Howard Garfinkel

In the summer of 1966, just outside of Albany, New York, a nondescript basketball camp made its debut under the direction of a then unknown, dyed-in-the-wool basketball aficionado. His name was Howard Garfinkel, and his yet unnamed Five-Star Basketball Camp would become the preeminent proving ground for the nation’s elite high school basketball players. Garf directed Five-Star for the next five decades introducing the world to rising stars like Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Patrick Ewing, and Michael Jordan. In his spare time, he started High School Basketball Illustrated, the must-read roundup preferred by college coaches for over 50 years. Five-Star revolutionized scouting and recruiting while giving young coaches like Bobby Knight, Hubie Brown, and John Calipari a home away from home. Five-Star, with its drill-station approach, shaped the format of summer basketball camps across the country and opened the doors for countless players and coaches to advance to the next level.