In late March, I received an e- mail from Sam Stith alerting me his younger brother’s health was in decline. Tom, one of New York City’s all-time top 10 schoolboy stars, had been hospitalized on Long Island for a prolonged period because of kidney problems and other issues.
Yesterday, the Knicks’ 1961 first-round pick (No. 2 overall) died, announced former St. Bonaventure teammate Fred Crawford during the Bob Douglas Hall of Fame luncheon honoring Johnny Mathis, Bob Hunter and others.
Tom turned 71 on Jan. 21.
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The two Stith brothers established St. Francis Prep as CHSAA champs in the mid-to-late 1950s. They then transformed St. Bonaventure into a national power and Eddie Donovan into a coveted coach.
Four players from those teams would make the NBA . . . all with the Knicks. Tom, Sam and Ronald “Whitey” Martin played a single season or less. Crawford stuck for seven with five different clubs, and averaged 6.8 points . . . 7.4 in 35 playoff games.
All those guys began their pro career under Donovan, who later became Knicks general manager and co-architect, with coach Red Holzman, of the franchise’s two championships. Tom was the first All-American basketball player (twice) in St. Bonaventure history. A 6-foot-5 left-handed forward, he averaged 31.5 points in the 1959-60 season and amassed a total of 2,052 points in three years.
Though a ‘tweener and not all that athletic or much of a leaper, “he was very deceptive,” Crawford said.
“When it became necessary, he could jump and rebound, later for the finesse stuff,” Crawford said.
Apparently well on his way toward fame and relative fortune, Stith was stricken with tuberculosis in his senior year, same as Crawford, his roommate for two seasons.
A serious car crash put another nail in a career that only lasted long enough for him to attempt 110 shots in 209 minutes over a 25-game span. Crawford attributed neither misfortune for Tom’s acute descent.
“Even with his skills, it just was not the right place at the right time,” he said. “The Knicks were trying to get it together and he didn’t get the opportunity. It was different then. Despite being taken so high, there were no guarantees. Then it became a matter of how could he fit in. That was the issue. It was not a good place.”
How good was Tom Stith?
“We all play,” Crawford said. “He was unique, in a special class by himself and a few others — Jerry Lucas, John Havlicek and Chet Walker. It was a treat for me to watch the moves he could make.”