Dean Meminger

Dean Peter "the Dream" Meminger (May 13, 1948 – August 23, 2013) was an American basketball player and coach. Born in Walterboro, South Carolina, he came to Harlem, New York, with his family as a seventh-grader. He starred at Rice High School in New York City and made a name for himself on the playgrounds at West 135th Street.

Meminger attended Marquette University, where he played for coach Al McGuire with the then-Warriors. He helped Marquette win the 1970 National Invitational Tournament and was named NIT MVP that year. Marquette's 1970 team was ranked eighth in the country and was invited to the NCAA tournament, but following a dispute over whether to play in the Mid-East or Mid-West Regional, the team declined the bid and opted instead for the NIT, where it outclassed the field. In 1971, Meminger was a Consensus first-team All-American.

He went on to play professionally in the NBA for six seasons, winning the NBA championship with the New York Knicks in 1973. Following his playing career, Meminger turned to coaching, and in 1980 he led the New York Stars to the Women's Professional Basketball League championship.