Our world in photos: June 2

Howard Adelson could stay away for only so long — until his grandson lured him back into coaching. Back to his love: basketball.

The 79-year-old Adelson is the Assistant Varsity Basketball Coach at the Bronx High School of Science. And he has all the credentials.

If you’re wondering about grandson Lane – he was a senior on this year’s squad.

As for Coach Pops – he was a member of the 1963 Columbus High squad and played at LIU with talent like Albie Grant, Luther Green, Larry Newbold and Barry Leibowitz.

In fact, he was coached by the legendary Roy Rubin at Columbus in his sophomore year. Rubin was followed by Will Klein, later of Five-Star Basketball Camp fame.

“When Will gave up the Columbus job,” Adelson told the Brooklyn Eagle, “He called and asked if I would consider replacing him.”

At the age of 23. “I was the youngest high school coach in the Public Schools Athletic League at the time,” he said.

Success? You want success? How about two PSAL City titles in six seasons. Adelson molded talent like All American Walter Smith (University of Detroit), Michael Bright (University of New Orleans) and Ray Jones, a five-foot-five All-American who attended the University of North Dakota.

It was the New York entry in the U.S. Youth Games next for Adelson where he coached Fort Hamilton High’s – and later pro – Albert King. “He was,” Adelson says, “One of the best players to come out of New York.”

But, who knew – basketball was far from over for Adelson.

“My grandson made the varsity at Bronx Science as a sophomore,” he said. “I went to his games during his sophomore and junior years; watched, and got to know the coach.”

And, gulp, give him “pointers” – at half time; and at the end of the game.

Let’s let young Lane tell the rest of the story.
“Pops thought that some minor changes could make big improvements,” Lane wrote in The Science Survey, the Bronx Science student newspaper.

“After the 2023-24 season, Coach Robert Massimi decided to ask Adelson if he would be willing to assist,” Lane wrote.

Perhaps Massimi was tired of being second-guessed – but it worked. Yet, Massimi always admired Adelson’s suggestions, and thought he was classy and knowledgeable, according to Lane.

“I got to know Howie over those last two seasons when he came to our games,” Massimi admitted to Lane. “I realized he’s a legendary New York City coach with PSAL ties. I saw an opportunity to bring him back into the game and have someone I could share thoughts and ideas with to help the team daily.”

Adelson, by his own admission is “old school,” and likes to instruct while the game is being played – during time-outs.

“I told that to Coach Massimi when we started,” he said, “And he told me he didn’t have a problem with that.”
In fact, Adelson did admit he’s sort of a drill sergeant.

Although Adelson may be Old School, he adopted modern techniques such as film, and data analytics for development this past season, according to Lane.

Adelson’s magic worked. “We have one good gymnasium at Bronx Science,” he said, “And we share it with 19 other teams. Getting gym time was a premium.”

So, during the season Bronx Science – and their 79-year-old Assistant Coach – practiced three-times-a-week for about 45 minutes. ”That wasn‘t adequate at all,”
Adelson said.

They started a pre-season 7-8 am practice, five weeks prior to the regular season. “We never had an eligibility or lateness problem with these kids,” he said. “They’re very academic. “And by the way,” Adelson said, “I told the team at the start of the season I would treat Lane like everyone else – maybe even a littler harder.”

The results – like a Hollywood script.

The team started 15-1 rolling into the Christmas break. “The last 10 games we went 5-5.”

Maybe, because parents took their kids to Florida during the holiday break – just a guess.

Bronx Science went 12-2 in their PSAL Bronx division – good enough for a first-place tie. They finished 20-6 overall — the school’s best record in 25 seasons. They won both a borough playoff game and a city-wide playoff game beating Grady —again something the school hadn’t done in a quarter century. They eventually dropped their second playoff game – the Bronx Borough Championship – to powerhouse Eagle Academy.

In comparison, Bronx Science finished 7-5 and 8-6 respectively during the 2022-23 and 2023-24 season.

“We overachieved,” Adelson said, “It was a great season.”

For everyone but one person – Grandma – Adelson’s wife.

“We usually winter vacation in the south,” Pops said. “My wife was gracious enough to stay up north for the winter and let me coach our grandson.
“Getting a chance to fulfill a great love and passion and also coach my grandson is a gift from God.”

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] X: @AndyFurmanFSR