It was classic Lou Carnesecca.
Even at the age of 96, he was sharp, funny and deferred all credit.
The crowd had gathered to honor the legendary coach in the lobby of Carnesecca Arena, the on-campus gym named after him. In a 20-minute speech, Carnesecca seemed to touch on everything that happened during his memorable career, except to mention his own accomplishments.
“I see my former players, many of my friends, all you wonderful people, and why are we here? Because of basketball, that little round thing, which in itself doesn’t mean much,” Carnesecca said during the ceremony to unveil a statue of his younger self, which will greet fans as they enter the building. “But it does bring us together, when it’s good and sometimes not so good.”
Behind the statue, crafted by sculptor Brian Hanlon, was a quote from Carnesecca that read in white letters: “To all the players that made my life a wonderful dream, I thank you.”
Carnesecca, known for his charismatic personality and colorful sweaters, won 526 games in 24 years as the coach at St. John’s, the most in the program’s history. He led the school to 18 NCAA Tournaments, including a trip to the 1985 Final Four, and five Big East regular-season crowns. Carnesecca was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992. St. John’s renamed the on-campus Alumni Hall after Carnesecca in 2004.
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The event drew a who’s who of local basketball luminaries, former NBA players such as Mark Jackson, Metta World Peace and Jayson Williams; ESPN broadcaster Mike Breen; countless former Carnesecca players; his longtime assistant coaches, Ron Rutledge and Brian Mahoney; Big East commissioner Val Ackerman; and St. John’s alumni. The entire current St. John’s team and coaching staff also were on hand.
“We’re blessed to still have him around and to still individually and collectively give him a big thank you and to show him the results of a life well-lived,” Jackson told The Post. “That’s with each and every one of us, and the stories we have, the way he’s impacted us, whether it be a secretary or a superstar player.”
In his joke-filled speech, Williams cracked: “How many think Coach is going to outlive that statue?”
The idea for the statue was hatched by athletic director Mike Cragg. When he arrived at St. John’s three years ago, Cragg looked into the history of the school. There was a statue outside of Carnesecca Arena of Hall of Famer Joe Lapchick, but he felt there should be one of Carnesecca as well.
Conrado Gempesaw, who then was the St. John’s president, and the Board of Trustees approved the plan and Cragg led a fundraising effort of $100,000 from alums and donors.
“To me it was very clear that we needed a grand entry to this building. We needed to find ways to honor our past,” Cragg said. “There was a plan at one point to do it, but it just hadn’t been done. Even better than a statue, it was a reason to bring people together. I couldn’t have dreamt it any better. Special memory.”
In his speech, Carnesecca spoke of his coaching journey, from high school to college, through his brief stint in the ABA with the Nets and his return to St. John’s. He thanked close friend and former St. John’s athletic director Jack Kaiser for helping bring him on as an assistant coach in 1958 and bringing him back in 1973. He singled out the reason for his success: His players and his assistant coaches, who recruited them.
Most of all, he accentuated what he enjoyed — and still enjoys — the most from his coaching days. The bond he shares with his players and fellow coaches.
“Victories, defeats, they’ll soon be forgotten, but the relationships that you build with the people you come into contact with will last a lifetime,” Carnesecca said. “So it’s important we remember that. The game is important, but it’s only a small part of your life.”