The Olympians: HoopsHD interviews 1964 Olympic gold medalist George Wilson

Posted on July 6, 2020 by Jon Teitel

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 George Wilson about winning an NCAA title in 1962 and winning a gold medal in 1964.

At John Marshall High School you led your team to a pair of state titles in 1958/1960 and won the very 1st Chicago Sun-Times POY award in 1960: how good were you back in high school, and what made you choose Cincinnati? We were undefeated in 1958, got ripped off by a referee in 1959, and made sure that the officials were not involved in 1960. People ask me about my greatest accomplishment and I say beating the Catholic school at Chicago Stadium: we were the 1st public school to beat them in 1957. In 1958 we were the 1st team from Chicago to win the state title and only the 2nd African-American team to win it (Crispus Attucks featuring Oscar Robertson was the 1st in 1955). Most of the guys from that team graduated in 1958 but we still made it back to the Sweet 16 in 1959. I never got in foul trouble but that ref called 2 fouls against me in the 1st quarter and another 1 by halftime despite me having my hands straight up in the air. My teammate MC Thompson had no fouls at halftime but ended up fouling out in the 2nd half and we lost on a last-second shot. I did not want to go into basketball coaching because I could never trust a referee after that but I did coach some track and field…and we went undefeated! We had 17,600 fans in Chicago Stadium for our game at 2PM: the Globetrotters cam in that night and had 17,800.

In 1960 you were named 1st-team Parade All-American: which of your fellow honorees impressed you the most (Bill Bradley/Roger Brown/Connie Hawkins/other)? Roger was awesome: even Oscar said that he was 1 of the best players he had ever seen. Jeff Mullins was also on the 1st-team: we both won NBA titles after becoming Olympic teammates.

Take me through the magical 1962 NCAA tourney:
In the Final 4 you scored 3 PTS and Tom Thacker made the game-winning 15-foot jumper with 4 seconds left in a 2-PT win over UCLA: where does that rank among the most clutch shots that you have ever seen? I do not remember the shot that well but we beat UCLA again in 1963 before they began their great run.

In the title game you had 11 REB in a win over Ohio State in a rematch of the 1961 title game: what did it mean to you to win a title? John Havlicek averaged more than 20 PPG in the NBA but I held him to 11 PTS/5-14 FG that night. I always tell kids that if you do your job then your whole team might be able to win a ring. My job was to defend the best scorers on the opposing teams like Paul Silas/Chet Walker.

In the 1963 NCAA title game you had 10 PTS/13 REB in 41 minutes in a 2-PT OT loss to Loyola Chicago: how big a deal was it to be part of the 1st title game ever where a majority of the players were African-American (Loyola started 4 African-American players and Cincinnati started 3)? They really publicized that fact that year. Loyola had to play Mississippi State after sneaking out of town to do so. That was another game that the zebras took from us. Les Hunter made a deliberate goaltending play toward the end of the game that was not called, then Larry Shingleton (who was an 80% FT shooter) made 1 FT and then missed 1 badly at the end of the game.

In the spring of 1964 you were a territorial pick of the Cincinnati Royals: what was it like to become teammates with fellow former Bearcat Oscar Robertson? Imagine becoming a teammate of your hero: I was riding on cloud 9…and 10..and 11!

