Want a ‘Hoop Dreams’ souvenir? Shuttered suburban Catholic school at center of documentary is auctioning everythingMitch Dudekon July 14, 2021 at 5:55 pm

The documentary film “Hoop Dreams” made a big splash when it was released in 1994.

And now fans can buy a keepsake — but the window to do so is closing.

Sporting equipment — and pretty much everything else from the suburban Catholic school that served as the film’s backdrop — is being sold in an online auction.

St. Joseph High School in Westchester closed permanently at the end of the school year and items ranging from basketball hoops to science lab equipment are on the block.

The online auction went live June 30 and the sale of most school-related assets is closing Wednesday. The sale of most sports-related assets closes Thursday.

All bidding prices start at $1.

The documentary followed the basketball dreams of Willliam Gates and Arthur Agee as they sought to overcome life challenges and make a name for themselves on the court.

Basketballs, nets, scoreboards, and banners — including one that went up to retire the number of former NBA great Isiah Thomas, who graduated from St. Joseph in 1979 — are on the block.

“There’s a lot of nostalgic and memorabilia items and quite a few alumni are actively participating, looking to pick up memories,” said Charles Winternitz, president of the fourth-generation, Chicago-based auction house that bears his family name.

“We have over 500 people bidding at the auction,” he said.

Side note: Winternitz is also auctioning items from the now-closed Southport Lanes bowling alley that for decades hosted drinking and rollers at its location not far from Wrigley Field.

The iconic sign that hung over the front door is up to about $3,000, he said.

Read More