The University of British Columbia Athletics

Langley, BC - Former UBC men's basketball head coach Bruce Enns and current men's basketball assistant coach Spencer McKay were among the 2014 class of inductees into the Basketball BC Hall of Fame. The pair were enshrined at the Hall of Fame Gala Saturday night at the Langley Events Centre.

Coach Category

In the coach category Basketball BC is proud to induct Bruce Enns. Bruce is considered to be the main architect in the rebuild of the UBC Thunderbirds to a national contender on his arrival at the Point Grey Campus in 1985.  His regular season record was 154-100 and he coached the team to four Canada West Championships and 4 national appearances.  At UBC he was named CIAU coach of the year three times. Bruce worked internationally as assistant coach of the men's team under three different coaches, was head coach of the Syrian national team and coached in both Austria and Germany as head coach.  More recently Bruce has coached with the Women's National team staff for wheelchair basketball.

Player Category

Larry Street has made an impact in basketball throughout the province and particularly on Vancouver Island.  As a coach he has been involved for over 35 years including the only coach to take 5 different high schools to the AAA provincial championships.  He also coached numerous Basketball BC teams including Western Canada Games teams, and other provincial boys and girls teams.  Larry has given over 900 clinics throughout the province and is currently a certified NCCP clinician.  Larry has served on many Boards and committees including years of service with Basketball BC.  The winner of many many awards and recognitions, Larry continues to coach as well as work for basketball and will be inducted as a Builder.

Bob Burtwell played high school basketball at King George and continued his athletic career as a baseball catcher at the University of Washington.  Bob joined the famous Vancouver Meralomas basketball team which won the Canadian Championship on 1947.  That team also toured the Phillipines returning to change their name to the Vancouver Clover Leafs and won 3 Nationals in 1948, '49 and '50.  Bob joined the BC Totems for the 1956 Olympic qualifying tournament that they won and represented Canada at the Olympics in Melbourne.  Bob was named co-captain along with Bob Pickel (a BBC Hall of Famer).  Following the Olympics Bob continued to play and coach with the Vancouver Grocers.  Bob will be inducted in the Athlete category

Also in the Athlete category is Spencer McKay.  Spencer's tremendous career began after high school with the University of Victoria where he was a Canada West all-star 5 consecutive years.  In 3 of those years he was All Canadian.  He is the U Vic all time leading scorer averaging 18.4 p/g and he played with the Canadian National team from 1985-95 representing our country in a variety of international events.  Spencer finished his playing career playing for 16 years professionally in Europe, Mexico and the Far East.  Spencer continues his basketball career as a coach, presently as the assistant coach at UBC.

Team Category

The 1954/55 Alberni Athletics developed out of the small Vancouver Island mill town in the late 1940's to become a dynasty in Canadian Senior Men's basketball.  Legacy names such as George "Porky" Andrews, Fred Bishop, Elmer Speidel and Al Brown led the development until in 1955 when this team defeated the Clover Leafs in Provincials, Edmonton in Westerns and Sault St. Marie in the Canadians.  Ron Bissett, Doug Brinham and John Kootnekoff followed and the team continued success through 1965.

The 1954/55 Vancouver Eilers dominated senior women's basketball in the '40's and 50's.  In 1955 they won the provincial championship and represented Canada at the Pan Am Games as a club team dealing with no funding, lack of practice times, non-English speaking referees, different rules and a host of other obstacles that led to greater understanding and preparation by future teams. Returning to Canada shortly thereafter they won Canadian Nationals for the 6th consecutive year.

Official's Category

In the Official's category Basketball BC will be inducting Michael (Mike) Thomson. Mike is one of the most recognized officials in Canada and as a representative of Canada throughout the world, having officiated for 34 years including 19 as an international official.  His officiating has taken him to numerous National Championships at all levels, NAIA and NCAA conferences, World University Games, numerous international tours and to the Sydney Olympics where he proudly called the quarter final and the Men's 5th place game.  Mike has been and remains active in numerous officiating groups.