There are many famous father-son duos in sports. In baseball, Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr., along with Bobby and Barry Bonds, had a tremendous impact on the sport for two generations. College basketball is another sport where legacy can mean a lot, especially in terms of father and son pairings. The most famous father-son duo in college hoops history is arguably Dell and Stephen Curry, who are one of two pairs of fathers and sons to score at least 2,000 points apiece in NCAA history. The other has drawn far less acclaim but was equally effective, with Iona's
Steve Burtt Sr. '84 and
Steve Burtt Jr. '06 joining the Curry's for a unique spot in college basketball lore.
Burtt Sr played at Iona from 1980-1984, where he became the school's all time-leading scorer and was selected in the second round of the NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors. The elder Burtt played professionally for 16 years, spending time with NBA franchises like the Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, and Phoenix Suns but also enjoying success in Italy after his days in the NBA were done. Burtt Sr. experienced tremendous success in Italy, and was even the Italian League's top scorer in 1997. All of that basketball rubbed off on Burtt's son, also named Steve, who used to travel with his father and experience some of the basketball life.
Burtt Jr's first memory of his dad's basketball career came in 1992, when Burtt Sr. was a member of the Suns. A trip to Phoenix for Easter vacation let Burtt Jr. hang out with some of his father's teammates, including point guard Kevin Johnson, who was one of Burtt's favorite players besides his father. When it came time to pick a college, Burtt was obviously pitched Iona by his dad, but made the choice to come to New Rochelle in part because of assistant coach Tony Child. "Having my dad go there and a close family friend being one of the assistant coaches," Burtt Jr said, "I just felt like I'd be in good hands".
Burtt Jr came to Iona in 2002, and he got to learn basketball from another legendary Gael in head coach
Jeff Ruland. Ruland, who spent 13 years in the NBA after leaving Iona in 1980, offered a pro perspective that helped Burtt Jr and his teammates grow into winners. Burtt's senior season at Iona was one of the finest in school history, as the Maroon & Gold went 23-7 during the regular season and had some impressive performances out of conference, winning a neutral court tournament hosted by Iowa State and narrowly losing to No. 19 ranked Kentucky at Rupp Arena in December of 2005. The Gaels were a highly powered offensive machine led by Burtt Jr., who averaged 25.2 points per game and knocked down 40.7% of his three point shots. Iona easily won the MAAC title to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Iona received a No. 13 seed that year and was matched up with LSU, a team featuring two future NBA players in Tyrus Thomas and Glen "Big Baby" Davis. That Tigers' squad would go on to the Final Four, but Iona actually led at the half of their first round matchup. "I thought we had them," Burtt said, "We came out strong, and they ended up going zone and they were a really big team, tall, long arms, and we struggled with that". LSU ended up winning that game and ending Burtt's Iona career, which saw him score 2,034 points in New Rochelle, second only to his father in school history.
While his four years in New Rochelle came to an end, his work ethic and demeanor on the court left an impact.
Vin Parise, current college basketball analyst and broadcaster, was an assistant coach under Ruland, still remembers how impactful a student-athlete Burtt Jr. was. "I never felt like I was coaching a college kid. It felt like I was coaching an NBA veteran. Steve was so self-motivated and demanded so much of himself, it made you better as a coach." Parise continues, "Steve would stay around for two hours after practice ended to watch film with the coaching staff on the next opponent. That is how dedicated Steve was."
Despite his incredible success at Iona, Burtt wasn't selected in the NBA Draft. However, he did have the opportunity to pursue a pro basketball career overseas. Burtt Jr. admits that it was a transition to enter the basketball world as a professional, where it was all business, but saw it as a tremendous opportunity to see the world in ways most people don't get to in their lifetime.
Burtt Jr. has certainly filled out his passport over the years, playing professionally in Spain, Cyprus, Ukraine, Russia, Israel, China, and Lebanon among many stops. Over the course of the current season, Burtt has been playing for the Rethymno Cretan Kings in Greece, where he leads the team in scoring with 18.4 points per game.
The success professionally is not a surprise to anyone who spent time around Burtt Jr. Parise notes, "Like his father, Steve had all the makings of a successful pro. He kept himself in amazing shape and his was game was suited for the pro style. He had a unique ability to create his own shot and score, and he committed to improve not matter how good he was."
After the Cretan Kings wrap up their season this month, Burtt Jr. is coming back to the United States to help represent Iona in a different way.
That comes courtesy of GaelNation, a team composed primarily of former Iona players that will be competing in the TBT Tournament, a basketball event that allows squads to enter for a chance to win up to $2 million. The team is composed primarily of recent Gaels' alumni, such as
Rickey McGill '19,
TK Edogi '18,
Zach Lewis '18,
Aaron Rountree '16, and
Taaj Ridley '13. Burtt has gotten to know some of the current Gaels when he has visited the school during summers, and also has a ton of praise for current coach
Tim Cluess, who Burtt Jr. says he would have loved to play for given his fast paced style of play.
"I'm excited to get to play with these guys," Burtt Jr. said, "I'm definitely excited for the opportunity to go out there and compete with them".
While Burtt Jr. is still writing his own basketball legacy, his father's is complete. Burtt Sr retired from basketball in 2000 and is currently teaching at the Bronx Collegiate Academy. Both Burtt's are currently members of Iona's Goal Club Hall of Fame, with the elder Burtt being inducted in 1992 and Burtt Jr achieving enshrinement in 2012.
Be sure to follow Iona College athletics on all social media platforms:
ICGaels: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube (Email Updates)
Iona Men's Basketball: Twitter, Facebook. Instagram and YouTube (Email Updates)
