Former NBA, College Players Visit Westfield for Fundraiser

Former NBA and college players will visit Westfield on Feb. 8 for The Hoops & Dreams Basketball Challenge hosted by Holy Trinity Interparochial School.

On the court, their will two teams coached by former N.Y. Knicks players Larry Johnson and John Starks.

"We are very excited to host this event," Athletic director at Holy Trinity, Rich Wieszczek, said. "Sports play an important role in our school community. Most of our children play at least one sport while they are here and basketball is the biggest program."

The teams will also be led by Terry Dehere and Felipe Lopez, and streetball legend "Black Jack" Ryan, who will play with local stars and members of the community.

Ryan, a former Harlem Wizard, will perform a half-court show that he is known for and also lead an exhibition with the children. He has been called one of the top 20 basketball players to never play in the NBA, Holy Trinity said.

To raise funds, a silent auction of sports memorabilia, door prizes, a children’s shoot out and more.  Also, one attendee will be chosen to win a $10,000 in a half-court shot.

Holy Trinity has 14 basketball teams and clinics that start as young as Kindergarten. The fundraiser will run from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Tickets are $35 each and can be purchased only at trinityhoops.eventbrite.com. For more information, email hsa@htisnj.com.

Local players will include: Tim Corrigan, co-founder of the North Jersey Lakers of the Eastern Basketball Alliance. Corrigan, from Kean University, also played professionally in Norway. Jamie Dec, who was a power forward at the University of Rochester and a 1000-point scorer at Union Catholic in 1993. Kate Reed, a former point guard at Manhattan College, will also be on the court.

More about the guest players:

Johnson was a 1992 NBA Rookie of the Year winner with the Charlotte Hornets, ended his career with the Knicks, where he was a member of the 1999 Eastern Conference Championship team.

Starks was a fan-favorite in New York and leader on the Knicks during much of the 1990s. 

Dehere, who was a star for Seton Hall University during the early 1990s and was the Big East's all-time point leader, played six years in the NBA.

Lopez, one of the best high school players ever, is St. Johns University's all-time three-point leader and played four years in the NBA.