With great sadness, the Manitoba Basketball Hall of Fame and Basketball Manitoba share the news of the passing of Grant “Scooter” Alfonso.
Scooter was a fixture in Junior and Senior Men’s basketball throughout the 1950s,1960s and into the 1970s. He was, as they say, tough as nails and, at about 5’7”, continually took on much bigger opposition. During his time, he was considered one the most skilled players to play the point-guard position. A perennial all-star, he was not only a great playmaker but also a prolific scorer. He was a member of the Canadian Junior Men's Championship W.L.I. (Winnipeg Light Infantry) Team in 1953 and the Canadian Senior Men's National Championship St. Andrews Super Saints Team in 1972. He was named Rookie-of-the-Year in the Senior League with King's Best in 1954 and was an All-Star with the Kodiaks, Carlings, and IPAC. He won a silver medal at the first Canadian Winter Games in 1967 and was a 3-time tournament All-Star at the Canadian National Senior Tournaments. He was
inducted into our Manitoba Basketball Hall of Fame in 1985.
Grant was a successful businessman in Winnipeg for many years before moving to Kelowna, British Columbia, where he operated a cherry orchard and, not surprisingly, did much of the heavy work himself. He died in Kelowna this past week at age 93. Our sincere sympathies go out to his family, friends and teammates. To say Scooter was one of a kind would be a major understatement, he will be remembered, and he will be missed by many.
