Jerome Kersey knew how to play basketball: 1984 1st-team D-2 All-American at Longwood, 1999 NBA champion, and his 1153 career games remains in the top-75 in NBA history. Kerry Eggers knows how to write about basketball: Portland newspaper sportswriter for 45 years, 6-time National Sports Media Association’s Oregon Sportswriter of the Year, and covered many NBA Finals/All-Star games. Put the 2 together and you have a fascinating new book called “Jerome Kersey: Overcoming the Odds” (www.amazon.com/Jerome-Kersey-Overcoming-Kerry-Eggers/dp/1736898930). HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Kerry about the book as well as Jerome’s life/legacy.
Why did you decide to write a book about Jerome, and how did you come up with the title? I was contacted by a group of people from Virginia who knew Jerome from his college days including including Longwood alum Rohn Brown/Longwood SID Hoke Currie . They reached out to me to see if I would be interested in completing a previously-started book: I responded that I would be interested in writing my own book about Jerome. There is no question that he was an underdog in almost every way. His mom gave birth to him when she was just 17 and he was raised by his grandparents in a small rural town. He was a late-bloomer as a player, not recruited by many colleges, and did not even get scouted much until his performance as a senior at the Portsmouth Invitational. Portland coach Jack Ramsay wanted him to go overseas but he ended up making the team and was a starter by his 3rd year with the Blazers.
He grew up in Clarksville, VA: what impact did living in such a small town have on him either on and off the court? His grandmother May was a fantastic woman and a great influence on Jerome. She was warm/caring and the community of family/friends around him made him a happy kid. Clarksville had a positive impact on him although he had to learn a lot about life after moving away.
He went to college at Longwood, graduated as the leading scorer in program history, and remains the school’s all-time leader in REB/STL/BLK: how was he able to balance all of the different aspects of his game? He was a very versatile player/athletic person and a very hard worker, which continued throughout his career. He was not a great shooter but was fast and could dunk. He was also a great rebounder, which is all about effort/hustle.
Despite playing at a then-D-2 school he was drafted 46th overall by Portland in the summer of 1984: was it due mostly to talent or athleticism or potential or work ethic or confidence or a little of everything? He got drafted because Portland liked his athleticism and thought that he had a good upside. His college coach Cal Luther was amazed that nobody was aware of Jerome, but chief scout Bucky Buckwalter finally noticed him at the Portsmouth Invitational. Bucky was the guy who really pushed Coach Ramsay/director of player personnel Stu Inman to take a chance on him.
What kind of bond did he develop in the NBA with fellow small college teammates Terry Porter (Wisconsin-Stevens Point)/Kevin Duckworth (Eastern Illinois)? There is no question that all 3 of them had a great connection. Terry and Jerome were the tightest among the group and each played 17 years in the NBA. They all had a chip on their shoulder and wanted to prove that they could play with the big boys.
How did 2 significant events that occurred during a 6-day stretch in February of 1989 (Rick Adelman replacing Mike Schuler as head coach and Kiki VanDeWeghe getting traded to the Knicks) change the path of his career? Schuler loved Kersey and gave him a great opportunity to play: his numbers were great because Porter/Clyde Drexler had not fully developed yet. Adelman came in as an assistant coach during Jerome’s rookie season and they had a great connection: he was an under-the-radar glue guy who filled a lot of roles. He never made an All-Star team but was just as impactful as any of them.
Portland started the 1990-91 season with a 27-3 record before Jerome missed 9 games due to a pulled calf muscle: where does that 30-game stretch rank among the greatest in team history? That was the best team of that 3-year stretch when they made the Finals in 1990/1992. They added Danny Ainge and Cliff Robinson was becoming a great player. It was a terrific run and they ended up winning 63 games. I think it is the 2nd-best team in franchise history behind the 1977 NBA title team.
In addition to all of his on-court greatness there are many references in the book to his passions for ladies/cars/clothes/singing/golf/community engagement: what was he like off the court, and how much was he beloved by the fans in Portland? He chose to live in the community and never left. He was an approachable guy who would ask you how you were doing and actually listen to you! Portland is a small-town city who loves their own: he was 1 of their most popular players ever and continued to work for the team even after retiring as a player.
He ended up playing 17 years in the NBA and won a ring with San Antonio in 1999: how was he able to stick around for such a long time, and what did it mean to him to win a title? He changed as a player during the 2nd half of his career: he had lost some athleticism but was a more physical player who relied on his experience/savvy. He would come off the bench and work so hard, which is why his coaches loved him. He was a good role model for younger players due to the way he carried himself. He did not demand a lot of shots because he did not have an ego: those kinds of players are hard to find.
He died of a pulmonary embolism in February of 2015 at age 52: what was your reaction when learning of his passing, and how do you think that he should be remembered the most? I was stunned because he seemed like he was indestructible. He developed a blood clot after fairly minor knee surgery, which was the 1st operation that he ever had. He will be remembered as a guy who gave his all for the team/city and is 1 of its all-time great players/citizens. I would like to see them retire his #25 jersey someday.