Basketball great Steve Vacendak honored at La Buona Vita
By Steve Svetovich
Sometimes you get to return to your roots in grand fashion.
Such was the case for Scranton Prep and Duke University basketball legend Steve Vacendak who was honored Saturday, Oct. 21, at La Buona Vita, Dunmore. Son of the late Steve and Olga Vacendak, his dad owned and operated the Green Ridge Bake Shop from 1944 through 1970.
About 180 persons, many former classmates and teammates, attended the Community Tribute to Vacendak, 79, who now lives in North Carolina.
Vacendak, born and raised in the Green Ridge section of Scranton, attended Robert Morris Elementary School and North Scranton Junior High School before graduating in 1962 from Scranton Prep where his number is retired.
A three-year starter at Scranton Prep under coach John Gallagher, he garnered numerous honors and was All-American.
Heavily recruited, he continued his basketball career at Duke University under legendary coach Vic Bubas. He had an immediate impact with the Blue Devils becoming the starting point guard during his sophomore year which resulted in an ACC championship and appearance in the 1964 NCAA championship game.
He was a captain on the 1966 Duke team which captured another ACC title and made a Final Four appearance. Following that season, Vacendak was selected as the 1966 ACC Player of the Year. He was instrumental in helping the Blue Devils post a 72-14 record during his time there.
A dynamite ball handler and passer, he finished his Duke career with averages of 14.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Assists were not recorded at the time, but Vacendak would have been a leader in that category.
He was chosen by the San Francisco Warriors in the 1966 NBA draft as the 33rd overall pick. Instead, he chose to sign with the Pittsburgh Pipers of the then newly-formed ABA where he was a member of the league’s first championship team. Following his three years in the ABA and a stint in the army, Vacendak joined the sales staff of Converse Rubber Company. That led to more success in a different realm.
In 1980, he took a position as associate athletic director at his college alma mater. He was instrumental in the hiring of legendary Duke basketball coach Mike Kryzewski who spoke through a video presentation at the Community Tribute. Kryzewski is now retired.
Vacendak later left his position at Duke to become athletic director and basketball coach at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina. After leaving Winthrop, he became executive director of North Carolina Beautiful, a private non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the natural beauty of North Carolina.
A member of the Duke University and State of North Carolina Hall of Fame, Vacendak resides in Raleigh, North Carolina.
During an exclusive interview with The Dunmorean prior to the event, Vacendsak said he will never forget his roots.
“I can’t express how much going to Scranton Prep meant to me,” he said. “It meant so much to my evolution as a person and molded my character. And I played basketball for John Gallager who was nationally known as a great basketball coach and mentor of young men.
“In seventh and eighth grade, I played basketball for Bill Gerrity at North Scranton Junior High School. Dr. Jack O’Malley, who helped organize this event, was a teammate. Coach Gerrity quickly became an important part of my life. He was the first coach who took me aside and explained the other aspects of life not pertaining to basketball. He taught me about being a gentleman, going to class, academics, and character. He taught me life lessons and was a huge impact. He brought a great sense of perspective in my life.
“John Gallagher at Prep became one of the greatest things that ever happened to me in my life. He cared about his players and influenced me both on the basketball court and with academics. He showed me how to handle myself on and off the court.”
Vacendak played with future NBA greats Jack Marin and Jeff Mullins at Duke. Mullins, former Golden State Warriors all-star guard, gave a video presentation at the event honoring Vacendak.
Following his graduation from Duke, Vacendak chose the ABA over a chance to play for the San Francisco Warriors of the NBA. He explained his decision. “I loved the NBA and everything it was about,” he said. “As a number one pick, I had a chance to play for a loaded Warriors team. But the ABA was new and exciting and I had a fresh opportunity to play for the Pittsburgh Pipers. I thought I would get more playing time in a new league. It was a good decision because I became a part of the ABA’s first championship team and played three years in the league.”
Going from professional basketball to a sales position with Converse Rubber Company was also a good decision for Vacendak. “I worked alongside some of the most talented businessmen and gentlemen from all aspects of life. Many were former players and coaches. It was a great experience.”
Vacendak talked about his greatest thrill in basketball. “It was simply making the team at Duke,” he said. “I didn’t really know how good I was, so making the team was the first step. I then simply grew in ability through practice, coaching and guidance.”
Vacendak said Connie Hawkins, a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, was the best basketball player he ever played with or against. “He was something to see. He was Dr. J before Dr. J.”
Vacendak said the greatest college basketball player he ever saw “talent-wise” was the late Pete Maravich.
He ranks the late Wilt Chamberlain among a select group of all-time greats in the NBA. “Wilt was the best at dominating a game.”
Vacendak used to work at a basketball camp in New York with Chamberlain and became close friends with him. “I used to play HORSE with Wilt everyday after the basketball camp,” he said. “I beat him every time. Wilt thought he had an outside shot, but he didn’t. We would play for a Coke. Wilt didn’t drink alcohol or smoke. He took excellent care of his body.
“Wilt didn’t like to lose though. After I would beat him, Wilt would say double or nothing. Then he would race me half court on the double or nothing. I would run forwards and Wilt would run backwards. And Wilt always won the race, so he never owed me a Coke.
“He had a strong, lean body and would beat me even running backwards. He was a tremendous athlete.” says Vacendak. “Wilt was a different guy with a large personality, but I had a lot of respect for him. He also had a great sense of humor.”
Vacendak said he stays in touch with former Duke teammates Mullins and Marin, both former first-team All Americans who also currently reside in North Carolina.
Jim Coles served as toastmaster for the Community Tribute to Vacendak. The Rev. James Redington, S.J., Vacendak’s former Scranton Prep classmate, provided the Invocation.
John A. Walsh, another former Scranton Prep classmate and retired ESPN executive, and former Duke assistant basketball coach Bucky Waters provided video presentations.
Former Seton Hall, NBA coach and TV broadcaster and analyst P.J. Carlesimo was a prominent speaker at the event. Carlesimo is the only other Scranton Prep basketball player to have his number retired. He spoke of growing up next to the Catholic Youth Center (CYC) attending Vacendak’s high school games and wanting “to wear the purple and gold just like him.” Carlesimo traveled from the West Coast to attend the event.
Donald Fish, executive director of the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame, and Mark Whited, author of “Pittsburgh’s Forgotten Champions,” also spoke.
Coach Krzyzewski and Mullins were big headliners on the video presentations.
Vacendak is an active member of the committee which organizes the William J. Gerrity Team Player Award presented yearly to a male and female basketball player at a Lackawanna Interscholastic Athletic Association member school. The award includes a $1,000 scholarship for each recipient. Gerrity’s daughter Mary Lou was present at the event.