You were not invited to the 1964 Olympic trials as part of the NCAA all-star team because your teammate Ron Bonham was the Cincinnati representative, but as a member of an AAU all-star team you had 19 REB in a win over the NCAA all-stars to make the final roster: how pissed were you to not make the NCAA all-star team, and how excited were you to finally earn a ticket to Tokyo? Somebody should make a movie about this. Bonham and I were both All-Americans so he was also very deserving. They picked 16 total teams: 3 from the NCAA, 2 from the AAU, 1 from the NAIA, etc. They picked Bonham for the NCAA team and Coach Ed Jucker called them up to complain. I was in the dorm 1 day and MC Thompson told me that he was playing for an AAU team whose big man had just gotten hurt. I said that I would play for them at a big tourney in Denver. Before the week was over the head of the Olympic Trials called to say that Gary Bradds from Ohio State got hurt and asked me if I would take his place…and I said no because I had already made a commitment to MC. We were getting killed during the 1st game in Denver: the coach put me in during the 2nd half and I knew to only run when necessary due to the altitude.  We made a nice comeback and ended up only losing by single digits. I ended up making 1 of the 2 AAU All-Star teams and MC made the other team. Goodyear won the tourney with Larry Brown and I was on 1 of the teams that went to the Olympic Trials. I ended up playing center at the Trials and the 1st team we played was a team with a bunch of UCLA players and a coach named John Wooden but we beat them. In the 2nd round we played Bonham’s team and beat them. Then we played a team with a bunch of All-Americans like Rick Barry/Bill Bradley/Mullins and we beat the heck out of them so I went out and partied like I always did. I came back around 2AM and some guy congratulated me but I did not know exactly what for. The next morning I got a call from Coach Hank Iba to say that I made the final roster…but I thought it was someone playing a joke by calling me that early!

What did it mean to you to represent your country, and what did it mean to you to win a gold medal? It was the 2nd best accomplishment of my life. Bill Russell/KC Jones were the 1st 2 African-Americans to make the Olympic team in 1956, then a few more in 1960, and then I was 1 of 5 in 1964. I was representing my race, my school, and my city: I worked hard and finally made it. We were 9-0 and beat Russia for the gold medal. We beat most teams badly but only beat Yugoslavia by 8 PTS. Coach Iba put me in during the final quarter against Yugoslavia for my rebounding/defense and we were only up 4 PTS with about 2 minutes left. Dick Davies passed me the ball and I was trying to get it into Luke Jackson but my man backed up to double-team him and Dick was covered as well. I saw the clock ticking down, took 2 dribbles to the side, and let it go: bingo! Larry Brown brings the ball up on our next possession, my defender backed off, Larry was covered, so I shot it again: cha-ching! History could have been very different if I had missed either of those shots so that was my claim to fame.

You later competed in basketball/golf/horseshoes in the Senior Olympics: which sport were you best at, and which sport did you enjoy the most? I enjoyed horseshoes/golf. We had a choice of 9 or 18 holes of golf: I only played 9 holes and I went 20 straight years without losing. We would pitch horseshoes when I was younger. 1 year I had 8 leaners that should have been worth 2 PTS each but they only gave me 1 PT for each of them. I really enjoyed it. I played in the Senior Olympics for 27 straight years until it got canceled this year due to the coronavirus.

In 2006 you were voted 1 of the 100 Legends of the Illinois High School Association Boys Basketball Tournament: where does that rank among the highlights of your career? They gave us a sport coat so whenever I wear it people ask me about it. I am also 1 of only 3 IHSA players to be named All-State 1st-team for 3 straight years.

What is it like to be an African-American man in 2020, and are there any thoughts you would like to share about George Floyd/protests/police/etc.? I have been listening to the radio and watching TV. I am 87 years old but the protests all over the world should tell the US that its history is terrible. Some people have only recently learned about the riots in Tulsa on Black Wall Street a century ago but as a history buff I have known about it for a long time. We are the only race that had our name changed over the years. Some people say that you should not blame them for something their grandfather did but I just want them to be aware of what happened back in the day. It is finally coming out now: I just saw the video of the young man in Colorado who died after walking home from the grocery store. When people call 911 and say that there is a Black man who looks suspicious the police will show up ready to shoot. Just imagine how many incidents were not caught on camera that we will never know about. A lot of people were hung and nobody was ever charged. Everyone in Tulsa knew who dropped the bomb but nobody got charged. I have been through things and have never had a good traffic stop. I had a run-in once at a shopping center after a car accident. I offered to be a witness if necessary and the cop asked me for my Social Security #: I later found out that he could use that to check his system to see if I had ever committed a crime. I once pulled into the parking lot of my doctor’s office and had a woman call me a thug and then call the police because she thought that I was driving too slowly. When I got home 1 of the policemen called me to say that everything was fine. I have heard so many stories from other people: I have a friend who is a cop who got pulled over once when he was younger. The cop who pulled him over laid his gun on the car and called my friend “boy”. I played ball, made good money, and lived all over the world….and never got a ticket. Even when it on a cell phone people still try to deny it. It is 2020 but I am still disgusted by what is happening with these cops who have a license to kill.

