More than basketball at Cardozo hoops reunion

When Ron Naclerio first hatched up the idea for a Cardozo basketball reunion, the longtime coach envisioned 30 to 40 guys catching up, playing pick-up basketball in the park.
Never did the zany coaching legend envision this: on Saturday, 262 former Judges made their way to P.S. 46 playground in Oakland Gardens, over 1,200 people passing through, including former cheerleaders, parents, coaches, and opponents.
“It’s become,” Naclerio said, “a happening.”
“Cardozo is a big family,” said Trinity Fields, a 2008 graduate who will attend Iona on a basketball scholarship in the fall. “Whether you’re in the school or been away 20 or 30 years.”
The day of basketball began at noon and ran until 8 p.m. that night, but it was much more than an afternoon full of hoops. A DJ was on hand. Food was served. Afterwards, many in attendance made their way to The Plaza Lounge in Astoria to further reminisce.
“There was genuine love for one another,” said Curtis Bryant, class of 1986. “It was awesome. The weather was perfect. Everybody was happy to see each other. There are barely any words to describe that feeling.”
After last year’s successful reunion, Naclerio knew he was on to something when other former players called him complaining they were not invited. He was also notified that cheerleaders wanted to come. Even those not directly attached to the program attended. College coaches from LIU, Hofstra, Binghamton, Iona, Stony Brook, Queens College, Central Florida, Rhode Island and Fairfield made appearances. Players now living in Texas, California, Florida, Arizona, Georgia and North Carolina made the trek.
“There’s a commitment to Ron because he helped a lot of people in their lives,” said former Providence college associate basketball coach Steve DeMeo, who graduated in 1983. “He gives to kids in a lot of different ways and they appreciate it.”
The diversity was telling. Two of the program’s finest products - Houston Rockets guard Rafer Alston and former NBA center Duane Causwell - also made it, as did Neil King, who works for the U.S. State Department in Washington D.C. From when Naclerio took over, back in 1981, there was at least one player from every class, ncluding seven from the 1981-82 group. Then there were the former players who wanted to beat Cardozo, one such as Steve Little from Jamaica, who made the trip from Harrisburg, PA, bringing three of his high school teammates with him.
“When you look at your family, you don’t realize how outside your family you are perceived,” Naclerio said. “Seeing not only the Cardozo people, but the kids that played for Francis Lewis, Jamaica, Andrew Jackson (now Campus Magnet), Hillcrest, kids that I helped, coming out and being part of Cardozo, you think maybe it’s even bigger and more special than I think. And I think it’s pretty special.”