Kelly Tripucka’s terrific basketball life

By Rick Bliwise

Correspondent

When one thinks of the top athletes to ever come out of Essex County, names like Orange’s Monte Irvin in baseball, Montclair’s Aubrey Lewis in football, Livingston’s Joe Tracy in hockey and Claudio Reyna of St. Benedict’s in soccer quickly come to mind.

Another name on that list is Kelly Tripucka of Bloomfield, a legend on the hardwood. Tripucka graduated nearly 40 years ago, but sports fans still talk about his efforts for the Bengals. Heck, in his final high school game, he poured in 54 points in a contest late in the state tournament. He had more than 1,000 points in his senior season and ended his varsity career with 2,278 points.

Tripucka also starred in soccer and track and field for Bloomfield. His father, Frank, had been a star in the early 1940s for Bloomfield in football and baseball.

Tripucka, who is now a well-respected broadcaster, headlines a Dinner which will be held April 28 at The Franklin Steakhouse in Nutley. Basketball players who starred in the Essex County Tournament era, 1947-2016, will be feted at the 6 p.m. affair. Coaches and top teams will also be honored. Tickets, which cost only $25, can be purchased at the door.

“My only regret in basketball is that I never played on a championship team,” said Tripucka, who now resides in Boonton Township. “In my junior and senior years, we lost in the ECT finals to East Orange. They always had top teams under Bob Lester. At Notre Dame, I played on a team that lost in the Final Four. And in the NBA, I never got to taste a championship either.

“But it was fun to play with guys like Isiah Thomas when I was with Detroit, and John Stockton when I was with Utah. I think the player in the NBA who impressed me the most was Larry Bird of Boston because he could do so much on the court.”

Tripucka never felt the pressure of trying to follow in his father’s footsteps.

“Look, we played in different sports,” said Tripucka. “He was a great QB at Bloomfield, then at Notre Dame, and then in the pros. Myself and my brothers just tried to do the best that we could. I think my three kids, who were fine athletes at Mountain Lakes, felt the same way.”

At Bloomfield, Tripucka enjoyed playing basketball for legendary coach George Cella. And when he was with Detroit in the NBA, he felt the same about Chuck Daly, another legendary figure in the coaching ranks. But it was a bit different at Notre Dame under Digger Phelps.

“I felt that Coach Phelps didn’t give me enough minutes on the floor,” remarked Tripucka. “College basketball is a 40-minute game and I averaged under 30 minutes for some reason.”

Tripucka, who is a Yankees fan in baseball and a Jets fan in football, played with Detroit, Utah, and Charlotte in a 10-year NBA career.

“You learned from a guy like Isiah Thomas what it takes to win on the pro level,” said Tripucka, who was friends with Joe Montana at Notre Dame. “It’s a big step up from high school to college and finally to the pros.”

Tripucka, who had a superb shooting touch from anywhere on the floor, says he had a great experience going to school at Notre Dame.

“The atmosphere for a home football game was just electric,” cracked Tripucka. “Just think of the football history at our school with great coaches like Knute Rockne and Frank Leahy, and all the great players we’ve had from The Four Horsemen to Joe Montana and on. My dad had a great thrill playing at QB for the undefeated 1948 squad.”

Tripucka, whose brother Tracy was a hoops star at Lafayette College, was a very versatile athlete.

In soccer, he played equally well in the back or at forward. And in track and field, he was a top high jumper and also made his mark throwing the javelin.

“I just loved to compete,”  Tripucka said. “At Notre Dame, I wanted to help put the school on the national map in basketball. Football at Notre Dame is No. 1, but all the guys in basketball wanted to put that sport in the spotlight also. Don’t forget, we’ve had great players like Austin Carr.”

TRIPUCKA NOTES – In high school, the 6-foot-6 Tripucka was 3-5 against East Orange… His 54 points came against North Bergen.

DINNER NOTES – Along with Cella  and Tripucka, the other Bloomfield honorees are Alaa Abdelnaby, Mal Abernathy, Tyiana Sears, Laura Leacy, and Jen Lipinski. Cella is posthumously honored.

The following who will be honored:

Boys

First team

Kelly Tripucka, Bloomfield, 1970s

Cleo Hill, South Side (now Shabazz), 1950s

Mike Dabney, East Orange, 1970s

Mo Layton, Weequahic, 1960s

Brevin Knight, Seton Hall Prep, 1990s

Lonnie Wright, South Side, 1960s

Honorable mention

Mark Bryant, Columbia; Troy Webster, Clifford Scott; Mike Brown, Clifford Scott; Bob Butts, Orange; Greg Tynes, Orange; Bobby Hurt, Orange; Mike Booker, East Orange; Cleveland Eugene, East Orange; Ken Young, East Orange; Keven McDonald, Seton Hall Prep; TJ Gibbs, Seton Hall Prep; Jeff Miller, Seton Hall Prep; Mel Knight, Seton Hall Prep; Ashton Gibbs, Seton Hall Prep; Cliff Anderson, Essex Catholic; Alaa Abdelnaby, Bloomfield; Mal Abernathy, Bloomfield; Ramadan Brunson, Irvington; and Marty Higgins, Nutley.

Coaches

Bob Farrell, Seton Hall Prep

Bob Lester, East Orange and Montclair

George Cella, Bloomfield

Greg Tynes, Clifford Scott

Frank “Finn” Tracey, Seton Hall Prep

Girls

First team

Tammy Hammond, Irvington, 1980s

Jen Apicella, Belleville, 1980s.

Tyiana Sears, Bloomfield, 2000s.

Jazmine Wright, Columbia, 1990s.

Dana Wynne, Clifford Scott, 1990s.

Matee Ajavon, Shabazz, 2000s

Honorable mention

Regina Sullivan, Columbia; Mary Pat Sherwood, Columbia; Paulette Bigelow, East Orange; Lynn Kennedy, Vailsburg; Laura Leacy, Bloomfield; Jen Lipinski, Bloomfield; Countess Irvin, Clifford Scott; Gail Allen, Bloomfield Tech; Phyllis Mangina, East Orange Catholic; and Blair Watson, Nutley.

Coaches

Vanessa Watson, Shabazz

Johanna Wright, Columbia