Dave Bonner spent countless hours watching basketball games in Concord High’s gym. On Wednesday, Concord honored his legacy by officially anointing its summer league as the “Dave Bonner Memorial Summer Basketball League.”
The league has brought together Manchester Central, Manchester West, Manchester Memorial, Merrimack Valley, ConVal and Concord High for five weeks.
It’s the first time Concord has hosted this tournament, but Athletic Director Steve Largy wants it to be a permanent fixture. It’s what Dave Bonner would have wanted for Concord basketball.
“Dave Bonner was all about community, and it was all about putting kids first at the center of it,” Largy said on Wednesday, before Concord’s match against ConVal.
While Bonner’s kids, Matt, Becky and Luke, played at Concord High, both the boys’ and girls’ teams were consistently among the best in the state. In recent years, the teams have struggled to live up to the high standards the Bonners set in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
In an effort to grow the programs, the Dave Bonner Summer League also aims to get Concord’s teams more playing experience and prepare them for the seasons ahead.
“We want this to continue for a long time as a part of his legacy,” Largy added.
Concord currently sits at 4-3 in the standings in fourth place after Wednesday, with one more week left to play in the regular season. Merrimack Valley has struggled and has gone 0-7 so far. Playoffs will begin on Monday, July 27.
Dave Bonner died in May.