Town renames basketball courts after fallen marine

Oceanside’s Gregory T. Buckley Jr. could be found shooting hoops on the basketball courts of Oceanside Park with his brothers and father, from the time he was 5 years old until he shipped off to Afghanistan as a U.S. Marine. Now, on the 10-year anniversary of the Gregory T. Buckley Jr. Basketball Tournament, the courts, which became his “happy place” over the years, will bear his name.

To honor his life and service to his country, the Town of Hempstead renamed the basketball courts after him.

“Today is about preserving Greg Jr.’s legacy, it’s not about all of us that are here sweating on this basketball court,” Hempstead Town Councilman Anthony D’Esposito said during the July 17 renaming ceremony. “What it’s about is the future generation of Town of Hempstead and Oceanside residents and the young children who decades from now are going to walk onto this basketball court and look at the sign and ask, ‘Who was Greg Buckley?’ They’re going to jump on their iPhones and Google him and they’re going to realize he was a young man from Oceanside who played on these very courts who left the community for something far greater than any of us could ever imagine. He suited up and went into the battlefield and in the process gave his life for this great nation.”

Town Supervisor Don Clavin added, “We are here today to honor an exceptional Town of Hempstead hero, one who gave his life for our entire country. Renaming at the basketball court at Oceanside Park is an earnest way to honor Lance Cpl. Gregory T. Buckley Jr.’s important legacy here in America’s largest township.”

Buckley enlisted in the Marines at age 17, going on to eventually serve in Afghanistan. While on tour, he had just celebrated his 21st birthday and was scheduled to come home for a visit when he was fatally shot by an Afghan police officer on Aug. 10, 2012. His death was mourned not only by the local Oceanside community but nationally as well, and his funeral service drew thousands. He was posthumously awarded a Purple Heart and the street in Oceanside where he resided was renamed Lance Cpl. Gregory T. Buckley Drive.

He was known as a star player on the Oceanside High School basketball team and to honor his life and service, as well as his love of the sport of basketball, the tournament was created.

“Ten years ago, all his friends and I thought it would be a good idea to honor him doing what he loved,” his father, Gregory Buckley Sr., said. “A 10-year anniversary is always great but this year it fell on his birthday. July 17th is his birthday; he would have been 31 years of age today.”

Tournament participants would register a team of four, playing a three-on-three game, with the winning teams advancing to the next bracket for the chance to vie for medals and trophies.

Buckley Jr.’s classmate and friend, Markiquse Chess, came out to make sure that his name would never be forgotten.

“We spent a lot of time here growing up in the neighborhood and the basketball court was always a place where we played and hung out,” Chess said. “This year, being the 10th year and with everything going on with COVID and where we are as a world, it’s good to come together for a good cause and be reminded of Greg and all those who serve and dedicate their lives to make sure we can continue to do stuff like this.”

Chess’ girlfriend, Shelby Stephenson, travelled from Montreal, Canada for the tournament and honored him through her art, which she donated as a gift to the family.

“Greg was a huge part of Markiquse’s life and he told me about his story and when he told me about the tournament, I wanted to honor him,” Stephenson said. “He showed me this photo of him in his uniform, so I went ahead with it. I’m trying to capture his eyes; I only used color in his eyes because it’s such a powerful photo on its own being in his uniform but adding the color to his eyes, it adds a lot of personality. What happened to him is unreal and is such a powerful story. I wish I had the chance to meet him.”

His former Oceanside High School basketball coach, Dan Keegan, remembered Buckley Jr. as a great sport.

“Greg was a great guy to coach because he had fun,” Keegan said. “Yeah, it’s about competing, but he never lost sight of the fact that it was just a game and it should be fun and that’s always something his teammates were able to hang on to. Nobody loved playing basketball more than Greg and when people tried to make it more serious than it should be, he was a great reminder that it was just a game and it’s about making lifelong friendships.”

The Gregory T. Buckley Jr. Basketball Courts at Oceanside Park are located at 3800 Mahlon Brower Drive.