Grey Flannel Auctions hosts gala dinner for Basketball Hall of Famers
Each year Grey Flannel Auctions hosts a reunion dinner at the Basketball Hall of Fame for new inductees and Hall of Famers from the past. This year’s guests enjoyed a dual main course of filet of beef and roasted salmon. Photo copyright Catherine Saunders-Watson.
Grey Flannel’s owner, Rich Russek, knew we were in the “neighborhood,” two hours away at the New Hampshire antique shows in Manchester, and invited A.C.N. to attend their Reunion Dinner for returning Hall of Famers, the soon-to-be inductees, and their families. No way we were going to pass up an opportunity like that.
The cocktail party was held in the spacious main exhibition hall, with dinner following in the adjacent Center Court. Traditionally, the star-studded get-together serves as the preamble to what follows the next day: Grey Flannel’s annual Basketball Hall of Fame Auction, and the Hall of Fame’s evening Induction ceremonies.
After a long day of antiquing, we were off to Springfield, where our hosts greeted us and made us feel as though we, too, were basketball royalty. We sat at one of Grey Flannel’s tables, and our dinner companions included Hall of Famer/former Boston Celtics superstar Tom Heinsohn and two-time NBA Coach of the Year Hubie Brown.
Film crews were there from all of the sports networks, as were crews from Comcast and local network affiliates. The Hall’s message was clearly signposted: No autographs – but the media was free to take pictures. I had a camera with me, although it wasn’t the type to use under low light, so I stuck close to the TV crews and tried to surf vicariously on their mega-watt lighting. I was able to snap off around 40 shots of Hall of Famers and All-Stars in a relaxed and friendly environment. There was a lot of laughter, especially when Hall of Famer David “the Admiral” Robinson and nine-time NBA All-Star Lenny Wilkens started giving Charles Barkley a hard time about his golf game. He was handed a golf scorecard and stared at it, dumbfounded. Then all three broke into raucous laughter. There had to be an inside joke there, but it was their world, and I was happy to be a bystander.
During the dinner, the Hall of Fame’s Class of 2010 was introduced – Scottie Pippen, Karl Malone, the late Dennis Johnson and several others, including members of both the 1960 and 1992 USA Men’s Olympic Teams. The crème de la crème. On Friday night they would be officially inducted. It was the highest honor most of them probably would ever receive in their lifetimes.
Personally, I was thrilled to meet Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Scottie Pippen, Walt Bellamy and Larry Bird, even briefly, and to be able to take a photo portrait of the late Dennis Johnson’s family, who had all come to witness Johnson’s posthumous enshrinement to the Hall of Fame. Not coincidentally, a selection of 12 personal mementos from Dennis Johnson’s career was offered the next day in Grey Flannel’s auction, each item accompanied by a letter of authenticity from the family. As it turned out, Johnson’s 1984 Boston Celtics World Championship player’s ring adorned with a diamond-emblazed shamrock motif, the name “Johnston” and other symbols and words associated with the storied franchise, was one of the top lots of the sale at $78,000. His 1980 Western Conference game-used All-Star uniform sold for $24,000. In a tie for top lot, both a 1968-69 Boston Celtics home warm-up jacket worn by Bill Russell during his final season and a 1965-66 Wilt Chamberlain Philadelphia 76ers game-used home jersey scored individual selling prices of $84,000.
Auction Central News thanks Grey Flannel Auctions and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame for their warm hospitality at the 2010 Hall of Fame Reunion Dinner.
ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE
At the cocktail party preceding the reunion dinner, Hall of Famer "Sir" Charles Barkley was, hands down, the life of the party. Where Charles went, laughter followed. That’s David Robinson on the right. Photo copyright Catherine Saunders-Watson.
Twenty-four hours before being inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame, Karl "the Mailman" Malone, formerly of the Utah Jazz and LA Lakers, attended the cocktail party with members of his family. Photo copyright Catherine Saunders-Watson.
6ft. 9in. Hall of Famer Larry Bird was a towering presence as he moved through the crowd, just as he was on the court as one of the all-time great Boston Celtics. Photo copyright Catherine Saunders-Watson.
This was the Hall of Fame Induction year for seven-time NBA All-Star Scottie Pippen, one of only four Chicago Bulls players to have his number retired. At right: Grey Flannel Auctions’ owner, Richard E. Russek. Photo copyright Catherine Saunders-Watson.
The family of Boston Celtics superstar Dennis Johnson (1954-2007) was present for his posthumous induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame. The Johnsons graciously posed for this informal portrait at the cocktail party. Photo copyright Catherine Saunders-Watson.
"You’re kiddin’ me. That cannot POSSIBLY be my golf score!" said Charles Barkley (left), who was being set up for a joke by (center) Hall of Famer David "the Admiral" Robinson and (right) Lenny Wilkens, former president of Basketball Operations for the Seattle SuperSonics.
Each table had at least one Hall of Famer amongst its guests, and even before the room was opened, people were staking their claims by placing dinner napkins over chair backs. We were thrilled to be seated across from former Boston Celtics superstar Tom Heinsohn. Photo copyright Catherine Saunders-Watson.
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