Legends and stars shine bright on list of Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame inductees

This story originally appeared in The Philadelphia Tribune.

Former University City High and Cheyney University basketball star Yolanda Laney, basketball great and boxing referee Zachary “Zack” Clayton, former Coatesville and NBA champion Richard “Rip” Hamilton, former Philadelphia Eagles star Seth Joyner and former Phillies manager lead the list of sports legends to be inducted into the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame as a part of the Class of 2021 that was recently announced.

The latest class includes 15 individuals representing achievements in nine different sports. The other inductees are Bill Bradley (football), Bonnie Rosen (lacrosse), Gary Smith (Legacy of Excellence), Jim Katcavage (football), Charles “Kid” Keinath (football/basketball), Larry Foust (basketball), Lew Tender (boxing), Mark Recchi (hockey), Mike Teti (rowing), Olga Dorfner (swimming) and 1947 BAA Champion Philadelphia Warriors (team induction). The Hall of Fame’s 18th induction ceremony and reception will be on Thursday, Nov. 4 at Rivers Casino.

Laney led University City High to three Public League basketball championships. She was Public League Player of the Year as a junior and senior in the 1977-78 seasons. She was also a high school All-American. Laney guided the women’s basketball team at Cheyney State to four Final Eights, two Final Fours and the first NCAA women’s championship game in 1982.

Clayton, a Simon Gratz product, was a great basketball player. He played 14 seasons during the pre-NBA era where he played for the New York Renaissance, Washington Bears and Harlem Globetrotters. He led the N.Y. Rens to the inaugural Word Championship of Professional Basketball in 1939. He guided the Washington Bears to the 1943 World Championship of Professional Basketball.

He also played eight seasons at catcher and first base in the Negro Leagues with the Philadelphia Stars, New York Black Yankees and Philadelphia Giants (1932, 1934-37, 1943-45). He was the first African American to receive a referee’s license in Pennsylvania in 1949 and the first African American to officiate a heavyweight fight. He refereed the Muhammad Ali vs. George Foreman fight “Rumble in the Jungle” in 1974. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017.

“Rip” Hamilton was a McDonald’s All American coming out of Coatesville High School. He led the University of Connecticut to the 1999 NCAA championship. He was named the 1999 Final Four Most Outstanding Player. He was the seventh pick overall in the 1999 NBA draft by the Washington Wizards. He played 14 seasons in the NBA and nine of them were with the Detroit Pistons. In 2004, he led the Pistons to the NBA championship.

Seth Joyner played eight seasons at linebacker for the Eagles (1986-93). He was a two-time Pro Bowler (1991, 1993). He is a member of the Eagles Hall of Fame. He was also named to the Eagles 75th Anniversary team in 2007.

Green was the manager of the Phillies’ 1980 World Series championship team where he had a .565 lifetime winning percentage.

Bradley played eight seasons at safety with the Philadelphia Eagles (1969-76). The three-time Pro Bowler had 34 career interceptions with one touchdown and nine fumble recoveries.

Rosen was a two-time All-American lacrosse player at Harriton High School. She went on to have a four-year, two-sport career at the University of Virginia in field hockey and lacrosse. She led the Cavaliers to the 1993 NCAA lacrosse championship.

Smith is this year’s Legacy Award winner.

Katcavage, a former Roman Catholic High football star, played 13 seasons for the New York Giants. He was a first-team All-Pro selection in 1961, 1962 and 1963.

Keinath played football and basketball during his athletic career. He led Central to consecutive city basketball championships in 1904-05. He was also a four-time first-team All-American basketball player at Penn. He led Penn to a 1908 National Football Championship.

Foust led La Salle’s basketball team to two NIT appearances (1948, 1950). He played 12 seasons in the NBA with the Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Lakers and St. Louis Hawks.

Tender was considered one of the best boxers to have never won a world title. He’s the Ring Magazine’s No. 9 all-time ranked lightweight. Tender had 14 fights against world champions.

Recchi played 10 years with the Philadelphia Flyers (1991-94) and 1998-2004). He has the Flyers’ record for most points (123) scored in a regular season (1992-93).

Teti had a great rowing career. He was a 12-time national team member and a three-time Olympian. He won 24 national championships. He won world champion gold in the Men’s Eight in 1987.

Dorfner was the first American woman to set any world record in 1918. She holds records in swimming in 100 yards, 200 meters and 500 yards in the freestyle competition.

The 1947 BAA champion Philadelphia Warriors team will be inducted as a team.