photo: nba.com
Mr. James Couch is basketball legend in New York City. The man who started the Dyckman Program has maintained a free clinic program for 51 years in New York City. We are celebrating his excellence at the 2nd Annual Jim Couch Reunion Games at John F. Kennedy High School in the Bronx, October 18, 2008 starting at 2:00 PM. The afternoon will feature several of the top girls and boys high school players in the city such as China Crosby, Porsha Postell, Mr. Couch’s granddaughter Cyndra Couch, Durand Scott, Tobias Harris, and Lance Stephenson. During these next few weeks, I will feature several stories of men and women who have grown up in the Dyckman Clinic Program. One of those men is Anthony Mason. In Mr. Couch’s own words, he describes his memories of how Anthony Mason made it to the NBA.
Mr. Couch with last year’s MVP - Truck Bryant of West Virginia University
“I first met Mason when he attended Springfield Gardens’ High School with Kenny Anderson’s brother Richie “Radar” Anderson and Norm Roberts, presently the coach of St. John’s University. He started playing for Dyckman. We already had a few Springfield Garden players and he came up with them and worked out. He was a big guy who brought the ball up. Mason was a point guard in a big man’s body and at 17 he was already 6′7″. I always talked with him and we developed a good relationship. When he left to attend Tennessee State, we kept in contact. He came back and played with us at City College in the New York Pro-Am College Division for a few years and started to develop.
During his senior year, he led the country for half-a–year in scoring although he was known for his rebounding. When he was approaching the draft, he started working out with us at Brandies High School with Ed Pickney, Mark Jackson, Tony Campbell, Kenny Smith, Walter Berry, Kevin Williams, Steve Burtt Jr, Marty Conlon, and Pat Cummings. To be honest, I didn’t know for sure if he was going to be a pro because his jump shot wasn’t consistent and he really didn’t shoot much in our workouts, but he always defended and rebounded. When he got drafted (3rd Round 53rd pick in 1988) and got cut by the Portland Trailblazers, I would call him 5 days a week and tell him to get up and workout and he would do it.”
Editors note: (Mason then signed in Turkey, got picked up the next year by Nets, got cut, and then signed with the Denver and was released).
“That summer (1991), he played with in the USBL with the Long Island Surf and that’s when he got noticed by the Knicks. I told Knick assistant coach Brendan Malone and Knick scout Dick McGuire about him because he could defend and rebound. I called Ernie Grunfeld and they would come and watch Mason workout during our free clinic program. The rest is history. Any time I ask Grunfeld to look at a player, he takes a look and I appreciate that.”
Next time: Tony Campbell, former Ohio State Legend who played in the NBA with the LA Lakers, Minnesota Timberwolves and the New York Knickerbockers.
October 2nd, 2008 at 6:46 pm
BallGurl says:
Sean-
This is a beautiful story Couch! Your father truly is a living legend. I know this because I had the blessing of playing for him as a young teen 4 straight summers in Uptown Challenge and in his famous workouts…
He’s already reached so many great people and players, but continues to work with anyone who needs it. God bless Mr. Couch and his family!
October 2nd, 2008 at 6:47 pm
BallGurl says:
P.S. Mase was a beast! I bumped into him a few summers ago at Hunter College when he came to see Mase Jr. play in Pro City for Mr. Couch. Dude is huge!
October 2nd, 2008 at 8:34 pm
ali says:
big ups to mr. couch, and all the others like him who dedicate themselves unselfishly to others
mase in your face!
loved seeing that big fella come down the lane, leading the break with the ill playground lefty game. oak, mase, starks, harper, doc, pat, charles smith (ya’ll know we liked him before gettin’ his weak stuff punched against the bulls), hubert davis, greg anthony, rolando blackmon, herb williams, anthony bonner. those were some fun days in the garden. i remember seeing mase on 125th in the summer, driving some crazy mercedes sedans.
October 2nd, 2008 at 9:01 pm
Pete Casey says:
Mr. Couch is a living legend. I only met the man once, but it was easy to discern that he genuinely cares about giving back to the community and the game of basketball. 51 years of service is a testament to his good soul.
I was also a 3x Anthony Mason Prime Time camper. There was nothing that I enjoyed more than heading up to Glen Spey, NY for a week each summer to eat, sleep, and play basketball against some good comp. Mase Jr. was just a kid at the time and and I was able to give him buckets. Things done changed.
October 3rd, 2008 at 2:58 am
Bobbito Garcia a.k.a. Kool Bob Love says:
sean-
this is wonderful. you should make this a year round regular post, your pops has more than enough to share in 51 years of experience, i’d say! anth mason used to play in the nike pro city at hunter college in the late ’90s. him, elmer ‘yak yak’ anderson, marshall greer, and derek canada more the four most potent and dangerous scorers that i remember seeing. and yes, mason had a handle, and he wasn’ always a beast if you look at his teenage pictures when he was much skinnier. he’s an example of overachievement and tenacity to have made the pros. a lot of dudes just relied on their athleticism and talent. he did as well, but add in the work and boom–a solid career. word up. and let me tell those out there, the couch work outs are not easy!
October 3rd, 2008 at 11:07 am
illest says:
the only thing i liked about Charles Smith is his wife from back in the day BET fame Lisa Johnson-Smith.
October 3rd, 2008 at 7:24 pm
Mac says:
This was a nice read. Didn’t know a lot of those stuff with Mason and how your pops helped him. By the ways what park was Mason in the video of Diamond D - best kept secret.
October 4th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
Sean Couch says:
Yo, great question, maybe we can get Bob on that one Mac. Also another basketball fact about Mason is that he had a better handle with his right hand than his left.
October 21st, 2008 at 3:03 pm
Curtis Green says:
Sean,
Was just reading an article about The Real Rucker and came across this site and saw your name. Will frequeent the site now. Remember talking with your father when I would come to the park. He would always tell me none of that fancy stuff. He is truly a legend.
October 21st, 2008 at 5:20 pm
Sean Couch says:
Just had a Reunion Game for him at Kennedy last weekend. Hit me on my email — sean@bouncemag.com