Author: Conor Smith

Collin Gillespie wasn’t supposed to be in Philadelphia on Monday night.

The Phoenix Suns point guard’s flight out of his hometown got canceled. With a suddenly clear schedule, Gillespie, who starred at Archbishop Wood and Villanova, looked to make a surprise appearance at the Danny Rumph Classic.

He did not disappoint.

Gillespie’s 19 points and six assists helped catapult Team Training By Brunner (TBB) over Team Rumph Center, 103-101, in the men’s final. Fans packed into Drexel’s Daskalakis Athletic Center were treated to a closely contested matchup. TBB led for the majority of the game, but the Rumph Center trailed closely behind until the final whistle.

Ultimately, it was the heroics of Gillespie and Tyrese Martin, who made nine appearances with the 76ers last season, that allowed TBB to come out on top. Martin, who was named the game’s most valuable player, finished with 33 points and 14 rebounds.

“I’m here for the people,” Martin said. “That’s what the offseason, the summer’s for. Put on a show for the people at home. So that’s all I’m doing down here, and it was fun to do.”

Added Gillespie: “It’s always a great environment. Great experience playing here for [something] bigger than basketball.”

The namesake for the classic is Danny Rumph, a Philadelphia native who died in 2005 from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy — a condition that makes it harder for the heart to pump blood. Rumph went into sudden cardiac arrest while playing pickup basketball at the Mallery Recreation Center in Germantown. He was 21.

If Mallery — now renamed the Rumph-Mallery Recreation Center — had a defibrillator on site, Rumph’s life may have been saved. To honor his life, the Daniel E. Rumph II Foundation has provided every Boys & Girls Club and recreation center in Philadelphia with a defibrillator. It also provides regular HCM screenings and CPR training to members of the community. The foundation’s biggest fundraiser is the annual Classic, a five-day pro-am basketball tournament.

Monday night, which boasted two youth exhibition games alongside the men’s final, was a sellout. The event brought in a crowd made up of mostly families. There also were a few notable names present.

Rapper Meek Mill and social media star Nasir “Gillie Da King” Fard sat courtside. At halftime of the men’s final, both spent time taking photos with fans. Meanwhile, La Salle forward Anthony Finkley and Villanova guard Tyler Perkins were in attendance. Newly acquired Sixer Jaylen Brown made a surprise appearance on Friday.

Shark in the water

Early in Monday’s final, it looked like it would be smooth sailing for Gillespie and company, but there was a shark in the water: Rumph Center point guard Josh Sharkey.

The Archbishop Carroll graduate willed Rumph Center back into the game after trailing by as many as 12 points in the opening minutes. With under seven minutes to go in the first half, Sharkey drilled a step-back three-pointer and was fouled. The ensuing free throw cut TBB’s lead to three.

As the Jaws theme song — a nod to his last name — blared through the DAC, the crowd cheered loudly for Sharkey, a Philadelphia native.

“This is an amazing environment,” said Sharkey, who finished with 22 points. “I don’t get to do this often. I don’t get to play in front of the city. So any chance that I get, I like to put on a show. I’ve been seeing these people since I was like 8, 9, 10 years old. This is a special event. It’s for a good cause, celebrating Danny Rumph, and it’s kind of like a basketball family reunion.”

Along with leading Rumph Center in scoring, the 5-foot-10 Sharkey made it his mission to face guard Gillespie.

“Me and Colin been playing against each other since we was little kids,” Sharkey said. “Man, it’s always a fun battle. I got nothing but love and respect for him, and it’s vice versa. It’s always fun to compete against him. And obviously, he’s a high-level pro, so it’s good to challenge myself and try to compete with him out here.”

Trying to shake Rumph Center’s swarming defense, Gillespie took a couple of hard falls. He also suffered a small cut on his left cheek.

“It was super intense,” Gillespie said. “I almost got hurt a couple times, so that wasn’t in the plans. But it got close, and those guys are competitive. They play hard, and it was fun.”

Former Providence forward and Philadelphia native Clifton Moore was clutch for TBB. He scored all eight of his points in the second half, and blocked a shot in the game’s closing minutes.

“I know we’re going to stick it out because we’re talented,” Moore said. “We’re a good group of guys. We’re hungry, and it felt good, man. Felt [good] to get one in my hometown.

Next Bright Stars

Before the men’s final, Monday acted as a showcase for the next generation of Philadelphia hoopers.

Local girls’ and boys’ high school players highlighted two 20-minute games. Along with its health-related work and advocacy, the Rumph Foundation has made it its mission to invest in the area’s youth. Last week, the foundation held an event that was centered around using basketball to bridge the gap between generations.

Monday’s youth exhibitions acted as an extension of that goal.

