The Wheelchair Classic is an annual hoops tournament that brings together the best amateur basketball talent from around New York City, dividing teams up into the boroughs.
After the Big East formed in 1979, basketball interest in the northeast spiked. The early ‘80s produced a golden age for high school point guards in NYC, meaning the 1983 Wheelchair event, the 10th annual, was a must-see edition.
That graduating class had Dwayne “Pearl” Washington, the playground legend and soon-to-be Syracuse star, and future NBA starters Kenny Smith and Mark Jackson.
But it was a sub 6-foot white kid from an affluent area of Long Island who stole the show in that showcase game.