David began playing basketball in his backyard at the age of 4. His father had built a backboard, hung a basket from it, and erected it on a pole. The court was on dirt, and if the laundry was hung out to dry, you couldn’t play. His older brother, by 5 years, used to play there in the early 1950s with John Crotty Sr. (Father of John Crotty, University of Virginia and all-star NBA player), who played at St Peter’s Prep in Jersey City and went on to the University of North Carolina. Also, he played with Jackie Nies, who played with John at Prep and became an NBA referee (2,046 games, 150 playoffs, and 10 finals). In addition, George Richvalski was part of the group and played basketball at Prep, going on to attend Notre Dame on a baseball scholarship. That is where David’s love of basketball started. David’s father put himself through Brooklyn Law School by playing semi-pro basketball with Hank Greenberg, the Hall of Fame baseball player for the Detroit Tigers. 

In 1958, David went to summer camp at Clair Bee’s famous basketball camp at the New York Military Academy. There, he was further exposed to some of the great coaches and players, including Joe Lapchick, Lou Carnesecca, Len Chappell, an NBA player, and many other stars.

David’s love of basketball and the lessons learned from teamwork, winning, and losing were instrumental in his success in life. Graduating from Bayonne High School at 17 years old and having a brother 5 years older made him used to being challenged and working harder to overcome the challenges. 

David became the Controller of the Investment Bank Salomon Brothers at the age of 29. He played and coached in the Wall Street Basketball League for 16 years. This league featured former NBA players, as well as many Division 1 college players. After leaving Salomon in 1981, David started his own consulting and software firm, with clients at many of the most prominent financial firms. People like Michael Bloomberg, John Corzine, and Bob Rubin were only a few of his notable clients. In 1990, his software firm was sold to Thorne EMI, a British public conglomerate. After that, David retired and began consulting for firms in various industries, on his terms and at his discretion.

David’s love of basketball continued when he volunteered at St Anthony High School for 2 years in the late 1990s. He watched and experienced what, in his mind, is one of the best tactical game coaches at any level, Bob Hurley, and spent a year with his son, Bobby Hurley, who was recovering from an auto accident. Later, David and alumni from St. Patrick High School, along with his business associates from the Financial World, helped to open The Patrick School after the Newark Archdiocese closed St. Patrick’s High School in 2012, following 149 years of operation.

The Patrick School and St Patrick High School have put 10 players in the NBA—notable players, as Kyrie Irving, Nick Richards, and Johnathan Kuminga.

David has mentored and helped many young student-athletes, one of whom was Cyril Langevine, who went on to play four years at the University of Rhode Island, the first two under Danny Hurley, with whom David became friends. David is now 82 and with the evolution and the growth of basketball, feels high school basketball is about to become the most watched sport, second only to world football ( soccer). There are more than 23,000 high schools in the United States, which provide hundreds of games to be viewed on Baller TV or HUDL on any given night.

Other people who influenced David’s basketball philosophy in addition to the people already mentioned. (Listed alphabetically)

• Dick Bavetta
• Kevin Boyle
• Jim Carr
• Chris Chavannes
• Todd Decker 
• Jamie Dixon
• John Ebeling
• Bobby Knight
• Tom Konchalski
• Bobby Mahala
• Mike Rice
• Barry (Slice) Rohrssen