Larry Goldsborough was a star basketball player, a first-team All-Public selection and a rare three-year starter at Overbrook High School in the late 1940’s. As Captain of the Panthers, he led Overbrook to the Public League Basketball Championship in 1948.
Following the basketball season in his senior year, Goldsborough was honored with the prestigious William Markward Award as the outstanding high school basketball player/scholar in Philadelphia. Goldsborough is the only Jewish high school basketball player ever to have received the Markward Award which includes all Philadelphia high school players from both the Public and Catholic Leagues. The Award is named for the legendary Roman Catholic High coach Billy Markward. Goldsborough also owns the distinction of being the second ever recipient of this high honor. Others who followed him in winning the award read like a veritable “Who’s Who” of Philadelphia basketball legends: Tom Gola, Ernie Beck, Guy Rodgers, Joe Bryant, Wayne Hightower, Walt Hazzard, Matt Goukas Jr. and the incomparable Wilt Chamberlain.
The Overbrook High School Alumni Association also honored Goldsborough with the William Mayer Award for scholarship and all-around outstanding student qualities. While in high school, he also played in the Jewish Basketball League and was named its Most Valuable Player in 1947.
Goldsborough attended Cornell University where he played on the Big Red’s undefeated freshman basketball team and led them in scoring. He then went on to play three years on Cornell’s varsity and continued as a valuable player in what came to be recognized as the “golden years” of Cornell basketball. In his junior season, the Big Red had a record of 20 wins and 5 losses and was ranked within the top fifteen teams in the nation.
After serving in the U.S. Army for two years, Goldsborough went to law school at Penn and practiced for over 40 years in partnership with former Temple star Stan Gordon, his long-time friend and fellow teammate at Overbrook. Today, Goldborough lives with his wife in Philadelphia.
