The San Diego Hoops basketball league celebrated an end to the 2003 season with their annual awards banquet on Monday, June 9. Team and individual awards were handed out in a variety of categories along with the announcement of this season’s all-star team and the election of new league officers. This year’s banquet was held at Lips. Following cocktail hour and a dinner the awards presentation began and individual awards were doled out.

Voting for individual awards was open to all of the players in the league. The first award of the evening was handed out to Richard Stevenson of the Lips basketball team for Most Improved Player. The “But I did sleep at a Holiday Inn” award, which always needs some explanation to the new players in the league, is given out to the player who may not look the part, but shows up to play every week and contributes to his or her team. This year the award went out to Moe Martinez.

The Best Hustle award, which was clarified at the awards ceremony as “Best hustle on the court” went to Brandon Culley of Powerhouse Gym, and the Drama Queen award went to Robert Wiggins, due in part to a performance at a game where he fouled out on a technical in the first seven minutes of the game.

The “Never met a shot I didn’t like” award went to Brian Jinings of Nothing but Net. Net may have finished last place in the league this season, but Jinings was consistently one of the top scorers in the league, week in and week out.

Defensive player of the year went to Paul Demke of Morgan Stanley. Dwight Dunn of league champions Moby Dick’s not only took home the Offensive Player of the Year award, but also the league MVP trophy.

The Friend of the League award went out to Harold Kane, who photographed teams all season and at the Hillcrest Classic Tournament over Presidents’ Day weekend. The final individual award of the night was the Jeremy Parrish Spirit Award, named for a 21-year-old member of the league who was killed in a car accident four years ago. Parrish’s mother, Sharlee Middlebrook, presented the award to Jose Cruz.

The 2003 All Star team was also named. Dwight Dunn, Dustin Mears, Jose Renteria, Bryan Leigh, Paul Demke, Jackson Addington and Stuart Leung were picked as the top seven players in the league this year.

Stepping down as league commissioner this year was Mike Letendre, who was serving his second term. Among his accomplishments was establishing the league’s non-profit status as a 501(c)3 and expanding the league to include nine teams.

“We don’t provide a service, we provide a bridge for individuals who may not be aware of who they are or may be uncertain of who they are but like to participate in sports,” Letendre said. “This is a good way where they can participate and still be with their gay friends and gay community even though when we get on the court it’s all about the game.… Sure there are a few comments and a few pats on the behind which are more than athletic … [but] the fact of the matter is, it’s somewhere they can go and not be ridiculed because they are going there to play basketball. It just makes it that much more comfortable that they are amongst gay comrades and friends.”

The new league officials were also elected. Taking over as the new commissioner is Bonnie Koerner. Assistant commissioner will be David Valenzuela, and completing the league board will be Dwight Dunn as secretary, Scott Ogden as treasurer and John Gore as tournament director. Andre Lalias will remain the league webmaster.

As their first order of business, the new league board called for a vote to expand rosters from seven players to eight players next year. Last season the league voted to go from eight players to seven, but that proved to be problematic, with some players being out of town, and many teams winding up playing short-handed this year. As the league continues to grow they are hoping to move to a larger gym facility where they can play multiple games at the same time, but in the meantime open gym nights will resume at the Golden Hills Recreation Center later this summer.