“Anthony Mason Way,” was added to 147th St. at Rockaway Blvd. for the player who died last year at 48 of congestive heart failure.
“This is a beautiful event,” said his son, Antoine Mason, 23. “The tough thing is, it's not about anybody else here. It's about the guy who's up there.”
A city hoops legend and a graduate of Springfield Gardens High School, Mason was feverishly dedicated to the game. He’d break into the school gym to practice his game through the night, his son said.
“He used to shoot, shoot, shoot all the time at night. And he said when the daylight came it was easier. He kept working in his craft, kept working in his craft, and eventually he made it,” Antoine said.
Fat Joe regrets outing Mason as mystery Knick in B.I.G. track
Anthony Mason Jr., son of former Knicks forward Anthony Mason, displays the new street sign honoring his dad.
Anthony Mason's son, Anthony Jr., and his mother were at the ceremony Saturday.
Former Knicks shooting guard John Starks recalled that he and Patrick Ewing often called their hardnosed Teammate “the beast of the east.”
“He always represented Queens as a whole. And that meant a lot,” Starks said.
Knick Fans recall Mason in key playoff games, all elbows and shoulders, forcing his way down the lane for a bucket or a rebound.
Mason played for the Knicks from 1991 to 1996.
Mason played for the Knicks from 1991 to 1996. (David Wexler/For New York Daily News)
On Saturday, many expressed appreciation for his gentle side. Mason frequently returned to the neighborhood for youth outreach activities during and after his pro career.
“This is a moment that we're really, really proud of — to have such an individual come out of our community and reach the level that he reached. Not just in the NBA — the things he did in life is incredible,” Councilman Ruben Wills (D-Queens) said.
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