A championship ring may not define the greatness of a basketball player, but the flash of diamonds sure can tell a story.
On May 20, a set of rings brought the story of one of Plant City High School’s most revered sports teams back into the spotlight.
The 1982 boys basketball team, which won the Class 4A state title, was honored that night in a special ceremony held at the Florida Strawberry Festival’s Expo Hall. The team already had trophies to show for its hard work that year, but, until then, no one had received a championship ring in the 35 years that passed. A group of citizens, led by Danny McIntyre and Yvonne Fry, worked to change that.
“Thirty-five years later, I don’t think we could have waited much longer,” guard Horace Broadnax said in a speech delivered at the event. “Not that we needed the rings but, understand, we’re getting old.”
Open to the public with a ticket purchase, Plant City basketball fans got to relive the 1982 team’s experience through several mediums.
Every article written about the team that appeared in the Plant City Courier and Tampa Tribune was clipped out, blown up and displayed along a makeshift wall of curtains. Team members signed their names on each one, and many paused to read the stories in full.
After dinner, a documentary about the team, put together by Fryed Egg Productions, told the story of the 1982 season through members of the team and head coach Jimmy Smith, who was also the ceremony’s keynote speaker.
Players spoke highly of Smith and their teammates, telling funny and heartwarming stories. Through the players’ stories, the video covered everything from the district championship game to the locally revered 73-61 win over Jacksonville-Forrest to win the championship.
After speeches from Broadnax, who spoke of the team’s impact on the community, and Smith, who spoke of keeping children at Plant City High School, Smith and all 14 of his former players took the stage for the highlight of the night.
“We’ve waited a long time for this ring,” guard Suarez Worth said. “Now that we’ve got it, I don’t think we would trade this moment for the world. I think the 35 years were well worth the wait. We want to thank everybody who played a part in this ceremony, played a part in getting us this ring.”
Before Mayor Rick Lott presented the team with the rings, he bestowed another gift: a proclamation on behalf of the city of Plant City.
In his speech, Lott said 1982 was a time when the city was coming out of a bad recession, which made the team’s accomplishments all the more meaningful at the time.
“This team gave us some hope, it gave us some character, it gave us something to live for and it gave us some pride,” Lott said.
But Lott’s time on the stage wasn’t finished after delivering the proclamation, for the basketball team had a surprise for him. It presented Lott with a proclamation of his own, naming him the honorary “15th man” on the team, which meant that he, too, would walk out of the building with a big silver ring on his finger.
“They definitely surprised me,” Lott said. “I’m just thrilled that these guys consider me a friend. They’re great gentlemen and good, community-minded citizens … tonight was about them, though. Not me.”
Though the players were content with their own memories of the state championship run with or without rings, they were glad to see that their grandest accomplishment is still a point of pride for Plant City Raiders past and present.
“It’s very humbling just to know that people still remember,” forward Greg Gillman said. “It was a very influential time in my life, it was very influential for my teammates and I really appreciate how the city has come together and honored us in this fashion.”