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The Olympians: HoopsHD interviews Bob Jeangerard about 1956 Olympic gold medalist Robert Jeangerard

Posted on July 5, 2020 by Jon Teitel

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 Bob Jeangerard about his father Robert winning a gold medal in 1956. Today marks the 6th anniversary of Robert’s passing in 2014 so we send our condolences to his entire family.

Your father was born/raised in Illinois: what made him choose Colorado? He went to New Trier High School and his best sport was actually baseball. He grew up poor and got great grades but he was not highly recruited for baseball. Colorado offered him a basketball scholarship and he was very proud to take it.

1 of his college teammates was Burdie Haldorson, who later became his Olympic teammate: what kind of relationship did they have? They were the best of friends: when my dad passed I talked to Burdie on the phone about it.

In a 1954 game against Nebraska he made a 45-foot hook shot from half-court at the end of the 1st half, and when asked how he did it he said, “It is simple: we have a drill for that play and I work on it 15 minutes every night”: how much of his success was based on his work ethic? I had never heard about that story until after he passed. There was nobody who had a higher work ethic in his life and sports was no different. My son Justin kept going to his grandfather and asking him how he could improve his own basketball skills. My dad wrote out a list of everything that Justin would have to do if he was serious: it involved an insane amount of shots and putting his mind into it as well. Even if my dad was not talented in certain areas he achieved success both on and off the court by setting out his goals for getting there.

In the 1955 Final 4 he scored 4 PTS in a loss to eventual champ San Francisco (tourney MOP Bill Russell scored 24 PTS/10-14 FG): how close did he come to winning a title against Russell, and how did he like playing with Russell the following year? He said that San Francisco was in a whole other league with Russell/KC Jones and that they just ran into 1 of the best college teams ever. He had great stories about Bill and loved everything about him: the entire team was close during the Olympics and they all became the best men at his wedding after they returned to the US! They traveled throughout the South before the Olympics and would sometimes run into situations where a restaurant would not serve Russell due to a racial divide. My dad always told us about how bad things were and what great men Bill/KC were to rise above that while educating the rest of the team.

After college he played for the Phillips 66ers in the National Industrial Basketball League, and after winning the Olympic Trials in 1956 he was 1 of 5 players from the 66ers selected for the Olympic team: how did he feel about making the roster for team USA? He was as proud as could be and extraordinarily excited. The 66ers were the underdogs but persevered.

He scored a team-high 16 PTS in a win over the Soviet Union in the gold medal game: what did it mean to him to represent his country, and what did it mean to him to win a gold medal? His obituary mentioned that he had won a gold medal: some of his friends were stunned to read that because he was so unassuming and never bragged about it. He was very proud of his accomplishments and I know that he loved that entire team. They had some superstars but they made it a team game and were dominant. They had a huge scoring margin (53.5 PPG) but did not have the flash. He did not like when the Dream Team started using pro players: he wished that team USA could have remained a college team.

After returning from the Olympics he became a pilot in the Air Force: what impact did his service have on him either on or off the court? He had a commitment to honor after getting married before the Olympics. I do not think that he saw any combat but he was very proud to serve his country. He was always goal-oriented until the very end: even when he was ill he tried to make everyone happy. He was a big fan of writing down his goals and then adding to/subtracting from them. The non-superstars in the NBA did not make a lot of money and it was not 1 of his goals.

