Kameros, Archie

Arthur Kameros

Kameros was a four-year starting center for LIU-Brooklyn in the mid-1930s and a key member of the basketball team that emerged as a powerhouse under coach Clair Bee. According to basketball historian Peter Bjarkman in his book Hoopla: A Century of College Basketball, Kameros was Bee's "first quality player." An outstanding rebounder and one of the best centers in the last years of the center jump era, Kameros led the Blackbirds to records of 27-1 in 1934 and 24-2 in 1935 (he was captain that year), and helped lay the foundation for one of the greatest college basketball programs of the 1930s and 1940s.

Although he played for one of the best teams in the East during his final two seasons, Kameros said his father, a Russian immigrant who worked as a tailor, never saw him play. Still, like many other immigrant parents, Archie's father did not discourage him from playing because he trusted that basketball would not interfere with school. After graduating from LIU in 1935, Kameros attended Columbia University School of Dentistry, earning his degree in 1939. Two years later, Archie joined the U.S. Army during World War II. An officer with the Tenth Armored Division, Kameros won the Bronze Star during the war.

Upon his return to New York City after the war, Archie set up a dental practice on the Lower East Side and established a free dental clinic at a settlement house. An active member in the Jewish War Veterans organization, Kameros practiced dentistry on the Lower East Side for forty years. After retiring in the early 1980s, Archie moved to Florida. On June 27, 2003, Kameros passed away at the age of 89.

Birth and Death Dates:
b. Oct. 7, 1913 - d. June 27, 2003

Career Highlights:
Born on New York's Lower East Side to Russian immigrant parents, Kameros began playing basketball as a child at a local settlement house. A soccer star while at Seward Park High School, he suited up for the basketball team, but never played a game. After he graduated from Seward Park, Kameros enrolled at the Long Island University (LIU) Brooklyn campus because he could not afford a more expensive school (his parents had to borrow money to send him to LIU). In the fall of 1931, the 6�4� Kameros was seen on campus by new head basketball coach, Clair Bee, who had just arrived from Rider College. Although Bee had brought along his starting center, when he saw Kameros, he sent his old player back to Rider and made Archie the starting center of the varsity basketball team.

During the 1932 and 1933 seasons, Kameros was one of the school's few good players as LIU struggled to make a name for itself in the hotbed of New York City college basketball. Toward the end of the 1933 season, Kameros was joined on the team by forward Willie Schwartz, a great natural shooter. LIU then participated in a six-game "charity carnival" at Madison Square Garden that helped precipitate the era of doubleheaders at the Garden. During the series, Kameros was held scoreless and LIU lost to St. Francis, 19-10. Kameros explained that the loss, which capped off a poor season for LIU, caused Bee great distress. The coach was determined to make LIU into a winner. In 1934, coach Bee brought in his first great recruiting class to LIU as Jewish players Jules Bender (an outstanding shooter), Ben Kramer (a strong defensive presence), Leo Merson (a magnificent guard off the bench), and Phil "Fishy" Rabinowitz (a flashy scorer) joined the team during the course of the year. With Kameros remaining as starting center, LIU piled up the points and became the top scoring team in the East. During the season, LIU dominated their opponents, but were not given the respect Bee and his players desired because their lopsided wins came against mediocre teams. In the middle of the season, however, the squad defeated George Washington and the New York Evening Post declared that LIU was "...worthy of real respect and must be ranked with the major teams of the season." (January 13, 1934)

Others refused to give the Blackbirds (so nicknamed because Bee gave his players black uniforms and red trim on the shoes -- the school colors were blue and white) their due, because they allowed freshmen to play on the varsity squad while most other major programs did not. Coach Bee, who also served as the school's Athletic Director, adopted a three-year schedule during the 1934 season, and LIU found finally itself accepted as an opponent by major colleges. The opportunity to play the top echelon of competition had finally arrived for Kameros and his teammates. Ironically, it was a loss to rival St. John's during the season that silenced LIU's critics.

Against one of the best teams in the East, the Blackbirds lost by a mere four points (32-28), and St. John's "had to be perfect because a team that was merely good never would have beaten LIU." (New York Evening Post, February 15, 1934) Kameros was praised for his defensive work (he also scored five points) and LIU lost their only game of the year. The 1934 season saw the Blackbirds finish 27-1 and finally gain the respect they deserved for their outstanding play. Kameros finished fourth on the team, and fifth in the Metropolitan area, with 207 points, and was named All-Metropolitan honorable mention.

In 1935, Kameros' senior year, he was unanimously selected as team captain (he was also the Vice President of the Student Council), and the Blackbirds continued their ascent to the summit of college basketball. That LIU team was often compared to one the greatest Eastern teams in history, the 1931 St. John's "Wonder Five." LIU lost only twice in 1935, compiling a 24-2 record on the season. Kameros continued his strong play and finished fifth on the team in scoring with 131 points (20th in the Met area). During his career, Archie missed only one game in four seasons with the Blackbirds. At the end of the year, Kameros played on a team of college All-Stars against a professional team, the Brooklyn Jewels (the game was a benefit for the Talmud Torah Adath Jeshuran in Brooklyn).

After graduating from LIU, Kameros attended Columbia Dental School and occasionally played professionally. He explained that he was lucky to get into the school because the Dean knew he played basketball and made Archie promise he would not play professionally while in school. Kameros did not play professionally in New York City while at Columbia, but he played in upstate New York, including one game with the great Honey Russell in Albany. Kameros explained, however, that he did not continue his basketball career after the late 1930s because there was little money to be made. Instead, he established a dental practice on the Lower East Side and ran a free dental clinic at a local settlement house.

Origin:
New York City

Career Dates:
Kameros played center at Long Island University from 1932-35.

Physical description:
6'4", 215 pounds

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