Sam Cash was money for UC Riverside back in the 1970s. He was a 2-time CCAA POY, an All-American in 1971, and the Southern California College Division POY in 1972. He graduated as the school’s record holder for most REB in a game/season and was drafted by both the ABA/NBA in 1972. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Sam about being a great rebounder and having an athletic family. Today is Sam’s 72nd birthday so let us be the 1st to wish him a happy 1!
Why did you decide to attend UC Riverside? It was pretty close to home, which was the main reason, plus a couple of guys I wanted to play with went there. The coach was also influential in my decision.
You were a 2-time conference POY/1971 All-American: what did it mean to you to win such outstanding honors? It was a privilege for sure. It showed that all of my hard work/determination paid off…and that I had good teammates!
You graduated with a school-record 14.9 career RPG: what is the secret to being a great rebounder? A lot of it is about timing but I also feel that I had a gift. Some people are scorers, some are passers, but I had good jumping ability and the technique of screening people out and seeing where the ball would come off of the rim.
In the summer of 1972 you were selected by Cleveland in the 5th round of the NBA draft and by the Floridians in the ABA draft: why did you decide to join the ABA, and do you have any regrets? I have no regrets. Cleveland did not try that hard to sign me: they did not even invite me to camp. They were a new franchise at the time and had a bit of turmoil.
After the Floridians folded the Memphis Pros picked you in the dispersal draft: what was your reaction when you heard the Floridians folded, and how did you feel about getting drafted by Memphis? I knew Memphis coach Bob Bass because he had recruited me back when he was at Texas Tech so I was pretty excited to go there.
In 1973 you played 7 games for the Memphis Tams: what is your favorite memory from your time in the ABA? The preseason had a lot of memorable moments. I was in the starting lineup until I got hurt right before the start of the regular season. We were owned by Charlie Finley, who put a lot of pressure on our coach to win right away.
You and your siblings have had many athletic kids (football/basketball players at Notre Dame, a volleyball player at UC Irvine, a soccer player at Oklahoma State, etc.): who is the best athlete in the family, and does the younger generation credit at least some of their success to genetics? The best athlete was probably my dad. He came from the East Texas area and genetically it all came down from him. My daughter was a really good volleyball player and most of our family loves to play sports.
When people look back on your career, how do you want to be remembered the most? I would like to be remembered as a guy who loved to play: not for fame or fortune but because I loved the sport. I was an unselfish team player who would sacrifice myself for the good of the team, which was very important to me. I was a hardworking player who was not more important than the team.