The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Gaffney latest in long line of ‘brothers’ bonded by hoops
Group of NYC products keep passing down knowledge
PHILADELPHIA — They call it a family tree, and though they’re not all related by blood, they might as well be.
It’s a group of men who hail from the same New York City neighborhoods and pass down their wisdom and knowledge of basketball, and life in general, to each successive generation.
It began through the mentorship of Vincent Smith and Pierre Turner, co-founders of the Aim High AAU program, and has been passed on to Smith’s younger brother, Kenny (the former North Carolina and NBA star and current TNT analyst), to A.D. Gaffney, a former New York City standout who played at Brooklyn College and the University of Portland, to the likes of Kenny Anderson, Ron Artest and Lamar Odom on down.
“Whenever anybody has any life questions, basketball questions, whatever, instead of always listening to an older guy, you’re listening to somebody a little bit closer to your age,” Gaffney explained. “Or somebody you grew up playing with or against or watching as you grow up.”
“We’re ‘family,’” Gaffney explained. “That’s the relationship.”
That “family” now sits firmly within the UConn men’s basketball program.
Kimani Young, the Huskies’ first-year assistant coach, is part of that bond. Taliek Brown, now UConn’s director of player development, is too. Both grew up in the same LeFrak City neighborhood in Queens as Gaffney. They all used to work out at Lost Battalion Hall, a rec center on Queens Boulevard. Vincent Smith used to take Young to watch Gaffney play at Archbishop Molloy High, where the 5-foot-9 point guard took over the reins from Anderson as the team’s star.
“When you get older, here’s what it’s gonna look like,” Smith would tell Young. “Here’s a kid that came out of your neighborbood, doing better, getting good grades.”
Young and Gaffney have remained close ever since, a “lifelong brotherhood,” as Gaffney calls it.
“It’s like he’s my family, but not blood family,” said Gaffney. “But he really is, if that makes sense.” Somehow, it does. Next season, Young and Brown will be coaching up and helping out a member of Gaffney’s true family. Jalen Gaffney, one of A.D.’s five children (three boys, two girls), will be a freshman guard for the Huskies. A precocious talent, efficient and smooth on the basketball floor, with an appreciation of UConn basketball history beyond his years, Jalen’s collegiate career figures to outshine that of his father, who averaged 5.7 points in 42 games his last two seasons at Portland.
At Westtown School’s FSL semifinal playoff game on Tuesday at Philadelphia’s Jefferson University, Jalen Gaffney did a little of everything: powerful dunks, 3-pointers, alley-oop passes, pesky defense. By
halftime, he had 19 points on 7-for-9 shooting, and Westtown owned a 30point lead.
Gaffney took just one shot in the latter half as Westtown cruised to victory.
“That’s a good example (of my game),” Gaffney said afterwards, “3s, passes, dunks, getting the crowd going and getting my team going.”
The 6-foot-3 guard played mostly off the ball for Westtown since he’s the team’s best shooter. He’ll be a combo guard next season at UConn, with Alterique Gilbert still in tow, but could very well be the Huskies’ starting point guard as a sophomore.
“UConn’s style of play, the way they score is with their guards, so I fit right into their system as a scoring guard,” Gaffney said. “Pass, shoot ... whatever they need me to do, honestly, I’ll fit right in.”
‘I’M COUNTING DOWN THE DAYS TO GET TO UCONN’
Gaffney has improved in numerous facets of the game this season, according to Westtown coach Seth Berger. But none more so than his leadership skills.
“He’s arguably had the best season of any kid at Westtown,” Berger said, “not only from the standpoint of points, rebounds and assists, but how he’s led the group. We’ve had great players and great leaders, (but) never had the combination of a great player and a great leader in one. And that is what Jalen is.”
Heady words, considering Berger has coached, just over the past couple of years, Orlando Magic rookie Mohammed Bomba and current Duke standout Cam Reddish.
Jalen Gaffney’s a little old-school, too. He grew up watching Kemba Walker and Shabazz Napier star at UConn, and was even familiar with Richard Hamilton’s career in Storrs. Dad used to regale him with other stories about UConn’s past successes in car rides to games and practices, and apparently Jalen took note.
When it came time to start narrowing down schools this past fall, the younger Gaffney started talking UConn history with pops.
“I was like, ‘I guess you were paying attention all this time,’” A.D. recalled. “You don’t know if they’re always soaking this stuff up, or if it’s in one ear out the other. Then all of a sudden, he’s spilling back some of the things that I said to him!”
Jalen took his official visit to UConn in October and cancelled all his others.
“He said, ‘Dad, I don’t need to go anywhere else. Shut it down,’” A.D. recalled. “Those were his exact words.”
Jalen liked the fact Hurley comes from great basketball stock. He was also impressed with how well Hurley communicated with him throughout his recruitment.
“Not that other coaches didn’t,” A.D. noted, “but Danny’s genuine. You feel how genuine he is.”
And, of course, Kimani Young’s presence helped a great deal. Young coached Jalen’s older brother, Anthony (who’d go on to play football at Princeton), in AAU ball several years ago.
“He’s seen Jalen grow up since he was about 6 or 7 years old,” A.D. noted. “He’s kind of kept an eye on him, just because he’s my son. The communication and words of wisdom he’s given to Jalen all the years, that’s stuff that Jalen took in himself.”
On June 3, if all goes according to plan, Jalen will enroll in early summersession classes at UConn, the latest in a long line of a New York-based family tree bonded by love of basketball and, in this case, blood.
“As soon as the season ends,” Jalen Gaffney said, “I’m counting down the days to get to UConn.”