three, all net.

“Had to get my rhythm back,” Christmas said.

Mike Green missed a couple early, too. The former Towson and Butler star looked in shape. Yep, he is in shape. Green scored two points in the first quarter, four in the second, eight in the third, then added two three-pointers in the fourth.

“Who’s this?” said a 20-something ballplayer walking in the gym to play in the second game.

“The old guys,” someone said.

Watch and learn, young guys.

The legends game went to overtime, after former Cardinal Dougherty great DeSean White made a couple of free throws, and Christmas hit a three-pointer. Cuffee scored to tie it. Christmas was open, but Green put on a move, faked the pass, and hit the tying three himself. Rivera, who finished with 27 points, missed a three at the buzzer.

Who was closest to his 20-year-old playing shape?

“D.J. Rivera, easily,” Christmas said afterward. “Mike Green, easily. Michael Cuffee, easily. Those guys are in amazing shape right now. Everybody else, we’re all in, you know, fatherhood, into their second careers. Those guys are, too, but they stay in shape.”

In OT, the five-man gray team pulled away from the eight-man white team. Green hit another three, finished with 23. Christmas had another three, with 30 for the game.

There was an MVP announcement. The 36-year-old who wasn’t going to play walked out to accept the honor.

“Like riding a bike,” Christmas said as he changed out of his sneakers. “I’ve been playing basketball since I was 5 years old, 30 years of my life. Once I get back in motion, it’s good. That’s what it is.”