He won another gold medal with team USA at the 1959 Pan Am Games in Chicago: how did he like playing with a pair of legends in Oscar Robertson/Jerry West? Similar to playing with Bill/KC, he talked at length about how honored he was to play with Oscar/Jerry. He said that Jerry was 1 of the nicest human beings he ever met. My dad was obviously not in their league but appreciated what they brought to the team. He is very proud of his Chicago roots and I know that it must have been extra-special for him to win a gold medal there.

After retiring from basketball he started his own chain of tire stores, then became a lawyer for his stores, and started a foundation to raise money for national parks: how was he able to have so much off-court success after having so much on-court success? He and his brothers came up with a business plan to start a tire company in the Bay Area. He went to law school on nights/weekends and became an attorney while running a business and being a great father/husband. He was 1 of those guys who set some lofty goals and accomplished them all: it was pretty unbelievable! He did not like to talk about himself unless it would help the lives of others.

He passed away in 2014: when people look back on his career, how do you think that he should be remembered the most? I believe they would call him the ultimate team guy. He had a great work ethic and was huge on practice. He was no-nonsense and made everyone else around him better.

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The Olympians: HoopsHD interviews 1996 Olympic gold medalist Bobby Cremins

Posted on July 4, 2020 by Jon Teitel

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 Bobby Cremins about helping lead team USA to a gold medal in 1996. Today is his 73rd birthday so allow us to be the 1st to wish him a happy 1!

(photo credit: kronozio.com)

The 1996 Olympics took place in Atlanta: was there extra pressure for team USA to win it all since they were the “home team”? We never felt any pressure until the championship game against Yugoslavia. It was a close game for a while until we busted it open. We were certainly expected to win and the foreign teams were not supposed to be good enough to beat us but you got the sense that they were getting better. Russia was divided back then, as was Yugoslavia, which really hurt them.

The team was led by Hall of Fame coach Lenny Wilkens: what made him such a great coach, and what was the most important thing that you ever learned from him? As a college coach I spent much of my time watching. Lenny let them play and was not a control freak, which all of the guys respected. There were some rumors of partying going on every night until 5AM so he had a talk with the guys and explained that they had to take it seriously.

Even though Don Nelson’s “Dream Team II” won the 1994 World Championships with a winning margin of more than 37 PPG, their style of taunting/intimidating their opponents led USA Basketball Selection Committee President CM Newton to vow that the 1996 Olympic team would be “a squad with character, not characters”: were there any concerns about having a team with so many new guys who had not played in 1992 or 1994? No: I had not heard about those concerns. We had a high-character team in 1996.

They were nicknamed “Dream Team III” and included 5 players from the original Dream Team (Charles Barkley/Karl Malone/Scottie Pippen/John Stockton/David Robinson): how important was it to have 5 guys who had already won a gold medal? I thought that it was very important. Stockton/Malone together was a no-brainer since they were teammates in Utah. I knew Robinson from the 1986 World Games and knew Barkley from working with Nike.

