Tom Konchalski: Living Legend
For a young man playing basketball there is no better feeling than having Mr. Tom Konchalski make his way over to you and introduce himself. With a firm handshake, this validates all the extra hours put in at the gym. It gives a young man a sense of accomplishment and means that you’re on your way to possibly earning a college scholarship. There isn’t a guarantee behind this handshake, but just gives a player that extra confidence to keep working hard.
I first met Mr. Konchalski in 1997 at Five Star Basketball camp in Honesdale, PA. I was a 6’2 lanky high school basketball player trying my hand at competing with the best players in the country at this time. At the end of the camp he walked over to me, looked me squarely in the eye, and introduced himself. He asked me where I went to school and what year I was in. After 5 or 10 minutes, the conversation was done and I was left to think that I had made a good impression on him. Fast forward twenty years and I run into Mr. Konchalski in Philadelphia while covering a High School basketball showcase. I extended my hand and proceeded to introduce myself. Admittedly, I wasn’t a top ranked prospect that was getting recruited to any major division 1 programs, so I didn’t expect Mr. Konchalski to remotely remember me. To my surprise he not only remembered my name, but also remembered where I went to High School, my graduating year, and even some of my teammates names as well. I was shocked that he would remember all of these details. I heard that his memory was sharp, but I didn’t expect it to be that sharp.
Always a pleasure seeing Tom. He always shows All Things Hoops love.
Ever since reconnecting with with him, Mr. Konchalski has done whatever he could to support me and the All Things Hoops brand. He has taken time out to show me a few tips and tricks of the trade when scouting a student athlete. These lessons are invaluable because he is the most important scout in the country and responsible for thousands of kids getting seen and recognized by college coaches.
I caught up with Mr. Konchalski at the Under Armour All America Camp in Philadelphia and got a chance to interview him. He’s always has answered any questions I have for him but he usually avoids recorded interviews or pictures. Having had the opportunity to get to know Tom he granted me with an All Things Hoops exclusive interview.
Tom Konchalski and Lebron James at the Five Star Basketball Camp. Photo courtesy of Bleacher Report.
Now this wasn’t an ordinary interview that I was about to conduct. This was a living legend of basketball, and it was truly an honor. I wanted to know how he started his career and what were some things that the next generation of scouts need to know before embarking on a career in the same field. Tom made it very clear, he does this job for the love he has for the game and nothing else.
Don’t expect to make a lot of money doing this! You won’t be driving a Porsche…This kind of job you do because of the love of the game!!
He started off watching Connie Hawkins in the playground in the 1950’s and tracked him down everywhere he played. That’s where his love of the game started. The rest is history! I wanted to know some of the legendary players that he had gotten a chance to see. First chance he got he said “Lloyd Daniels and Kenny Anderson were two of the best players [he] has ever seen”. Without hesitation he explained how Lloyd Daniels was supposed to be one of the best to ever play the game. Naturally gifted with size, strength and agility. I had seen Daniels play a few years on the Spurs but to be honest he was nothing spectacular in my eyes. I had tuned in too late. He had already had substance abuse issues and was on his way out. Kenny A was a different story. I had seen Kenny since he was a youngin at Georgia Tech. The way he did Bobby Hurley made me a believer instantly.
Tom and Kenny Anderson catch up. Kenny was one of Tom’s all time favorite players to watch. Photo courtesy of MrChibbs.com
Tom’s word is Golden in the world of High School basketball. Many college coaches around the country still use his scouting service HSBI (High School Basketball Illustrated) even though it only comes in hard copy form. Tom doesn’t own a smartphone and you won’t find him emailing his report to anyone. He does things the old school way and lives by mantra if it isn’t broken don’t fix it. He’s been around for so many years establishing relationships and evaluating players so his technique works for him. Tom is a living legend in the basketball world and you can still see him doing his thing. He is a very modest guy and doesn’t like much attention but he deserves all the praise for his endless contributions to the game. Although he never flourished as a player himself, he found a way to become on of the most important figures in the game. Salute Tom Konchalski.