BY MICHAEL J. LEWIS
The height is quite different, as is the age of his teammates.
But the uniform number is still double deuces, and the cheers that ring out in New York may sound the same to fans of a certain age.
Dave DeBusschere was part of the glory years of New York Knicks basketball, years long past as the current franchise continues to be mired in mediocrity.
A 6-foot-6 shooting guard, DeBusschere wasn’t as flashy as teammates like Walt “Clyde” Frazier or Earl “The Pearl” Monroe, but his feathery touch from the outside and his ability to defend helped the Knicks to NBA championships in 1969 and 1973, the last time the team won titles.
DeBusschere was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1983, ran the Knicks for a few years when they landed Patrick Ewing, and died in 2003.
His son Pete had a baby, and named it after the hoops legend, and that boy has grown up to become quite the basketball star of his own.
Meet Dave DeBusschere, who doesn’t care if you call him Dave or David, “whatever’s easier for you,” he says quietly.
This DeBusschere is 6 feet tall and 160 pounds, and a junior sharpshooter at Chaminade High School. He’s broken out to become a standout this season for the Flyers, averaging 15.7 points per game and shooting 44 percent from beyond the 3-point line.
With Chaminade set to start the state CHSAA Playoffs on Feb. 27, DeBusschere will be looking to further a hardwood legacy started by his grandfather.
“It’s definitely something I’ve always been aware of, how great a player my Grandpa was,” Dave said recently. “I’ve grown up around Madison Square Garden, meeting his old teammates and just seeing his number up in the rafters.
“It’s been a very cool thing to be a part of.”
Dave’s emergence from the freshman team two years ago to varsity standout has come from a lot of hard work, a little growth spurt and, of course, some good genes.
He likes to say he’s a better shooter than Grandpa was “but he was a better defender.”
Chaminade coach Dan Feeney praised his junior’s guard’s improvement and versatility.
“He’s a good a shooter as we’ve had in 14 years around here,” Feeney said. “He keeps his head down and finds ways to get open. We run plays for him but defenses know to find him now, and he still manages to find ways to score. He’s great from inside 10 feet now, not just an outside shooter anymore.”
DeBusschere, who also plays AAU ball for Crown Basketball out of West Hempstead, said the increased attention from opponents is something he uses to his advantage.
“People try to play me tighter and if they bring a second [defender] over that can free up my teammates,” he said. “But also we run a lot of screens that help free me up.”
As he hopes for a college scholarship next year, DeBusschere knows that his name will draw knowing smiles and recognition from college coaches who remember his grandfather. And sure, that helps get your foot in the door. But he knows he’s got a long way to go to achieve the heights of his namesake.
“I’ve got to get bigger and stronger in the offseason, and just improve everything,” he said. “It’s nice when people talk to me about my grandfather, and the name helps a little, but once you’re on the court it just matters how you play.”