Former NBA player Spud Webb will be guest speaker at 2024 Rochester Sports Banquet
Oct. 24—ROCHESTER — Spud Webb, a diminutive and dynamic former NBA player, will be the guest speaker at the 2024 Rochester Sports Banquet.
The annual banquet highlights and honors the top area amateur athletes, coaches and teams for their performance during the 2023 sports year. The banquet will be held Jan. 15, 2024 at the Rochester International Event Center.
Webb played for 12 seasons in the NBA, the first six with the Atlanta Hawks, despite being just 5-foot-6. He had a 42-inch jump and despite his size, he was the 1986 winner of the NBA Slam Dunk Contest.
"We believe that Spud will have a great message with his perseverance in height," executive director of Rochester Sports Matt Esau said. "He overcame the odds to succeed in that league and became a good player."
Webb defied the odds his entire basketball career. Told he was too small to play, he could dunk when he was 5-foot-3. He averaged 26 points a game as a senior in high school. After playing at a junior college, he played for legendary coach Jim Valvono at North Carolina State University.
Webb went on to average 9.9 points and 5.3 assists per game in his NBA career. He spent part of the 1995-96 season with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Webb excelled at shooting free throws. He led the NBA by hitting 93.4% from the line in 1994-95 and shot 84.8% for his career.
"We are excited to have him," Esau said.
This will be the 18th year of the Rochester Sports Banquet and Webb becomes the first player to speak at the event who played in the NBA. Former WNBA player Lindsay Whalen is a former guest speaker.
"And we've had a lot of (speakers) from the region or area lately and we wanted to bring in someone from outside the area," Esau said. "(It's) an exciting opportunity for the community to come out and buy a ticket and see Spud Webb speak and tell his story."
Former Minnesota Vikings linebacker Ben Leber spoke at the event in 2023.
Tickets for the event will go on sale on Dec. 4. They can be purchased on the Rochester Sports website at
The finalists for the 2024 banquet will be released in early December.