You were 1 of 3 assistant coaches along with Clem Haskins/Jerry Sloan: how did you get the job, and how did you all decide who was going to do what? I was Lute Olson’s assistant at the World Games in 1986. I was at the Final 4 one year and going down an escalator when Newton saw me and said he needed me to coach a world qualifying team in Mexico City. We trained for a few days, got upset in Mexico City, and after the game Newton and Dave Gavitt met me in the hotel bar and said we needed to finish 3rd in order to qualify for the 1988 Olympics. USA Basketball started including college coaches in 1992 with guys like PJ Carlesimo/Mike Krzyzewski, which is how Clem Haskins/I got picked in 1996. Clem and I knew our place: Lenny/Jerry knew the NBA and we did not so I did whatever Lenny told me to do. The 4 of us would go to dinner together every night, then Lenny/Clem would walk back to the hotel and Jerry/I would go have a drink at a bar. My 1 mistake was asking Lenny 1 day if he wanted me to officiate, and he said that would be a great idea. It turned out to be 1 of the worst decisions in my life: even in a scrimmage the players’ pride was on the line. Malone almost took my head off because he thought that I was giving Barkley all the calls and I had to get Jerry to protect me. We were in Orlando when they finally brought in some international officials: I felt like the weight of the world was off my back, especially after Karl started yelling at 1 of the international refs on the 1st day! I was a bit of a gofer (including tasks like getting tee times for the players) but I enjoyed it. We were like a rock band that was worshiped everywhere we went: I was along for the ride and just tried not to screw it up.

I just saw a team photo: (photo credit: clutchpoints.com)

who on earth came up with the shirts that you had to wear, and did they look that bad in person?! We took a lot of pride in wearing USA on our chests. That is when we all came together and realized that we were representing our country: it was serious stuff. We knew that we had the talent to win the gold medal and the only thing that could beat us was ourselves. We met famous people every day such as Nelson Mandela. The bombing was also significant: we were across the street in the hotel but did not hear it go off. Someone called my room to make sure I was okay and a couple of days later the team gathered to meet the daughter of 1 of the bombing victims. They talked to her and it was a beautiful thing to see: I was really proud of them.

In your 133-70 win over China you set a record for the most PTS ever scored by a US Olympic basketball team: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot your team put up seemed to go in because everyone was “in the zone”? Not really: China was just not that good and we overpowered them. When we marched in the opening ceremonies and reached the place where we would stand everyone mobbed the players for their autographs. China was in a bit of shock and I felt bad for them: it is what I would call a mismatch.

In the gold medal game against Yugoslavia you only had a 1-PT lead with 14 minutes left before cruising to a 95-69 win: what are your memories of the crowd (an Olympic men’s basketball record 34,600), and what did it mean to you to win a gold medal? Shaq was not guarding their big man so they just stayed outside and shot threes and the score got a little uncomfortable. Lenny made a great move after deciding to go small. Yugoslavia was playing a zone defense and taking away Shaq’s inside game so we put in Mitch Richmond/Reggie Miller, moved Pippen to the 4 and put David at the 5. It worked to perfection because Pippen was tremendously quick on the baseline. The big lineup with Shaq/Karl/Olajuwon was just not working that day. Mitch/Reggie were unbelievable outside shooters so we got up big and then relaxed a bit. David was a great shooter and Penny also had a good game. It was unbelievable to see that many people all cheering “USA, USA”. Assistant coaches did not get medals so we were not even part of the ceremony but that did not bother me.

You faced several legendary players during your 8 wins: which opponent impressed you the most (Vlade Divac/Andrew Gaze/Toni Kukoc/Arvydas Sabonis/Oscar Schmidt)? Oscar. I had coached against him in the qualifying games so he was a little older by 1996 but was still a great player. The other guys you mentioned were also good but none of them were good enough to carry their team. We were favored by 50 PTS in every single game. I have known Krzyzewski a long time and he is a great coach…but even he had a couple of games where he was feeling some pressure.

Team USA has not lost a game since winning the bronze medal in the 2004 Olympics: do you think that they will ever lose again, and do you think that they should go back to assembling the team by using college players? It is too late to go back to college players. I hated it when they changed to pro players but now it is pro all the way. There is no doubt in my mind that some foreign teams could beat a team of college players now. If an international team can put a few NBA players together it might be a different ballgame and in 1 game anything can happen.

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The Olympians: HoopsHD interviews 1968 Olympic gold medalist Glynn Saulters

Posted on July 3, 2020 by Jon Teitel

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 Glynn Saulters about winning a gold medal in 1968.

