Sonny Dove
Encyclopedia
Lloyd "Sonny" Dove was an American
professional basketball
player, who was of Native American Mashpee Wampanoag descent. As a star at St. John's University in New York, in his last season of 1967, he received the Haggerty Award
. That year he was part of the United States basketball team that won the gold medal at the Pan American Games
in Winnipeg
.
His record has continued to make him one of the top players ever at St. John's, and in 2005 Dove was among the first ten men selected for "Basketball Legacy Honors" at the university. In 2011 Dove was inducted into the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame.
, New York, New York
, and nicknamed "Sonny". His father was Lloyd Dove. The younger Dove was of maternal Mashpee Wampanoag descent. His mother Adeline B. Dove (1921-2010) was the sister of Earl Mills, Sr. (Flying Eagle), the hereditary sachem
since 1956 of the Mashpee Wampanoag. His siblings are Larry Dove of Mashpee and Gladys Dove Barnes of Queens, N.Y. By Wampanoag matrilineal tradition, the children belong to the mother's clan
.
After his parents divorced, in 1951 Adeline Dove married Donald Hicks, Sr. of Mashpee, Massachusetts
, and returned to the town where she had grown up. His half-siblings are Donnella Hicks Pocknett, Errol Hicks, Donald Hicks, Jr., and Gary Hicks, all of Mashpee.
Dove graduated from St. Francis Preparatory School in Brooklyn, where his skill at basketball was noted. He was recruited for St. John's University by Lou Carnesecca
, the assistant basketball coach at the time.
, nicknamed the "Big Indian" (the team was called the Redmen). At St. John's, Dove as of 1983 was the fifth-highest scorer and second-ranked rebounder in its basketball history. In his last season of 1966-67, before being recruited by a professional team, Dove was captain of a team with a 23-5 record.
As of 2008, when Dove was selected posthumously for the "All-Century Team," of St. John's, he was one of only two players in the university basketball program's history with more than 1,000 career points (he ranked 10th with 1,576 points) and more than 1,000 career rebounds (he ranked 2nd with 1,036).
with the fourth pick of the 1967 NBA Draft
. He played two years with the Pistons before joining the New York Nets of the ABA, with whom he remained until 1972. In his NBA/ABA career, Dove averaged 11.1 points per game
and 6.0 rebounds per game. His pro career ended when Dove shattered his leg in a bicycle accident.
After his pro career, Dove returned to St. John's University and completed his degree. He went into radio sports broadcasting, often sharing comments on basketball games with other former pro players. In the 1980s he was partnered with Dave Halberstam in commenting on St. John's University basketball games.
He was also a taxi driver. Dove died at age 37 from injuries in an accident when the taxi he was driving skidded from a partially open bridge into the Gowanus Canal
in Brooklyn in February 1983. A memorial Mass was held at St. Catherine of Siena Roman Catholic Church, St. Albans, Queens
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player, who was of Native American Mashpee Wampanoag descent. As a star at St. John's University in New York, in his last season of 1967, he received the Haggerty Award
Haggerty Award
The Haggerty Award is given to the All-Metropolitan New York Division I men's college basketball player of the year, presented by the National Invitation Tournament and the Met Basketball Writers Association...
. That year he was part of the United States basketball team that won the gold medal at the Pan American Games
Pan American Games
The Pan-American or Pan American Games are a major event in the Americas featuring summer and formerly winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Pan American Games are the second largest multi-sport event after the Summer Olympics...
in Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
.
His record has continued to make him one of the top players ever at St. John's, and in 2005 Dove was among the first ten men selected for "Basketball Legacy Honors" at the university. In 2011 Dove was inducted into the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame.
Early life and education
Lloyd Dove, Jr. was born in BrooklynBrooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York, New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, and nicknamed "Sonny". His father was Lloyd Dove. The younger Dove was of maternal Mashpee Wampanoag descent. His mother Adeline B. Dove (1921-2010) was the sister of Earl Mills, Sr. (Flying Eagle), the hereditary sachem
Sachem
A sachem[p] or sagamore is a paramount chief among the Algonquians or other northeast American tribes. The two words are anglicizations of cognate terms from different Eastern Algonquian languages...
since 1956 of the Mashpee Wampanoag. His siblings are Larry Dove of Mashpee and Gladys Dove Barnes of Queens, N.Y. By Wampanoag matrilineal tradition, the children belong to the mother's clan
Clan
A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, clan members may be organized around a founding member or apical ancestor. The kinship-based bonds may be symbolical, whereby the clan shares a "stipulated" common ancestor that is a...
.
After his parents divorced, in 1951 Adeline Dove married Donald Hicks, Sr. of Mashpee, Massachusetts
Mashpee, Massachusetts
Mashpee is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 14,006 as of 2010.For geographic and demographic information on specific parts of the town of Mashpee, please see the articles on Mashpee Neck, Monomoscoy Island, New Seabury, Popponesset, Popponesset Island,...
