LIHU‘E — Tucked in the bags of the Kaua‘i High School girls basketball team, a bit of the National Basketball Association will be heading to the Hawaiian Airlines Girls Basketball State Championships, Division II, on Wednesday. Coach Sandi Nadatani-Mendez collected
LIHU‘E — Tucked in the bags of the Kaua‘i High School girls basketball team, a bit of the National Basketball Association will be heading to the Hawaiian Airlines Girls Basketball State Championships, Division II, on Wednesday.
Coach Sandi Nadatani-Mendez collected the girls and their parents for the traditional pre-trip meeting Monday. She was joined by Michelle Emura who had earlier deposited two large boxes with Nadatani-Mendez.
Those boxes contained bags for each of the girls and the coaching staff. The bags were filled with NBA logo-wear including a cap, sweatband, a drinking cup for hot or cold beverages and a fabric tote bag.
“I saw how hard these girls play, and thought I had to do something,” said Emura, the daughter of former NBA legend Bill Tosheff.
“The girls had dedicated their season to him and after watching how hard and passionate they played, I called Ski Austin, the executive vice president of the NBA and WNBA in charge of events and activities.”
Emura said after relaying the details of how they played and how the team had dedicated its season to Tosheff, she received the two big boxes filled with NBA items for each of the girls and coaches.
Tosheff, described by the Legends of Basketball as one of the greatest humanitarians to ever play the game, passed away from cancer on Oct. 1 at Emura’s home. He was 85.
“Tosh,” as people knew him, was a captain, All-American and All-Big Ten at Indiana University in 1951, as well as a World War II veteran.
When he entered professional basketball, Tosh was the first Co-Rookie of the Year in 1952 with the Indianapolis Olympians after being the third pick in the fourth round, 32nd overall in the 1951 NBA Draft.
He was inducted into the Indiana Hall of Fame in 1998.
During his NBA career, which spanned three seasons from 1951 to 1954, Tosheff bucketed 1,859 points with 661 assists and made 591 free throws on 745 attempts for a 79.3 percent average, states the Basketball Reference website.
“He was here for a little while,” Emura said. “That was enough time for coach Sandi to meet with him and spend some time. He finally passed on the night of our Hoedown for Hope, a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society.”
Nadatani-Mendez said the team during its first home game in December dedicated its season to Tosheff, and extended it to people battling cancer. The support and tribute overflowed to the team’s parents and fans, whose supporter shirts had No. 9 and “Tosh” emblazoned along one side.
“Coach Elton Montemayor of Waimea is battling cancer. I’m a recovering victim of cancer,” Nadatani-Mendez said. “Bill passed away from cancer.”
Nadatani-Mendez said she met Tosheff eight years ago when she was coaching community basketball.
“He used to like going to watch the neighborhood kids,” Emura said. “That’s where we met Coach Sandi.”
Nadatani-Mendez said she even had the privilege of coaching Tosheff’s granddaughter Leah Emura when Leah played at the junior varsity level.
Nadatani-Mendez and the Red Raider girls depart for the state Division II championship fight today after winning the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation title in two post-season playoff games against the tenacious Menehune.
Team members will also have the spirit of Bill Tosheff and the NBA packed in their bags.
Kaua‘i High School earned the No. 4 seed at the state tournament and will take the floor Thursday against the winner of the Seabury Hall and Honoka‘a match-up from Wednesday.