Your father Grady was a basketball coach at Lisbon High School, where you helped lead the Eagles to a 52-4 record: what was the best part of having your dad be your coach, and what was the not-so-best part? Lisbon is a very small community: we probably had a population of 250 back then and grades 1-12 combined did not even contain 100 people. My wife and I made up 25% of our graduating class of 8 students! My dad also coached baseball as well as girls’ basketball so he did a little of everything. He had played basketball back in the day so he was good at helping us understand the game. He played on the 1935 Mississippi state championship club despite coming from a small school: it was like “Hoosiers”. He knew the game and I drew a lot of information from him, particularly the fundamentals of shooting/moving/defensive positioning. I tried to pick his brain on how to become more successful and he was a lot of help. Another good thing is that he had keys to the gym so I spent a lot of nights/weekends there. He had to be stricter on my brother and I but it was enjoyable to play for him. We were very successful, especially during my senior year.

You were also a 3-time all-state baseball player: which sport were you best at, and which sport did you enjoy the most? Baseball was my game initially: we won the state title during 3 of my 4 years so I liked it more than basketball. However, more opportunities presented themselves in basketball. I loved baseball growing up and always wanted to be a pro athlete: I just did not know that it would be in basketball. The Lord works in strange ways.

You were born/raised in Louisiana: what made you choose Northeast Louisiana (which is now called Louisiana-Monroe) for college? The proximity of the college, which was only 1 hour from my hometown. I was also impressed with the coaches who recruited me. It seemed like the best opportunity for me to play even after getting heavily recruited by LSU/Mississippi State.

After redshirting for 1 year due to a knee injury you became a 2-time All-American/2-time conference POY: how bad was your injury, and what did it mean to you to receive such outstanding honors? The injury was severe enough to keep me from playing my 1st year and I eventually had surgery. Looking back on it I think that it was the main reason I became eligible for the Olympics: if I had not redshirted then I would have been a senior in 1967. It really helped improve my skills and I had a good senior year. I felt bad about the injury at the time but it ended up helping me.

You led the Gulf States Conference in scoring during your final 2 years (including a 51-PT effort vs. Nicholls State as a senior) and set a conference record with 2134 career PTS: what is the secret to being a great scorer? There are a lot of things. I spent hours shooting in the gym every chance I got starting in high school, which improved my skills. I would pretend to have the ball with 10 seconds left, down by 1 PT, and try to win the game on the last shot. I tried to stay in shape to keep the fundamental shooting position. It also helped to have someone guarding me so that I could handle the situation if it came up during the game. There was no 3-PT line back then but a lot of my shots came from long range.

1 of your teammates in both high school/college was your younger brother Larry, who set a school record with 19 AST in a game vs. Mississippi in 1970 and later joined you as a member of the school’s Hall of Fame: how did you like having him as a teammate, and who is the best athlete in the family? In college he was responsible for me doing what I did. He was the PG who ran the offense and knew what I would be doing before I did it and would get me the ball when I was in position. It is not for me to say who was the best because we were 2 different players.

3 of the 5 players on the 1968 AP All-American team (Lew Alcindor/Elvin Hayes/Wes Unseld) chose to not attend the Olympic Trials in Albuquerque (which was held during the week that Dr. Martin Luther King was murdered in Memphis), and the other 2 All-Americans who did attend the Trials (Pete Maravich/Calvin Murphy) did not make the team: how did it feel to make the team after so many other great players from Louisiana (such as Don Chaney/Hayes/Maravich) failed to do so? It was certainly a great honor and the highlight of my athletic career to represent my country/state/college/hometown on the world’s biggest stage. I was not even thinking about the Trials because as soon as my basketball season ended I was trying to get ready for baseball season and the scouts who were watching me play. I got invited to play on an AAU basketball team in Florida during the weekends so I said “why not?” There were several other SEC players on the team including Tom Boerwinkle of Tennessee. There were 8 different teams at the Trials: several from the NCAA, 1 from the AAU, 1 from the NAIA, etc. I decided to go with the NAIA rather than the AAU. I did not beat out Maravich: he was simply not selected because apparently the selection committee was looking for a particular type of player. We had big names like Jo Jo White from Kansas and guys from junior colleges like Spencer Haywood. I remember playing against Calvin’s team and we held him in check. My NAIA team ended up winning the Trials and I had a very good final game but I do not know if that was the deciding factor.

