When the NCAA tourney got canceled in March we entered a whole new world, which included a sports void the likes of which we have never seen before. The fine folks at ESPN came to the rescue in mid-April with “The Last Dance”, a 10-part miniseries about the 1998 Chicago Bulls and their quest to win a 6th NBA title in an 8-year span before Coach Phil Jackson and most of his star players all went their separate ways. While it has been comforting to spend the past several Sunday nights with behind-the-scenes stories from Steve Kerr/Scottie Pippen/Dennis Rodman, the star of the show as always is Michael Jordan. Even though the documentary concluded on May 17th, HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel has dug through his archives and discovered oodles of unpublished interviews about Jordan’s career, from his early days as the leading scorer for team USA at the 1983 Pan Am Games to a 55-PT playoff performance during Chicago’s final title run in 1998. We continue our trip down memory lane by chatting with Chris Dudley about playing pickup games against Jordan in North Carolina and later playing for Cleveland in the 1989 Eastern Conference 1st round when Jordan made his famous shot at the buzzer while hanging over Craig Ehlo in mid-air.
Your great-grandmother Anne was a leading activist in the women’s suffrage movement, your grandfather Guilford was US ambassador to Denmark under Presidents Nixon/Ford, and your parents/grandfather/uncle all went to Yale: did you feel more pressure to go to Yale or to continue your family’s history of success? I never received a hard sell on going to Yale even though my dad certainly wanted me to go there. It was not easy to get in so maybe that was the most pressure!
You were a 3-time 1st-team All-Ivy performer: how were you able to dominate throughout your college career? I was a classic late-bloomer. I entered as a skinny freshman but eventually started to fill out and had a great summer going into my 3rd year after my body caught up with me.
As a senior you averaged 13.3 RPG (#2 in the nation behind Pitt’s Jerome Lane): what was your secret for being a great rebounder? You just have to go after every ball and be relentless. You also can get a feel for where the ball is going. The key is getting position before the shot goes up and breaking away so that you can beat your opponent to the spot.
In the summer of 1987 you were drafted in the 4th round by Cleveland: did you see that as a validation of your college career, or the realization of a lifelong dream of reaching the NBA, or other? I knew that I was going to get drafted and it was a culmination of my hard work. There are no guarantees in the 4th round. I used to play down in North Carolina during the summers, which were some of the best pickup games in the country with guys like Michael Jordan/Brad Daugherty, so I knew that I could play pro basketball.
What are your memories of Game 5 of the 1989 Eastern Conference 1st round (after sweeping the Bulls 6-0 during the regular season, Michael Jordan scored 44 PTS in a 1-PT series-clinching win after making his famous shot at the buzzer while hanging over Craig Ehlo in mid-air)? I remember being on the bench: it was brutal. We had a great team that year with great chemistry and were actually the favorite: we had the best record in the league until Mark Price got hurt.
In April of 1990 you broke Wilt Chamberlain’s NBA record by missing 13 consecutive FT (and finished that year with a league-worst 31.9 FT%): were your problems at the FT line more mental, or physical, or a combination of both? I would say it was a combination. For whatever reason my shoulder gave me a hard time shooting a set-shot, and the physical part carried over and affected my confidence. Frankly, not getting to the line that often did not help me get into a rhythm.
When your Nets teammate Drazen Petrovic was killed in an auto accident in the spring of 1993 you traveled to Croatia for the funeral: how big a hero was Petrovic in his homeland, and what made him such a great player? This is true of most players: it comes back to their work ethic. We lived in the same apartment complex in Secaucus, NJ, and would share rides to games and work out together. He was such a hard worker because he was driven to succeed. He was a national hero in Croatia. I remember getting off of the plane and seeing soldiers walking around with Uzis but the outpouring of grief was unbelievable. I still remember the anguish in his mother’s voice.
What are your memories of Game 5 of the 1996 Western Conference 1st round with Portland (your team shot 33% from the field and had a 37-11 FT disparity in a 102-64 loss to Utah, which set a record for fewest PTS in a playoff game)? That was brutal, especially because we went into it with high expectations due to our momentum. Utah was always a tough place to play thanks to guys like John Stockton/Karl Malone.
Take me through the 1999 playoffs with Knicks:
In Game 5 of the Eastern Conference 1st round Allan Houston scored 12 PTS including a 14-foot runner off the rim/backboard with 0.8 seconds left in a 1-PT win over Miami on the road: where does that rank among the most clutch shots you have ever seen, and what was the feeling like in your locker room afterward? That Miami-New York series was such a big rivalry, with the history of Pat Riley leaving the Knicks in 1995 to coach the Heat. We were a big underdog but knew that we could beat them. It was 1 of the more memorable shots in NBA history in my mind. It was truly a team where the whole was greater than the sum of its parts. We liked each other and had each other’s backs.
In Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals Larry Johnson scored 26 PTS and made his famous 4-PT play with 5.7 seconds left in a 1-PT win over Indiana: did you think that the foul called on Antonio Davis was correct, and do you think that Jess Kersey should have allowed the basket to count due to continuation? Yes and yes…but I am biased. He had no business fouling him, and if you do then make sure he does not get the shot off! That place went wild and it was huge to win the game. Larry was 1 of the best teammates that I ever had.
You were the 1st #8-seed to ever make the Finals but you lost to the Spurs in 5 games: do you think that you could have won if Patrick Ewing had not missed the series with an Achilles tendon injury and Larry Johnson did not have an injured knee? San Antonio was a great team and they were rolling but I would have liked our chances if we were healthy. Chris Childs was hurting as well and I could not straighten my elbow.
You played 16 years in the NBA (which remains in the top-50 all-time and #1 among all Ivy League alumni): how were you able to stick around for such a long time, and do you think that we will ever see another Ivy alum have a long-term NBA career? I do think that there could be another Ivy alum to have a long career. You have to be lucky to overcome injuries and also take care of yourself. I took it seriously as my profession and worked out hard in the off-season. I often got to play under 30 minutes/game, which also helped keep me fresh.
You 1027 career BLK remains in the top-100 all-time: what was your secret for being a great shot blocker? Anticipation: I was more of a weak-side blocker who would slide over and help out.
Your Chris Dudley Foundation helps improve the lives of diabetic children and you also gave $100,000 to Gales Creek Camp (1 of the few camps that is geared solely to kids with diabetes): why is it so important to fight diabetes, and do you think more athletes should give back to those who are less fortunate? Giving back was something I learned to do while being brought up: my grandfather was a pastor who taught me to give back. I have had diabetes since age 16 so when I signed my 1st contract I started the Foundation, which is still going strong. I think that a lot of athletes do give back and get involved.
In 2005 you became a volunteer assistant coach at Lake Oswego High School where you mentored Kevin Love: what was the most important thing you ever taught him, and does he give you a lot of credit for helping him to become such a great player? I taught him how to rebound…and he still does not give me enough credit! He had a great foundation in his father Stan and was well on his way to being a good player. We worked on rebounding/positioning/defense as well as the approach to the game and getting your body right. He is such a hard worker and I have enjoyed watching him develop: he has exceeded even my own expectations.
In 2010 you won 39% of the vote in a crowded Republican primary to win the GOP nomination for governor of Oregon but lost a close election (49%–48%) to former governor John Kitzhaber: do you want to give politics another shot or try something else in the future? If you ask my wife: no way! Politics was a part of the equation (along with the Foundation) of making an impact. I have enjoyed the non-profit world but I saw a need in the public world. It is a tremendous sacrifice on your family when you get into the political ring so it would have to be a family decision. I will remain politically involved 1 way or the other.