Dwight Smith is an 88-year-old national gold medal basketball champ, and although he is blind in one eye, he has a deadly three-point shot and a clear understanding that slam dunks can happen both on and off the court.
“He is an avid player and a sharp shooter. He can shoot from any position,” friend, Bob Brumberger, 78, tells Business Report in a new feature. “But his sportsmanship is what really stands out. Off the court he is very modest and a gentleman through and through. And you find that on the court, too. He is beloved by all of those who play with him or against him.”
Brumberger is a member of the “Lunch Bunch,” a group of about 30 older men who play basketball from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at Spectrum Fitness Club on Monterrey Boulevard. They split into two groups and play half-court ball—the 70 and 80 year olds on one end and the 40, 50 and 60 year olds on the other. While Brumberger is a decade younger than his friend, Smith, who he nicknamed “D,” he is an equal rival on the court.
“He developed a passion for the game as a young player and has really perfected the game in his later years,” says Brumberger. “He caught a finger in his eye awhile back when he was being guarded by someone who accidentally poked him in the eye. He lost sight in it, but that didn’t slow him down. With one eye and a guy who is pushing 90 years old, he can hold his own in a group with guys nearly half his age.”
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