During your pre-Olympic tour of Europe you split 4 games with the Soviet Union and lost 2 games to Yugoslavia: were you worried about the quality of competition you would be facing in Mexico City? The Olympics that year were played in October so we had all summer to prepare. They brought us together at West Point before the tour and we had 5 days together to get ready. Yugoslavia and Russia had pro players and we did not handle it well because we did not even know one another. Coach Hank Iba did not make the trip with us so the assistant coach was in charge, and 2 players (Jo Jo and Bill Hosket) did not make the trip so we did not even have our full roster. We played on horrible outdoor courts for the 1st time: there was wind blowing so you could imagine how we performed. It did not sit well with a lot of folks back home, particularly Coach Iba. We knew that we could play better so after we flew back to New York Coach Iba gave us a month off before reporting to high-altitude training in Colorado. Toward the end of our training we scheduled exhibition games against some NBA teams and ended up beating the Knicks in Madison Square Garden.

That summer you won a gold medal with team USA: what did it mean to you to represent your country, and what did it mean to you to win a gold medal? It was overwhelming for a country boy from Louisiana to be in that position. I made friends who I still keep in close touch with: we just had our 50th reunion in 2018. I will never forget it for the rest of my life.

In the spring of 1968 you were drafted in the 12th round by Cincinnati but ended up playing 1 year for New Orleans in the ABA: what did it mean to you to get drafted, and what is your favorite memory from your time in the ABA? I was also drafted in the 5th round by Denver but could not sign with them because I had to wait until after the Olympics so they traded me to New Orleans. Pro basketball vs. college basketball is like night and day. I re-injured my knee and could not get back on my feet. My 1 year in New Orleans was good and I played against some former NBA players like Rick Barry: he was 1 of the best that I ever played against. I faced Oscar Robertson in an exhibition game before the Olympics and he was hard to guard. I cherish my time playing for New Orleans: it was a long way from my hometown but my family could still come see me play.

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The Olympians: HoopsHD interviews 1964 Olympic gold medalist Luke Jackson

Posted on July 2, 2020 by Jon Teitel

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.

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The Olympians: HoopsHD interviews 1964 Olympic gold medalist Mel Counts

Posted on July 1, 2020 by Jon Teitel

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 Mel Counts about winning back-to-back NBA titles in 1965/1966 and winning a gold medal in 1964.

You played for Coach Slats Gill and with Terry Baker at Oregon State: what made Gill a Hall of Fame coach, and what was it like having a teammate who won a Heisman Trophy? Slats was not only a great teacher of the game but also a great teacher of life. He had high expectations and turned boys into responsible men. We started off poorly in 1963 while Terry was still playing football but after he joined us we ended up making the Final 4! He came here on a basketball scholarship, the football coach talked him into trying out for the football team, and the rest is history.

In the 1962 NCAA tourney you had 24 PTS/17 REB in a loss to UCLA: what was it like to face John Wooden in March (that year he began a run of 12 Final 4s in a 16-year stretch)? It was no different than facing any other coach. He is 1 of the all-time greats but we just went out and played hard and tried to win.

You were a 2-time All-American: what did it mean to you to receive such outstanding honors? It was a combination of many things. Nobody becomes successful by themselves and I was fortunate to have some great mentors/role models/coaches. Hard work accomplishes a lot and I am also a man of faith.