“Danny Rumph, it’s a legendary league,” Rocky Johnson, a rising junior at Imhotep Charter, said. “It means a lot to me because I was the little kid in the crowd watching the Danny Rumph. Now I’m playing, and it’s surreal to me.”

Early Sunday afternoon, the Daniel E. Rumph II Recreation Center looked unassuming. The old Germantown basketball gym was empty outside of a few local kids shooting around. Every dribble sounded like three, with the bounces echoing off the building’s cement walls.

A few hours later, it was nearly impossible to hear the ball bounce once.

On Sunday, the center hosted three basketball games and a community barbecue. The event brought in a large crowd, quickly filling the hallowed hall with laughter, music, and friendly jeers.

The event was held in partnership with the Hank Gathers Recreation Center. The two Philly rec centers share a mission to spread awareness for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy — a condition that makes it harder for the heart to pump blood. Most are unaware they have the condition until they receive a screening.

Both Danny Rumph and Hank Gathers, the namesake for the respective centers, died from HCM while playing basketball. In 1990, Gathers, a Philadelphia native and standout at Loyola Marymount, collapsed on the court while playing against Portland in the West Coast Conference semifinals.

It would be 15 years later when Rumph went into sudden cardiac arrest during a pickup game at the same Germantown gym that hosted Sunday’s event. It was later renamed after him.

“Danny was at this exact rec center where he collapsed on a court, and it took a long time for an ambulance to come,” Janet Williams, a board member for the Daniel E. Rumph II Foundation, said. “There wasn’t an AED here. Even though they started CPR, it still wasn’t enough. So, we’re trying to bring education to the community at large, not just youngsters in sports.”

The Rumph Foundation has provided every recreational center and Boys & Girls Club in Philadelphia with a defibrillator. They have also partnered with Youth Heart Watch, a program with a similar mission, to provide both CPR and AED training to the community. A majority of the foundation’s funding comes from the Danny Rumph Classic, a five-day pro-am basketball tournament.

This year, the 21st iteration of “The Rumph” will tip off on Thursday at Drexel’s Daskalakis Athletic Center. In the past, NBA stars like Jalen Brunson, James Harden, and Tyrese Maxey have graced the tournament’s floor. For the third consecutive year, the event will feature a women’s pro-am tournament, featuring local players.

Sunday’s event in Germantown acted as a way for the foundation to connect with the community and with those who have been crucial to its success. The afternoon started with a 50-and-over game — for the hoop veterans who have seen the foundation flourish over two decades.

“The whole reason why a lot of us are still close to this day is the friendships that we built playing here as kids,” said Mike Morak, the foundation’s director of events. “How do we celebrate 21 years? And it was like, let’s come back to where we started.”

“Let’s get everybody together,” Morak said. “People can come and go as they please. The reason we’re here and where we all started was because of this playground. So it was like no better way to just come back to the neighborhood, making sure we can all have a fun day together and then get ready for the full Danny Rumph Classic this week.”

‘It’s really a homecoming’

When Morak had the idea to bring the Rumph and Gathers recreational centers together for Sunday’s event, he thought to invite Derrick Gathers — the younger brother of Hank.

Derrick Gathers was a quick “yes,” having known Morak and the role the Rumph Foundation has played in the community. What Gathers didn’t know is that he would be given a full uniform at the door.

“Well, I was set up by Mike,” Gathers, who played in the 50+ game, said with a laugh. “Mike set me up.”

“I get up here, they talking about ‘suit up,’” Gathers added. “I ain’t played in a long time, but it felt good, you know, just to hang out with the guys, the guys I grew up with. … I think it’s a tribute to them for just keeping the Danny Rumph legacy going for so many years. That’s outstanding.”

After Gathers’ game, which his team won, he joined Morak at center court to address the 11-and-under and 13-and-under players before their games began. Kids who played at both centers were invited to participate — but with a twist.

Instead of matching up against each other, the centers’ teams were combined, so the players would get to know one another.

“A lot of these kids don’t know the similarities of the story, so we want to make sure [they do],” Morak said. “Man, bring those kids up here. Let’s also explain to them how they’re all interwoven. Some kids today don’t really realize what happened to Danny. They don’t realize what happened to Hank. They don’t realize how we’re all connected.”

Added Williams: “It’s getting the generations together, the older and the younger, and passing it down. Showing the importance of community, showing not just the importance of sports, but making sure that you stay healthy.”

Like the Classic, Sunday’s community event was powered by volunteers. Dozens of people worked behind the scenes to make sure the games and the barbeque ran smoothly. One of these volunteers was Shawn Werdt, who coached the “Team Rumph” 11U team. Werdt, who regularly runs clinics at the center, helped out because he “believes in the mission of the foundation.”

“It’s really a homecoming,” Werdt said. “Guys always come back to this and either want to play or support it, and you just see a lot of old friends, old faces in the crowd, and it’s just a really good event. A really, really fun week of basketball.”