TOMMY KUROWSKI - BOYS HIGH & ST. FRANCIS GREAT

I WAS SHOCKED AND SADDENED TO LEARN OF THE PASSING OF S.F.C. GRAD AND BASKETBALL PLAYER EXTRAORDINAIRE -- TOMMY KUROWSKI.
TOMMY WAS AN UNOFFICAL MENTOR TO ME IN COLLEGE -- IF YOU ASKED HIM, HE WOULD NOT KNOW THAT, BUT I WATCHED THE WAY HE CARRIED HIMSELF TO GUIDE MY ACTIONS - BUT HE SET THE BAR FAR TOO HIGH FOR ME TO EMULATE - HE WAS A CLASS ACT OF THE FIRST ORDER.
AS I HEARD A PERSON SAY -- AROUND HANGING THE AIRPORT DOES NOT MAKE YOU A PILOT, BEING AROUND TOMMY WAS NOT ENOUGH TO TRANSFER THOSE QUALITIES HE POSSESSED.
TOMMY WAS A MEMBER OF THE UNDEFEATED BOYS HIGH SCHOOL TEAM , COACHED BY THE LEGENDARY, MICKEY FISHER AND FEATURING THE EQUALLY LEGENDARY, CONNIE HAWKINS.
TO ALL THOSE WHO ATTENDED THE LEGENDARY GAME OF 1960, BETWEEN THE TWO UNDEFEATED POWERHOUSES, BOYS HIGH AND THE HOWARD ROSENSTEIN COACHED, WINGATE HIGH, FEATURING THE LEGENDARY, ROGER BROWN --->> AT THE LEGENDARY MADISON SQUARE GARDEN ON 50th STREET, TOMMY KUROWSKI WAS A PART OF THEIR LIFE AND YET, MANY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO RECALL HIS NAME. THAT GAME REMAINS IN THE PSYCHE OF ALL WHO SAW IT, EVEN AS THE INDIVIDUAL PLAYERS FADE FROM MEMORY.
TOMMY WAS THE STEADY, ROLE PLAYING, BEDROCK, PLAYER THAT GREAT TEAMS MUST HAVE -- THE GUY WHO IS ONLY CONCERNED WITH WINNING AND WILL SACRIFICE EGO AND BODY PARTS TO OBTAIN VICTORY FOR THE TEAM. A PLAYER LIKE TOMMY IS THE GLUE THAT HOLDS TOGETHER A CHAMPIONSHIP CALIBER TEAM OR KEEPS A LESS THAN TOP RATED TEAM FROM UNDERACHIEVING AND COLLAPSING.
A PLAYER LIKE THAT IS NOT GETTING THE HEADLINES. A PLAYER LIKE THAT IS NOT LEAVING THE ARENA FOLLOWED BY REPORTERS AND A PERSONAL ENTOURAGE.
THE SPOTLIGHT DID NOT SHINE ON TOMMY VERY OFTEN, BECAUSE TOMMY WAS REBOUNDING, PASSING AND FIGHTING FOR LOOSE BALLS, SO THAT OTHER TEAMMATES MIGHT BE IN THE SPOTLIGHT.
TOMMY'S WORKHORSE ROLE ON THE TEAM, WAS NOT DUE TO A LACK OF TALENT - IT WAS DUE TO HIS INSIGHT INTO WINNING - HE DID WHAT THE TEAM NEEDED DONE, BUT HE WAS A TURN THE LIGHTS OFF, GAME OVER, LETS ALL GO HOME SHOOTER, WHEN HE LET FLY THE BALL OR DROVE TO THE HOOP.
PLAYING AT SAINT FRANCIS COLLEGE, BROOKLYN, GAVE TOMMY A BETTER STAGE TO SHOW OFF HIS TOTAL GAME AND AGAIN, HE BLENDED IN, EVEN AS HE WAS OFTEN THE FEATURED PLAYER ON SOME TOP NOTCH TEAMS, INCLUDING A NATIONAL INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT COMPETITOR IN 1963.
I AM NOT MENTIONING TOMMY'S LEAVING THIS MORTAL PLANE BECAUSE HE WAS AN OUTSTANDING ATHLETE -- WE DON'T LAMENT THE PASSING OF A PERSON BASED ON HOW WELL THEY COULD THROW A ROUND OBJECT THRU A METAL RING, TEN FEET OFF THE GROUND. THAT IS A POOR MEASURE OF A MEN'S WORTH.
I WRITE TO LAMENT THE PASSING A MAN WHO I WAS PROUD TO HAVE KNOWN, A GOOD MAN, WHO WAS ADMIRED AND RESPECTED BY THOSE WHO CAME IN CONTACT WITH HIM.
I USED THE WORD LEGENDARY SEVERAL TIMES, BECAUSE THERE WAS A LEGENDARY QUALITY TO TOMMY, NOT A SHOWY QUALITY, BUT A QUIET, YET HUMOROUS DIGNITY. TOMMY WAS A FUN PERSON.
I HAVE NOT SEEN THIS MAN IN CLOSE TO 30 YEARS, BUT I DON'T THINK A MAN OF HIS CHARACTER COULD EVER BE LESS THAN THE MAN I RECALL AND THAT MAN WAS ----------------------->>> LEGENDARY!
GOD BLESS HIM AND HIS FAMILY AND I HAVE NO DOUBT, HE WILL REST IN PEACE.
CHIEF