Dick Bavetta, the legendary NBA referee and native of St. Saviour parish, Park Slope, has been member of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame’s Class of 2015. He served 39 years as an official and holds the record for consecutive games officiated at 2,635. He retired prior to the 2014- 2015 NBA season, and he’s already a member of the CHSAA Hall of Fame, the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame and the Basketball Old-Timers of America Hall of Fame.

St. John’s University, Jamaica, legends Lou Carnesecca and Jack Kaiser were inducted April 17 as members of the 25-member inaugural class of the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Hall of Fame.

Carnesecca, a 1992 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee and the winningest coach in program history posted a 526-200 record at his alma mater and led his squad to 24 postseason berths in 24 seasons, including an appearance in the 1985 NCAA Final Four.

Kaiser was a standout student-athlete for St. John’s on the baseball diamond before beginning his Hall of Fame 18-year head coaching career in 1956. He posted a 366-115 record and led the baseball program to 11 postseason appearances, including three College World Series trips in 1960, 1966 and 1968.

Former St. Francis Prep, Williamsburg, football standout Rich Szaro passed away April 7 at the age of 67. After graduating from the Prep in 1967, he went on to star at the placekicker at Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass., and then played five seasons in the NFL with the New Orleans Saints and New York Jets.