Stars come out as New Kensington dedicates JFK Park courts to Valley basketball greats Flenory, Pipkins

The first day of June in New Kensington marked a nostalgic celebration at the city’s downtown JFK Park, bringing to it a collection of Who’s Who among friends and family of two city basketball legends.

They had come to honor Baron “B.B.” Flenory and Tom Pipkins, two of the most recognizable basketball names in Western Pennsylvania.

Four-time Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl champion J.T. Thomas was there. So, too, was ex-Duquesne basketball star Bruce Atkins, and Jennifer Bruce, the second all-time leading scorer at Pitt in men’s and women’s basketball combined.

Ricky Coleman also showed up. So did Pat Felix. And Paul Holzshu. Mark Madden was there. Don Maser, Benji Pryor, Stephen Zappala. …

“Welcome to New Kensington, everybody. It’s a great day,” Mayor Tom Guzzo told a lively, Sunday afternoon crowd.

Guzzo, among other local dignitaries, was joined by city councilmen Dante Cicconi and Tim DiMaio in leading a ceremony to honor the storied careers of two flashy guards, Flenory and Pipkins, and officially christen the JFK Park basketball courts by naming them for the jersey numbers of the former Valley High and Duquesne University stars.

After all, who better from the Alle-Kiski Valley to handle the rock than those two roundball wizards?

“I never thought when I was bouncing the basketball that I would get such respect from all of you people, and I thank you,” said Flenory, who gained national recognition when he scored 83 points in a junior high game.

As he spoke fondly of his memories from the school yard to the gym, Flenory was well aware of the presence of several members of Valley’s vaunted 1968 WPIAL section-champion boys team.

“We watched those guys, man. We wanted to be just like them,” he said.

Flenory’s career, indeed, mimicked and, in some ways, exceeded that of his hometown heroes.

So it was fitting that the JFK Park’s playing surfaces — developed in 2023 near the intersection of Barnes and Eighth streets to replace those lost when the city sold the former JFK Park near City Hall — became known as Courts 15 and 23 during Sunday’s gathering.

While at Valley from 1972-76, Flenory wore the No. 14 during home games and No. 15 on the road but strictly wore No. 15 at Duquesne from 1976-80 during a time when he played alongside future NBA star Norm Nixon for the Dukes’ 1977 NCAA Tournament team that won the Atlantic 10’s (then Eastern Eight) first championship.

The high-scoring Pipkins wore No. 23 at Valley (1989-93) and Duquesne (1993-97), where he shared an A-10 Rookie of the Year Award with future NBA big man Marcus Camby of Massachusetts.

Duquesne’s third all-time leading scorer with 1,828 points, Pipkins held the WPIAL scoring record with 2,838 points before Vinnie Cugini of Aquinas Academy surpassed the mark in 2023 to finish his high school career with 2,841.

“My family, my community, that’s what I played for,” Pipkins said. “There were a lot of people who came before us and a lot of people who will come after us. There’s a place for everybody here. This is for everyone, and we should put everybody’s name here who we can fit.”

As the two former hoops stars were speaking, the towering Atkins stood out among the sizable crowd, his mind going back to his playing days at Duquesne, where he averaged 13.8 points and 10.3 rebounds during a four-year career.

“These are my friends,” he said, glancing in the direction of Flenory and Pipkins. “I’m here for my Duquesne friends. I’m happy for them and proud to know them.”

After the ceremony, the nonprofit Linda Louise Foundation, in conjunction with Kings & Queens of the Court, hosted a 3-on-3 basketball tournament.

Cicconi said the city had been planning to dedicate the courts to Flenory and Pipkins for some time and settled on Sunday as a perfect summer tipoff for New Kensington.

“My love of this community started on the basketball court,” Cicconi said earlier.

Cicconi anticipated the retiring of more numbers at the courts. For now, it’s Flenory and Pipkins in the spotlight, and the accolades seem endless for both men.

“Valley basketball teams in the 1970s ’80s and ’90s were synonymous with winning, competitive and must-see basketball in Western Pennsylvania,” Guzzo said. “Two of the players who stood out among all the great ones are being honored here today.”

Flenory, 67, also set Valley’s single-game scoring record in 1975 with 52 points and is among just 13 Pennsylvania high school players to be named a Parade Magazine All-American.

He averaged 15.7 and shot 49.0% during his college career at Duquesne, an era prior to the 3-point shot.

Pipkins, 49, who played after the 3-pointer was instituted, averaged 16.3 points at Duquesne while shooting 40.2%, including 37.0% from behind the arc.

As a junior in 1995 at Duquesne, he scored 30 points in a near-upset of No. 5 Georgetown and star guard Allen Iverson.

There was much camaraderie during the afternoon, old friends and new alike reminiscing about the glory times and wishing for more of the same.

“You know, we came together outside the game,” said Mt. Lebanon boys assistant George Elias, a member of that spectacular 1968 Valley High team, coached by future Duquesne coach Mike Rice Sr. “We grew up together, and we played for each other. Nobody cared who scored. We all had a role.”

Flenory, who also played for Rice at Valley and later went on to Duquesne when Rice took over as the Dukes coach, was humbled beyond words following the ceremony. He had already said his piece a time earlier, when he returned to the microphone and asked for a chance to say just a bit more.

“So just one more thing,” Flenory began while pointing across the court in the direction of Charles Flenory. “Can everybody put your hands together for my 88-year-old dad, who has been with me everywhere. Without him, I wouldn’t be here.”