New York City Prep School Unveils New NBA Designed Court & Gymnasium
Lauren Buckley Donadio, daughter of Coach Dan Buckley, joins La Salle Board Chair Salvatore LaRocca and school President Candace Hammonds in cutting the ribbon to kick off the 2025-26 season and dedicate the new gym. Credit: La Salle Academy
The Dan Buckley Memorial Gymnasium. Credit La Salle Academy
Named for New York City Hall of Fame High School Coach Dan Buckley
NEW YORK CITY, NY, UNITED STATES, December 8, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- As the 2025-26 high school basketball season gets underway, La Salle Academy, an all-boys Catholic prep school in Manhattan’s East Village, cut the ribbon on its Dan Buckley Memorial Gymnasium. La Salle is now the first school to have a National Basketball Association (NBA) designed court.
Christopher Arena, Senior Vice President and Head of On-Court & Brand Partnerships at the NBA, designed the court, which was manufactured and painted by the same people maintaining the courts for the league.
The design and installation of the court – complete with city skyline graphics - was underwritten and donated by Salvatore LaRocca ‘82, President of Global Partnerships at the NBA and Board Chair of the school.
The unveiling took place in the first week of December, before the varsity tip off against Msgr. McClancy of Queens, a 50-31 loss for the Cardinals.
In September, La Salle moved back to its ancestral campus in Manhattan, at 2nd Street and 2nd Avenue, following an $11 million modernization. The school is now equipped with a new finance lab and multiple science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) labs, advanced classroom learning technology, lightning-fast Wi-Fi, and state-of-the-art central air conditioning.
Coupled with the school’s return is a 25% increase in overall enrollment and a 60% increase in the freshmen class from the previous academic year.
In 1856, La Salle moved to the 44 East 2nd Street location, a site previously owned by famed American novelist, Washington Irving, author of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.
The gym is named for hall of fame high school basketball coach Dan Buckley, who won a title as a La Salle player, before going on to captain the Duke University team and later anchor a St. John’s University squad. Buckley coached La Salle to 462 victories and four city championships from 1950-1973. He later coached at the college ranks for the Merchant Marine Academy. The coach was inducted to the La Salle Academy Hall of Fame in 1987 and the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame in 2001.
Boasting one of New York City’s proudest hoops traditions, La Salle has produced eight NBA players, including Dick McGuire (’43) whose New York Knicks #15 jersey hangs from the rafters of Madison Square Garden. The school’s student athletes are responsible for winning 12 city championships in one of the most competitive leagues in the nation.
“For over 175 years, La Salle Academy has played a pivotal role in shaping young minds to become wonderful citizens and important contributors to our society,” said Salvatore LaRocca. “La Salle is comprised of exceptional student athletes who excel in the classroom, on the court and in the community, and there is no greater figure to embody that spirit than Coach Dan Buckley. We are proud to be back on East 2nd Street and to commemorate our gym in Dan’s honor.”
“Dan Buckley was the epitome of a true La Salle man,” said Lauren Buckley Donadio, daughter of Coach Buckley. “He left a mark on many students, and how befitting it is to have his name emblazoned on the walls of this iconic Dan Buckley Memorial Gymnasium. He may be gone, but he will definitely not be forgotten.”
La Salle has served generations of students who have gone on to become preeminent leaders of New York and America, including several Catholic Cardinals, numerous statesmen, medical professionals, attorneys, judges, financiers, award winning Hollywood, Broadway and television actors, along with world-class athletes.
Video of La Salle Academy NYC Unveiling NBA Designed Court at Dan Buckley Memorial Gymnasium: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JkemsPFFBkzGxZu8jQtyL3-c6JUmdZ7u/view?usp=sharing
Christian Agredo
Butler Associates
+1 347-807-8219
CAgredo@ButlerPR.com
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