Sport: Basketball
Born: June 12, 1935
Died: July 5, 2021
Town: Jersey City, New Jersey
Dominick A. Flora was born June 12, 1935 in Jersey City, NJ. Dom learned to play basketball on the playgrounds and in the gyms of Jersey City. He blended slick, flashy ball handing with an accurate jumpshot. For much of his career at Dickinson High School, he faced double-teams every time down the court. If he didn’t find an open shot or an open teammate, he was a master at drawing fouls and became a deadly free-throw shooter. A gifted all-around athlete, Dom also starred on the baseball diamond as a shortstop and pitcher.
Dom earned a scholarship to Washington & Lee and started as a freshman. He teamed with upper classman Lee Marshall to give the Generals a formidable one-two scoring punch. In the early 1950s, breaking the 2,000-point barrier during a collegiate career was considered quite a feat. In four years, Dom netted 2,310 and averaged just over 21 points per game. Dom also starred on the Washington & Lee baseball squad.
In 1956–57, Dom was selected All-Southern Conference in basketball. As a senior in 1957–58, he was the conference Player of the Year and earned All-America honorable mention in a season when Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor and Oscar Robertson also were picked. Dom graduated as the fifth-highest scorer in NCAA history.
Ranked among the top point guards in the NBA draft, Dom was selected by the Boston Celtics in the fourth round with the 31st overall pick. With a Hall of Fame backcourt blocking his path, he had almost no chance of cracking the Boston lineup, however. In the end, Dom never played a minute in the NBA. Instead, he suited up for the Akron Wingfoots in the semipro National Industrial Basketball League, a remnant of the old NBL.
After his playing days, Dom became a salesman for Goodyear and kept his hand in sports in a number of ways. When the World Football League began play in 1974, he went to work for the Portland Thunder. After the WFL folded, he moved back to New Jersey and headed up the marketing department for the New York Cosmos. Dom continued to work in the soccer business until his retirement.
In 1989, Dom was part of the second class of inductees in the Washington & Lee Hall of Fame. He passed away in 2021.