Historic 1982 Men’s Basketball Team Inducted Into Brooklyn College Athletic Hall of Fame

By reaching the Final Four of the 1981-82 NCAA tournament—the same year blockbuster movie “ET” was topping the box office—the Brooklyn College men’s basketball team accomplished something out of this world that no other CUNY athletics team had done before or since. 

Fast forward some 40 years later and that same team enjoyed a night to remember as it was inducted into the Brooklyn College Athletics Hall of Fame on December 2.

The event was a long time coming for the history making squad, particularly for one of its leaders Danny Byrnes '84. The former 6-foot-6-inch  forward was still standing tall throughout the reception as he and others beamed with pride in front of family and friends who were no doubt happy to be back on campus seeing their team honored.

“The best part of this induction ceremony is getting this talented group back together again,” Byrnes said. “And while we have remained in contact all these years later, being together on campus together [was] incredible. We were truly a team, a very diverse group, that embraced our roles for the betterment of the team. What we accomplished on the court was incredible, but I feel we had more success off the court, leveraging our Brooklyn College education and our sports experience into successful careers, huge non-profit involvement, strong family men, and pillars of community. This is such a well-deserved honor.”

The event was fittingly held before a men’s and women’s basketball double-header and was attended by most of the Kingsmen from that incredible era. The squad also enjoys the distinction of being the first team inducted into the Brooklyn Athletics Hall of Fame, an honor that had been reserved for individual athletes. 

It was a moment not lost on current Brooklyn College women’s basketball coach and acting Athletic Director Alex Lang who MC’d the ceremony.

“It is such an honor to hear all of these stories,” said Lang. “This team has had such an impact, and we are proud to pass their winning tradition, both on and off the court, to our current players.”

The spirit of their late coach, Mark Reiner, was also alive and well throughout the event, as his former players, as well as Reiner’s wife Tina and daughters Patti, Stacey, and Kelly plus nearly 30 more friends, were present to share in the special tribute. Reiner passed away in 1997 and always instilled the importance of giving back to his players, and nearly every Kingsmen cited his special mentorship throughout the evening. 

Kingsmen Hall of Famer Kenny Vickers '82, who currently runs Impact Youth League, launched in 1993 and inspired by the lessons of Coach Reiner, was just one of the players who talked about the mark Reiner left on him.

“I remember Coach Reiner telling me after we reached the Final Four that this experience is going to bond [us] together forever and he was right,” Vickers said. “This [induction] is an incredible tribute to us and for him.”

Former team manager Ray “Fly” Blake echoed the lessons learned from Reiner. “I was not a player, so I hung around the caches a lot,” Blake said. “Coach Reiner was such a special man who I learned a lot from. I know he would be absolutely happy to see what is happening here today with his team.”

Reiner’s impact might have been summed up best by former player Greg Sullivan '82, who cited a Greek proverb during his induction speech.

“A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in,” Sullivan said, adding that Reiner had an impact that was immeasurable on and off the court.

The event was covered by PIX 11 news—watch the segment here. https://pix11.com/sports/1982-brooklyn-college-basketball-team-inducted-into-athletic-hall-of-fame/

The players:

Danny Brown, Glen “Earl” James, Ed de la Guardia, Rick Davis, Kenny Vickers, Danny Byrnes, Ronnie Phillips, Earl Robinson, Rich Micallef, Alan Wheeler, Keith Williams, Bobby Edwards, Greg Sullivan, and the late Jimmy Sullivan.

The coaching staff:

The late Mark Reiner (head coach); Larry Vitelli (assistant coach), the late Herb Grossman (assistant coach), Ted Gustus (assistant coach); Larry Klein (head trainer), Jay Itzkowitz (assistant trainer), Ray “Fly” Blake (manager), and Harold Robinson (manager).

More About the Brooklyn College’s 1981-82 Team

• Record: 22-9
• Placed 3rd in the Country
• Received an at-large Bid to Tournament
• Defeated No. 13 ranked Ithaca College in opening round
• Defeated No. 1 ranked College of Staten Island in second round
• Defeated No. 3 ranked Roanoke College in quarterfinals