You won a gold medal with team USA at the 1964 Olympics (at 7’ you were the tallest US Olympian ever until 7’2” Tommy Burleson broke your record in 1972): what did it mean to you to represent your country, and what did it mean to you to win a gold medal? It was a big deal back then and still is today. Of all the awards I have ever received this 1 is the most valuable. We did not have any single star: I think that our MVP was Coach Hank Iba. He led the toughest training camp I have ever attended in my life so by the time we got to Tokyo I was mentally/physically prepared. I was blessed to be on that team and win a gold medal. I think that it is a good idea to postpone the 2020 Tokyo Olympics to next year. It is a great country with gracious/caring people so I am sure that it will be a wonderful event.

In the summer of 1964 you were drafted 7th overall by Boston (1 spot ahead of Willis Reed): how did you feel about joining the defending champs and their Hall of Fame coach Red Auerbach? I was the last pick of the 1st round and did not know what to expect. I grew up in a small town but the players were very friendly/helpful: John Havlicek/Bill Russell/etc. I never thought that I would start my career on 2 championship teams but it was wonderful.

As a rookie in Game 7 of the 1965 Eastern Division Finals you had a front-row seat for Havlicek’s famous steal of an inbounds pass by Hal Greer to clinch a 1-PT win over Philadelphia: what do you remember about 1 of the most famous plays in NBA history? Before the game Russell/Auerbach went out to look at the guidewires by the backboard and they decided to leave them as is. When Havlicek stole the ball it was a mob: the fans tore his jersey off! We had a reunion a few years ago, which was also wonderful.

You won NBA titles during each of your 1st 2 years (1965/1966) as a backup to Russell: what made Russell such a great player, and what did it mean to you to win a pair of titles? If I would pick 1 player to start a team with today it would still be Russell. He was super-smart and got the most out of what he had. His idea was to make everyone else successful so that his team would win. He understood the game and helped us win those 2 championships. It means even more now then it did back then. I started out making $12,000/year and we made around $3500 for winning a title. Back then we played more for the love of the game: now it is a little more about the astronomical money they make. I am not complaining though: I have great memories.

After being traded to the Lakers in 1966 you made it to the NBA Finals 3 straight years from 1968-1970 and lost 3 years in a row:
What are your memories of the 1969 Finals (Sam Jones made the game-winning buzzer-beater while jumping off the wrong foot in Game 4, Coach Butch van Breda Kolff left you in for the end of Game 7 after refusing to put Wilt Chamberlain back in even though Wilt said his knee felt good enough to play in a 2-PT home loss to Boston, and Jerry West became the only player to even win Finals MVP while playing for the losing team)? We had a great opportunity to beat the Celtics. There is nothing like winning: 2nd place is not enough but they were the better team that night.

What are your memories of the 1970 Finals (West made a 60-footer at the end of regulation in a 3-PT OT loss to the Knicks in Game 3, then Willis Reed came running out of the locker room before Game 7 while Walt Frazier had 36 PTS/19 AST as New York won the title)? I give New York all the credit in the world: they were a fine-tuned machine with guys like Willis/Phil Jackson. They were 1 of the more intelligent teams that ever played the game.

After retiring you became a real estate agent in Oregon: how did you get into the business, and how do you like it? I had a friend ask me if I had ever thought about working in real estate. We took the exams, passed them, and I have been doing it since 1978. You are an independent contractor and pay all of your own fees. Much like basketball, you need some passion for what you do and have to perform to get paid. It is like “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” but it has been good to me and I have made some good friends.

Your sons Brent/Brian/Chris all played college basketball and your nephew Chael Sonnen is considered to be 1 of the greatest all-time mixed martial artists to have never won a UFC title: who is the best athlete in the family? I would say my oldest son Brent. We made a mistake by not waiting a year to put him in school. He would have really helped Oregon State during his final 2 years: his senior year at Stockton he played pretty well against a UNLV team that ended up winning the title. All of my boys were good athletes, and now I get to watch my grandkids play!

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