QUEENS — Anthony Mason, the late Knicks’ forward, now has a South Jamaica street near where he grew up named after him.
A stretch of 147th Street, between 123rd Avenue and Rockaway Boulevard, located less than a block from the Mason family’s former home, was co-named “Anthony Mason Way” during a ceremony Saturday, as family members, local residents, fans and elected officials gathered to honor the legendary player.
Mason suffered a massive heart attack in February last year and died two weeks later.
He played with the Knicks from 1991 to 1996, and won the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year Award with the Knicks in 1995.
Over his career, Mason, known for shaving words into his hair, also played for the Nets, Hornets, Nuggets, Heat and Bucks.
But on Saturday, the player, who went to Springfield Gardens High School, where he led the Golden Eagles to the PSAL Championship in 1983, was remembered as a kind man, committed to giving back to his neighborhood.
Anthony Mason's son, Anthony Jr., speaks at the ceremony Saturday. (Photo credit: Courtesy of Ruben Wills office)
“There isn’t one person I’ve encountered that hasn’t had fond memories to share about our father. That kind of love speaks volumes as to who Anthony Mason was,” said his son, Anthony Mason Jr. “This street co-naming isn’t just a moment for our family; we share it with his community, as he would have wanted.”
Councilman Ruben Wills, who sponsored the street co-naming, said that Mason's legacy "lives on through the charitable works of the Family on Three youth mentorship foundation,” a mentoring program he founded.
"Anthony Mason was loved by the South Jamaica community that he called home for so many years, and his untimely passing shocked and saddened all who knew and admired him,” Wills added.
Photo credit: Courtesy of Ruben Wills office.
