Sonny Dove set for induction into New York City Basketball Hall of Fame

Don’t be fooled by the headline. The late Sonny Dove, the All-American from St. John’s University, will be among the 2011 class of New York City inductees into the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame, set to be held on Thursday, Sept. 22 at the New York Athletic Club, 59th Street at Central Park South.

Dove, who lost his life on Feb. 14, 1983, will join a class of inductees that includes Donnie Walsh, the former president of basketball operations for the New York Knicks; another “St. John’s Johnnie” in John Warren, a member of the Knicks’ 1973 NBA championship team; Tom Henderson, the former All-New York City legend from DeWitt Clinton High School in the Bronx and an All-American at the University of Hawaii; and Kenny Charles, an All-New York-City baller who led the Fordham University Rams to a bunch of memorable on-court victories.

Also set for induction is Mike Saunders, who was the Knicks’ trainer for 27 years, now in private practice; Debbie Mason, one of the top collegiate stars of the 1970s and who played with Gail Marquis on the first women’s team to play at Madison Square Garden; and Jim Larranaga, the new head coach at University of Miami.