Profiles of Hartford Basketball Players 1954 - 1984 (NWL)

Thursday - Championship fever swept through Hartford in 1954 when Weaver High School won the city's first state basketball title. Over a four-year period, Weaver won three state titles and the city's first New England High School Championship in 1957. In the early 1960s, Hartford Public High School enhanced the city's legacy by winning a state championship and two consecutive New England titles, battling Bulkeley High School in four epic games to complete the historic run. Fierce rivalries among city high schools extended into the 1970s. In 1971 Weaver High School defeated Hartford Public to capture its fourth state championship. As the 1970s unfolded, South Catholic High School caught a case of the fever, winning four state titles in 1970, 1974, 1977, and 1979. Led by talented players from Hartford, Northwest Catholic High School in West Hartford won state titles in 1972 and 1973. In the early 1980s Hartford continued to produce outstanding players to build on the history of basketball success in the city. "Oh What a Move!" profiles the players, coaches, and teams that made Hartford a hotbed of hoop talent over a period of multiple decades.

The intent of the program is to stimulate a lively conversation among former standout players from Hartford about what it was like to help establish the city’s reputation as a basketball powerhouse. Beginning with a short video presentation that recounts the importance of the basketball court in Keney Park as a focal point of inner city competition, the panelists discuss how the experience of playing basketball shaped their lives. The program concludes with a question and answer session with the audience.    

PARKING: There is ample library event parking in the nearby Isham Garage. Please bypass the garage kiosks and come directly to the Noah Webster Library Meeting Room, 20 South Main Street, where you may validate your parking with your license plate number.