The NBA Finals date back to 1947 (when they were known as the Basketball Association of America Finals) and the very 1st NCAA tourney was held in 1939. Olympic basketball competition is even older: it debuted as a demonstration event in 1904 and the men’s version became a medal sport in 1936, with the women finally getting their chance to go for the gold in 1976. The United States has dominated Olympic basketball competition from the start: the men have won 15 gold medals in the 18 tournaments they have participated in during the past 84 years, while the women have won 8 gold medals in the 10 tournaments in which they have competed during the past 44 years. Those of you who were looking forward to the 2020 Olympics opening ceremonies in Tokyo on July 24, 2020 will have to wait an extra 364 days, as the coronavirus caused a postponement until July 23, 2021. Due to the absence of college basketball since mid-March, HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel decided to fill the void by trying to interview as many prior Olympic players/coaches as possible so that you have something to read this summer while not watching the Summer Games. We continue our coverage by chatting with Luke Jackson about winning an NBA title in 1967 and winning a gold medal in 1964.
(photo credit: beaumontenterprise.com)
In the spring of 1963 you won a gold medal with team USA at the Pan Am Games and later played at the FIBA World Championship: could you tell at the time that your teammate Willis Reed was going to become a superstar? I knew that he was a good ballplayer but we were just out there playing basketball.
You were the leading scorer in the 1964 NAIA tourney including 11 PTS for Pan American in a 10-PT title game loss to Rockhurst: how much of a home-court advantage did the Hawks have in Kansas City, and where does that rank among the most devastating losses of your career? To me it was just another loss: it was not life and death. They got some breaks and we did not, but that happens.
That May you were drafted 4th overall by Philly (4 spots ahead of Reed), averaged 14.8 PPG/12.9 RPG in your very 1st season, made the All-Star Game, and were named to 1965 All-Rookie team: what did it mean to you to get drafted, and how were you able to come in and dominate right from the start? I had been working out all year preparing for the Olympics. I learned different systems from different coaches so I was ready physically but did not learn what the NBA was about until I got there. I felt that I could fit right in and help Philly win games.
You played for team USA at the 1964 Olympics: what did it mean to you to represent your country, and what did it mean to you to win a gold medal? It meant everything! It is 1 of the finest things that you can do in your life and the gold medal was just icing on the cake. I feel bad for the college players now because the pros have taken over the Olympics. We had a great coach in Hank Iba and it was touching to hear the national anthem play.
In Game 7 of the 1965 Eastern Division Finals you scored 8 PTS but John Havlicek stole an inbounds pass by Hal Greer to clinch a 1-PT win by Boston: what do you remember about 1 of the most famous plays in NBA history? We had the ball and Havlicek intercepted it, which was devastating. He timed it perfectly and should be applauded for that because he did a wonderful job of stealing the ball. Nobody is to blame.
Take me through the magical 1967 playoffs:
In the 1967 Eastern Division Finals vs. Boston Wilt Chamberlain had an unofficial quadruple-double in Game 1 and set a playoff record with 41 REB in Game 3: how big a deal was it to ended the Celtics’ run of 8 straight NBA titles, and where does Wilt rank among the greatest players that you have ever seen? Wilt ranks #1 in my eye: he was a great guy to play with and to be around. He could have won more championships if he had wanted to and played a wonderful series. His rebounding made my life easier and I wish he was still here.
In Game 6 of the NBA Finals you had 13 PTS/21 REB in a 3-PT win at San Francisco to clinch the title: what did it mean to you to win a title, and what was the feeling like in your locker room afterward? In the East it was tough to win a title when Boston kept winning every year. I told Wilt that I would do some of the work that night so we could win that thing. There was chaos in the locker room: champagne flowing everywhere and everyone got a bath!
You played 76+ games during each of the 1st 4 years of your career and were averaging a double-double but after suffering an injury you only played 62 combined games in 1969/1970: how did you get hurt, and what impact did it have on the rest of your career? It was a freak accident. George Wilson was defending me and when I drove to the basket my tendon snapped. At the time there was not enough medical science to put me back together. I was on my way to being a Hall of Famer and the injury took all of that away. Everyone knew that I played my heart out every night.
Your 8.8 career RPG remains in the top-100 in NBA history: what is the secret to being a good rebounder? You have to be aggressive around the boards, understand which way the ball will bounce, and block your opponent out. You need to have good positioning and go secure the ball when it is up in the air. Nobody can say I was a slouch when it came to rebounding. I loved the fans in Philly and had a wonderful time there.
Your daughters Nicole/Andrea played basketball at North Texas and your son Lucious played basketball at Syracuse: who is the best athlete in the family? Me! All 3 of them were good athletes and did very well so I will not rank them.
In 2016 you were inducted into the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame: where does that rank among the highlights of your career? It is up there because that is where I started. When we were preparing for the Olympics I thought that some of us got snubbed and did not get a fair opportunity: I was just 1 of the fortunate ones. To go back there and hear some of the old stories and watch some of the film was awesome. You do not play for awards but it is always nice to be appreciated by others who feel you are worthy. Basketball did not make me: God gave me the talent to play the game and it was just a shame that I went down like that but you just have to try to get back up.