No team sport has a longer history here at The J than basketball, a sport whose Jewish roots run deep.
“Jews were crucial to the development of college and professional basketball during the first half of the 20th century,” writes Ari Sclar in “Basketball and the Jews,” with Jewish players often playing at YMHAs (the Levite Jewish Community Center’s predecessor organization, the Young Men’s Hebrew Association), synagogues, and community centers before and after their college or professional careers.
In 1935, Sclar continues, a Newsweek story on basketball’s rise to prominence declared the sport was one “at which Jews excel.”
In Birmingham the success of the YMHA’s basketball teams became a source of pride for the Jewish community. Early highlights include YMHA teams defeating Birmingham Southern College in 1926 and winning the city tournament six years later.
Socks and celebrities
Fast-forward a few decades and we see the likes of Martin Sher and David Reznik get their start in “biddy” basketball that was specially geared for kids. Martin remembers the beloved Coach Thomas having two ironclad rules: no drinking or eating anything in the gym, and no hard-soled shoes. “If that was all you had, you played in your socks,” Martin says.
Coach Thomas invited coaches and students from Howard College (now Samford University) to help on the court. One of these assistants was Bobby Bowden, who went on to become one of the nation’s most successful college football coaches while at the helm of the Florida State Seminoles.
Meanwhile, David played until hanging up his sneakers at age 70, when he was finally stopped by a combination of the pandemic and a heart attack — but not before getting to play against the grandchildren of his former teammates. His legendary three-pointers have been missed ever since.
Patrick Barrett played on The J’s high school team starting in 1982, and took on management of the league just a few years later. He changed the pick-up game format to full court and moved the league time to Sunday evenings, which increased availability for more players and allowed the league to grow to a peak of eight teams by 2007.
A regional reputation
The 1990s saw some tournament play with other JCCs, including playing in Charlotte and even regular participation in the Charleston tournament. In the mid-1990s The J hosted a tournament for teams from Houston, Charleston, New Orleans, Charlotte, and even from Bensonhurst in Brooklyn. “We ended up winning,” Pat recalls, “and it’s the first time I ever saw our bleachers completely full as our members showed up in support.”
Pat’s memories also include playing pick-up with his son for the first time plus some impressive comebacks in league play, like during the fall 2011 league championship. “We were down 16 points with 2:44 to go and managed to come back and win.”
Pat also values the friendships he’s forged over 38 years with seemingly the entire alphabet — “from Arnold Simon to Rye Zinder. They’ve become some of my closest friends.”
Starting July 1, pick-up basketball at The J (Sundays 8-10 a.m.; Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays 6-7:30 a.m.; and Wednesdays 6-8 p.m.) will switch to a virtual punch card system for non-members, with the option to buy a five-game card for $25 that will be available for purchase online or at the Welcome Desk. Need-based scholarships are available to help pay for punch cards.
