‘THE MAYOR OF SCRANTON’: Gerry McNamara’s illustrious Syracuse career is finally honored with jersey retirement

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uadir Copeland told Gerry McNamara not to cry.

“Stay gangsta coach,” SU’s freshman guard told McNamara as he walked onto the court following Syracuse’s 72-63 win over Wake Forest. He knew McNamara wasn’t an emotional person, but he could see the tears swelling in McNamara’s eyes.

The scrappy kid from Scranton, Pennsylvania was heading out for a post game ceremony to watch his No. 3 jersey raised into the rafters at the JMA Wireless Dome.

The video board flashed McNamara’s highlights. The video showed an undersized, lights-out shooter who took over Syracuse in his freshman year, a guard whose fiery explosion of talent culminated in a dog pile after beating Kansas at the end of a magical 2002-03 season. McNamara was a fighter, and it only felt right that he’d see his number retired on the 20th anniversary of Syracuse’s national-championship-winning year.

McNamara is in the midst of his 15th season as a coach for the Orange. He became the 17th Syracuse basketball player to have his number retired on Saturday, with his jersey now hanging next to Hakim Warrick and Carmelo Anthony, who committed to SU in the same week as McNamara. McNamara finished his four seasons with the Orange ranking first all-time in 3-point shots made and minutes played. He finished as the fourth all-time leading scorer, third in assists and third in steals.

Gerry McNamara lifts his newly retired jersey into the air in the JMA Wireless Dome. Meghan Hendricks | Photo Editor

“It was never on my mind as a player,” McNamara said about getting his jersey retired. “It was just always about winning, and I’m proud of my career because that’s all I stood for.”

McNamara, dubbed “The Mayor of Scranton,” had a litany of offers out of high school. While the distance from Pennsylvania to central New York helped, he ultimately chose the Orange because of the relationship he developed with then-assistant coach Mike Hopkins. McNamara made the short trip up to campus a few times prior to his commitment, and enjoyed the familiarity of the campus and the coaching staff. Preston Shumpert was graduating, and Hopkins told McNamara that he’d be SU’s starting point guard.

It felt like he was playing at home. The moment was never too big for McNamara, a freshman leading a young Syracuse lineup that featured just one senior.

McNamara quickly burst onto the scene, averaging 13.3 points per game through 35.7% 3-point shooting in his first year. He became SU’s go-to shooter in the clutch, routinely hitting shots in key situations. Shots like the game winning 3 to beat Notre Dame became inked in history — a staple found in a career that accumulated more than 400 3-pointers. On Syracuse’s NCAA Tournament run he averaged 13.3 points per game. In the national championship game, he poured in 18 points on 6-of-10 shooting from beyond the arc.

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“I had a good career, but the fact that I was always going to be tied to that first year and the national championship, that’s such a special, unique situation,” McNamara said.

Today, pulling up from beyond the arc is common, but that wasn’t basketball back then, Warrick said. But McNamara’s game was based around his unique ability to stop on a dime and score on a pullup three. On his senior night, the Dome was packed with nearly 6,000 people from his hometown. A similar number showed up on Saturday afternoon to watch his name get stamped in Syracuse history.

The whole 2003 team, which head coach Jim Boeheim called the best group of players he’s ever coached, hadn’t been together for years. Most of them are fathers now, some entered the collegiate coaching ranks and one — Anthony — had a likely Hall of Fame career in the NBA.

Copeland called McNamara “a dog” who could shoot from anywhere on the court.

“Seeing him be fearless, make those shots, make those tough shots, it just made you want to go out there and play harder,” Warrick said.

Before SU revealed McNamara’s jersey retirement back in November, McNamara was told one day before practice that he was going to be mic’d up. It didn’t phase him — he thought it was just going to be another media piece for the school website.

Boeheim ended practice and called him to watch the video board with the team. A jersey announcement video played. McNamara wasn’t surprised.“This has to be my jersey,” McNamara said.

But Saturday was different. McNamara’s family was behind him watching the No. 3 enshrined in Syracuse history forever. Over 24,000 fans were there to celebrate him and Warrick. His teammates from that 2003 season stood behind him.

“Stay gangsta coach,” Copeland said.