Bucket lists
Book compiles interesting NBA rankings
Orlando Magic president/sports author Pat Williams has compiled every NBA list imaginable in his new book “NBA List Jam.’’
There are 160 of them total — from the offbeat to the bar-room variety. Williams and co-author Michael Connelly rounded up a host of NBA cognoscenti, assigning them to various rundowns.
Some of the more bizarre rankings include the top 10 coaching lessons small-college coach Bill Van Gundy laid upon his sons, Jeff and Stan — with No. 5 being a Lombardi-esque “Winning is all-important.’’
Of the tried-and-true ratings of the best point guards, Jason Kidd hit No. 8, Walt Frazier landed at No. 7, Mark Jackson No. 12. Magic Johnson got top honors.
Of top 10 GMs of all time, ex-Knicks GM Donnie Walsh ranked fourth and Eddie Donovan, architect of the Knicks’ two title teams, placed eighth. Former Post NBA columnist Peter Vecsey was assigned the most colorful owners of all time, with Mark Cuban getting third place and Jerry Buss nabbing second. On his 21-man list, which included several honorable mentions, Vecsey left out Brooklyn Nets Russian owner Mikhail Prokhorov.
The Post’s Marc Berman was recruited to name the top 13 Jews who impacted the NBA. Amar’e Stoudemire received an honorable mention. David Stern topped the list and two former Knicks coaches, Red Holzman and Larry Brown were third and fourth, respectively. Also making Berman’s top 13 was ex-Knicks GM Ernie Grunfeld, the former first-round pick of the Bucks out of Tennessee.
As for the bizarro, Charley Rosen was recruited to list 10 things you never knew about his buddy Phil Jackson. Coming in at No. 9 was “when surrounded by a house band in Mexican restaurants, Phil will tip the musicians $50 to play ‘My Way.’ ” The No. 1 unknown Zen Master tidbit was his pitching brilliance as a college player at North Dakota State.
The most noteworthy list was the top 10 basketball players born in New York City who played in the NBA — compiled by retired New York Times columnist George Vecsey. Tellingly, Chris Mullin at No. 9 was most the recent baller. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar placed No. 1, Julius Erving No. 2, even though he grew up in Roosevelt, L.I. Bob Cousy placed third and Stephon Marbury was nowhere to be found.
Veterans gets a Giant hand
Former Super Bowl Giant and Naval Academy graduate Phil McConkey is a champion after football. McConkey is partner and president of Academy Securities, a veteran-owned brokerage based in New York and San Diego whose mission is committed to the hiring of military veterans (specifically post-9/11 veterans). Academy Securities’ staff is 38 percent military veterans, in areas like investment banking, trading and municipal finance, and hopes to bring that number to 50 percent this year. The firm recently received a $4 million loan from JPMorgan Chase & Co. to achieve this goal, and also agreed to a mentor-protégé agreement with JPMC under the U.S. Treasury in which the firm will receive training, office space and consultation of overall business management.
“The World War II veterans saved us from tyranny and they came home and helped build us up to levels of prosperity unseen in the history of the world,” McConkey told the Rumble. “These retiring veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan can do the same thing. We just have to give them a chance. Academy Services and JPMorgan recognizes this.”
Injured Iman still can hip-hop
Knicks guard Iman Shumpert isn’t playing because of a knee injury, but his music still is flowing. Shumpert, who revealed details of his hip-hop career when he penned a rookie lockout diary for The Post last fall, launched his own website to promote his music — ImanShumpert.com. Iman’s new song “Supaphly” with Chrisette Michele is one of the first features. Shumpert’s website will be updated regularly with various Iman musical and basketball updates. The Chicago native told The Post this week to expect his return in January or February, not December, because he wants to return better than last season. … Shaun Clancy from Foley’s is hosting a huge fundraiser Thursday for Hurricane Sandy victims, and David Cone will be one of guest bartenders.
Friends punch friends for Hope
Following two successful events in Boston, each raising more than $200,000, Haymakers for Hope — a charity whose tag line reads, “Not every fight ends at the bell” — teamed up with Box NYC Thursday night at Roseland Ballroom to host the first Box NYC/Haymakers for Hope Fight Night.
The event featured boxing matches between front-office workers at some of the most prestigious investment banks and hedge funds in the world, including Goldman Sachs, Credit Suisse, Citi and Millennium Capital. Professionals from the airline, real estate and other influential industries also participated in the fight to battle cancer, and Knicks legend John Starks was in attendance to lend his support.
“In our first New York City show, we raised more than $300K and had about 1,500 people in attendance,” proud Haymaker founder Andrew Myerson said. “None of this would have been possible without the hard work, courage, and heart of the 28 men and woman who stepped in the ring to literally fight for a cure. They proved that not every fight ends at the bell. I was shocked that tickets sold out so quickly given the aftermath of the storm Next year I guess we’ll have to get a bigger venue.”
Julie Anne Kelly, a cancer survivor since 2002, helped Myerson put on the seventh successful BOX NYC show.
”We grossly underestimated how much people want to see their friends get punched in the face,” she said.
Breed’s new ‘Fix’ is teaching
You’ve seen him as the fast-talking host of “The Golf Fix.’’ Next year, you can also see him up close at Manhattan Woods. Michael Breed, who hit the big time with his wacky golf-instruction show on Golf Channel, says he is leaving as head pro of Sunningdale Country Club in Scarsdale, a position he has held for 12 years, to devote more time to teaching golf. Starting next spring, he is establishing the Michael Breed Golf Academy, which will be based at Manhattan Woods in West Nyack.
Breed says he will be offering individual lessons and two-day schools to the public as well as Manhattan Woods members and guests. And he will continue to do “The Golf Fix,’’ which airs on Monday nights.