Herb Turetzky is looking forward to May 13 – that’s the date he and Larry Tischler will be getting together for lunch at the Neptune Diner in Bayside, Queens.
“It’s more than 57 years since we last saw each other,” Herb tells Scholastic Roundup. “Larry was the starting guard/tackle on the Jefferson High School football varsity team from 1960-63. We haven’t seen each other since we were roommates at Lycoming (Pa.) College as freshmen. I had to leave and return to Brooklyn and transfer to LIU.”
That transfer literally turned Herb Turetzky’s life around. He attended the New Jersey Americans’ first-ever game in October 1967 as a spectator. He was anxious in seeing fellow Jefferson alum Tony Jackson do battle with former Boys High star Connie Hawkins who was a member of the Pittsburgh Pipers.
Max Zaslofsky, the Americans’ coach and General Manager who was also a Jefferson grad, greeted Herb with this: “Herb, can you help us out and keep score of the game tonight?”
Herb did – and he hasn’t stopped since.
He’s been an official scorer for the New Jersey Americans, then Long Island Nets, New York Nets and now the Brooklyn Nets – that’s 54 years and counting.
The 75-year-old Turetzky has scored over 2,200 games with an amazing consecutive game streak of 1,465 which has landed him a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records for pro basketball.
As for his former college roommate – Tischler – he now lives in Fairfield, Ohio, a northern suburb of Cincinnati. He serves as Vice-Chairman of the Joe Nuxhall Miracle Leagues Field and is an advisory board member of the Cincinnati and Butler County Special Olympics.
“I’ve gotten commitments from a number of old friends and classmates from those years to join us for the (May 13th) luncheon,” notes Turetzky. “Thus far,” he adds, “football teammate Barry “Wic” Reitman, basketball classmates Harvey Jackson, Ira Cohen, possibly Ira Camhi and Danny Mascia and Gershwin Junior High School and Jefferson classmate and friend, Gary Studnick.”
“It seems that very little has changed in New York City,” notes former Tilden and Jefferson High basketball coach Jeff Schrier, from his South Florida home. “If you take a look at every one of the current athletes mentioned (in Scholastic Roundup) – all of them are from parochial schools. There is not one PSAL ball player in the lot. I found it disturbing when I was coaching and I find it just as disturbing now. The PSAL has been rated for years; and nothing has been done about it. I just shake my head and wonder when it’s going to stop.”
The South Florida retired New York City basketball coaches and officials has a new member – Jerry Donner, the former Athletic Director at LIU. We hear he’s a regular Thursday morning breakfast show at Poppies.
Shawn Mark, basketball coach at South Shore High is a Tilden grad – coached by Jeff Schrier.
The Schrier “Coaching Tree” also includes Jacob Edwards. He was coached by Schrier at Tilden, and now heads the Canarsie basketball program.
Lenny Hershkovitz’ brother was dubbed, “Hersh” – he was a long-time Westinghouse High School basketball aficionado who was an aide to then coach Irv Turk.
Herskovitz was a basketballer at New Utrecht.
Lafayette High grad – and basketball insider – Eddie Birch reports long-time and since retired Lafayette basketball coach Ira Levine may be interested in the vacant coaching position at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro.
Happy to learn Mel Finkenberg is doing well and living in Hawaii – Finkenberg served as a co-captain for Lafayette High’s basketball team in 1966.
Andy Furman is a Fox Sports Radio national talk show host. Previously, he was a scholastic sports columnist for the Brooklyn Eagle. He may be reached at: [email protected]
