Bronx, N.Y. - Three basketball legends with ties to the Philadelphia, including Fordham Hall of Famer Johnny Bach, area have been selected to receive the Lapchick Character Award.
 
They will be presented the award at a luncheon in New York on November 18 at the Wyndham, New Yorker Hotel, celebrating the life of Joe Lapchick, a Hall of Fame coach with St. John's and the New York Knicks, who was known for his compassion and integrity off the court.
 
Bach, who passed away in January at age 91, played and coached at Fordham before leading Penn State and he went on to be considered one of the top NBA assistants and he was an integral part of the Chicago Bulls' dynasty in the 1990s.
 
Bach, who played some professional basketball after graduation, received an important piece of advice from Lapchick. Bach had been offered the coaching job at his alma mater and was contemplating the career change.
 
``I spoke with the legendary St. John's coach Joe Lapchick, and told him I didn't think I was ready to be a coach,'' Bach wrote. ``Coach Lapchick told me, `John, none of us were ready to coach.'''
 
The all-time winningest coach in Fordham University basketball history, Bach led the Rams to five NIT appearances and a pair of NCAA berths in 18 seasons, compiling a 263-193 career record.  
 
Bach was inducted into the Fordham Athletic Hall of Fame in 1974.
 
Bach will be honored along with Herb Magee, who has won more than 1,000 games at Philadelphia University, and Marianne Stanley, who played on the famed Immaculata women's team of the 1970s.
 
Magee has been involved with the Philadelphia program for 57 years as a player and coach. He enters his 50th season with the Rams with 1,032 wins. The Rams have made 29 NCAA Tournament appearances, winning the NCAA College Division title in 1970.
 
Stanley won three AIAW titles as a player at Immaculata from 1972-74, playing for Lapchick winner Cathy Rush. She won another two AIAW titles as coach at Old Dominion as well the NCAA title in 1985.
 
The Lapchick Award was first presented in 2008. Previous winners include Naismith Hall of Famers Mike Krzyzewski, Lou Carnesecca, Dean Smith, Pat Summitt, John Thompson Jr., Bob Hurley Sr., Pete Carril, Jody Conradt, Rush, Morgan Wootten, Pete Newell, C.M. Newton, Don Haskins and Kay Yow.
 
For information on the dinner go to www.characteraward.com.