, and returned to the town where she had grown up. His half-siblings are Donnella Hicks Pocknett, Errol Hicks, Donald Hicks, Jr., and Gary Hicks, all of Mashpee.
Dove graduated from St. Francis Preparatory School in Brooklyn, where his skill at basketball was noted. He was recruited for St. John's University by Lou Carnesecca
Lou Carnesecca
Luigi P. "Lou" Carnesecca is a retired American college basketball coach at St. John's University. He coached the men's basketball program to 526 wins and 200 losses over 24 seasons...
, the assistant basketball coach at the time.
College career
Dove attended St. John's University, where he was a forward and played for three seasons, starting under the legendary coach Joe LapchickJoe Lapchick
Joseph Bohomiel Lapchick was a professional basketball player, mostly known for playing with the Original Celtics in the 1920s and 30s. He is commonly regarded as the best center of his era, overshadowed in his later years only by Tarzan Cooper...
, nicknamed the "Big Indian" (the team was called the Redmen). At St. John's, Dove as of 1983 was the fifth-highest scorer and second-ranked rebounder in its basketball history. In his last season of 1966-67, before being recruited by a professional team, Dove was captain of a team with a 23-5 record.
As of 2008, when Dove was selected posthumously for the "All-Century Team," of St. John's, he was one of only two players in the university basketball program's history with more than 1,000 career points (he ranked 10th with 1,576 points) and more than 1,000 career rebounds (he ranked 2nd with 1,036).
Career
Dove was selected by the Detroit PistonsDetroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
with the fourth pick of the 1967 NBA Draft
1967 NBA Draft
The 1967 NBA Draft was the 21st annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on May 3, 1967 before the 1967–68 season. In this draft, 12 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players. A player who had finished his four-year college eligibility...
. He played two years with the Pistons before joining the New York Nets of the ABA, with whom he remained until 1972. In his NBA/ABA career, Dove averaged 11.1 points per game
Points per game
Points per game, often abbreviated PPG, is the average number of points scored by a player per game played in a sport, over the course of a series of games, a whole season, or a career. It is calculated by dividing the total number of points by number of games. The terminology is often used in...
and 6.0 rebounds per game. His pro career ended when Dove shattered his leg in a bicycle accident.
After his pro career, Dove returned to St. John's University and completed his degree. He went into radio sports broadcasting, often sharing comments on basketball games with other former pro players. In the 1980s he was partnered with Dave Halberstam in commenting on St. John's University basketball games.
He was also a taxi driver. Dove died at age 37 from injuries in an accident when the taxi he was driving skidded from a partially open bridge into the Gowanus Canal
Gowanus Canal
The Gowanus Canal, also known as the Gowanus Creek Canal, is a canal in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, geographically on the westernmost portion of Long Island...
in Brooklyn in February 1983. A memorial Mass was held at St. Catherine of Siena Roman Catholic Church, St. Albans, Queens
St. Albans, Queens
St. Albans is a middle class community in the New York City borough of Queens around the intersection of Linden Boulevard and Farmers Boulevard, about two miles north of JFK Airport. It is southeast of Jamaica, west of Cambria Heights and north of Springfield Gardens and Laurelton.The neighborhood...
.
Marriage and family
He married Patricia. They had a daughter Zana Dove, born in 1971. At the time of his death, Dove and his wife were separated.Legacy and honors
- 1967, Haggerty AwardHaggerty AwardThe Haggerty Award is given to the All-Metropolitan New York Division I men's college basketball player of the year, presented by the National Invitation Tournament and the Met Basketball Writers Association...
- 1967, Consensus NCAA All-American Second Team
- 1967 gold medal for basketball team, Pan American GamesPan American GamesThe Pan-American or Pan American Games are a major event in the Americas featuring summer and formerly winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Pan American Games are the second largest multi-sport event after the Summer Olympics...
, WinnipegWinnipegWinnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name... - 2005, named among the first 10 men selected for "Basketball Legacy Honors" at St. John's University
- 2008, named to St. John's University "All-Century Team"
- 2011, inducted into the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame
External links
- "Earl Mills, Sr., Flying Eagle, Chief", Mashpee Wampanoag Website
Further reading
- Earl Mills, Sr. and Alicja Mann, Son of Mashpee: Reflections of Chief Flying Eagle, a Wampanoag, Tucson, Arizona: Word Studio, 1996, Revised Edition 2006, ISBN-13: 978-0965436076
- Earl Mills, Sr. and Betty Breen, Cape Cod Wampanoag Cookbook: Traditional New England & Indian Recipes, Images & Lore, [Paperback], Clear Light Books, 2000