For those playing, the Danny Rumph Classic men’s final was ‘bigger than basketball’
Collin Gillespie and Tyrese Martin were the stars in the Rumph Classic men’s final on Monday. But the meaning behind the event made playing in it even more significant.
Collin Gillespie wasn’t supposed to be in Philadelphia on Monday night.
The Phoenix Suns point guard’s flight out of his hometown got canceled. With a suddenly clear schedule, Gillespie, who starred at Archbishop Wood and Villanova, looked to make a surprise appearance at the Danny Rumph Classic.
He did not disappoint.
Gillespie’s 19 points and six assists helped catapult Team Training By Brunner (TBB) over Team Rumph Center, 103-101, in the men’s final. Fans packed into Drexel’s Daskalakis Athletic Center were treated to a closely contested matchup. TBB led for the majority of the game, but the Rumph Center trailed closely behind until the final whistle.
Ultimately, it was the heroics of Gillespie and Tyrese Martin, who made nine appearances with the 76ers last season, that allowed TBB to come out on top. Martin, who was named the game’s most valuable player, finished with 33 points and 14 rebounds.
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“I’m here for the people,” Martin said. “That’s what the offseason, the summer’s for. Put on a show for the people at home. So that’s all I’m doing down here, and it was fun to do.”
Added Gillespie: “It’s always a great environment. Great experience playing here for [something] bigger than basketball.”
The namesake for the classic is Danny Rumph, a Philadelphia native who died in 2005 from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy — a condition that makes it harder for the heart to pump blood. Rumph went into sudden cardiac arrest while playing pickup basketball at the Mallery Recreation Center in Germantown. He was 21.
If Mallery — now renamed the Rumph-Mallery Recreation Center — had a defibrillator on site, Rumph’s life may have been saved. To honor his life, the Daniel E. Rumph II Foundation has provided every Boys & Girls Club and recreation center in Philadelphia with a defibrillator. It also provides regular HCM screenings and CPR training to members of the community. The foundation’s biggest fundraiser is the annual Classic, a five-day pro-am basketball tournament.
Monday night, which boasted two youth exhibition games alongside the men’s final, was a sellout. The event brought in a crowd made up of mostly families. There also were a few notable names present.
Rapper Meek Mill and social media star Nasir “Gillie Da King” Fard sat courtside. At halftime of the men’s final, both spent time taking photos with fans. Meanwhile, La Salle forward Anthony Finkley and Villanova guard Tyler Perkins were in attendance. Newly acquired Sixer Jaylen Brown made a surprise appearance on Friday.
Shark in the water
Early in Monday’s final, it looked like it would be smooth sailing for Gillespie and company, but there was a shark in the water: Rumph Center point guard Josh Sharkey.
The Archbishop Carroll graduate willed Rumph Center back into the game after trailing by as many as 12 points in the opening minutes. With under seven minutes to go in the first half, Sharkey drilled a step-back three-pointer and was fouled. The ensuing free throw cut TBB’s lead to three.
As the Jaws theme song — a nod to his last name — blared through the DAC, the crowd cheered loudly for Sharkey, a Philadelphia native.
“This is an amazing environment,” said Sharkey, who finished with 22 points. “I don’t get to do this often. I don’t get to play in front of the city. So any chance that I get, I like to put on a show. I’ve been seeing these people since I was like 8, 9, 10 years old. This is a special event. It’s for a good cause, celebrating Danny Rumph, and it’s kind of like a basketball family reunion.”
Along with leading Rumph Center in scoring, the 5-foot-10 Sharkey made it his mission to face guard Gillespie.
“Me and Colin been playing against each other since we was little kids,” Sharkey said. “Man, it’s always a fun battle. I got nothing but love and respect for him, and it’s vice versa. It’s always fun to compete against him. And obviously, he’s a high-level pro, so it’s good to challenge myself and try to compete with him out here.”
Trying to shake Rumph Center’s swarming defense, Gillespie took a couple of hard falls. He also suffered a small cut on his left cheek.
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“It was super intense,” Gillespie said. “I almost got hurt a couple times, so that wasn’t in the plans. But it got close, and those guys are competitive. They play hard, and it was fun.”
Former Providence forward and Philadelphia native Clifton Moore was clutch for TBB. He scored all eight of his points in the second half, and blocked a shot in the game’s closing minutes.
“I know we’re going to stick it out because we’re talented,” Moore said. “We’re a good group of guys. We’re hungry, and it felt good, man. Felt [good] to get one in my hometown.
Next Bright Stars
Before the men’s final, Monday acted as a showcase for the next generation of Philadelphia hoopers.
Local girls’ and boys’ high school players highlighted two 20-minute games. Along with its health-related work and advocacy, the Rumph Foundation has made it its mission to invest in the area’s youth. Last week, the foundation held an event that was centered around using basketball to bridge the gap between generations.
Monday’s youth exhibitions acted as an extension of that goal.
“Danny Rumph, it’s a legendary league,” Rocky Johnson, a rising junior at Imhotep Charter, said. “It means a lot to me because I was the little kid in the crowd watching the Danny Rumph. Now I’m playing, and it’s surreal to me.”