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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The Olympians: HoopsHD interviews Diana Imhoff about 1960 Olympic gold medalist Darrall Imhoff

Posted on June 30, 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 Diana Imhoff about her father Darrall winning an NCAA title in 1959 and a gold medal in 1960. Today marks the 3rd anniversary of Darrall’s passing in 2017 so we are proud to honor his memory.

Your father Darrall was born/raised in California: what made him choose Cal, and how did he feel about beginning his career as a walk-on? He was a forestry major and trained at altitude by playing volleyball, which led to his breakout season: it was unintentional conditioning. He once made a play on defense by pinning the ball against the glass in a game early in his junior season…and the entire crowd went silent because they had never seen anything like that. When his teammates saw that they realized that they might win it all that year. He went to Alhambra High School, where he is now part of their Hall of Fame. He was screwing around in the Alhambra locker room as a junior or senior when he slipped and broke his elbow. Stu Inman was the coach at Orange Coast JC: he asked the Alhambra coach about my dad and was told, “He will not amount to anything”. My grandmother’s sister Vivian was the chair of the Claremont McKenna humanities department and called Cal coach Pete Newell to see if he had any space available in his player dorms…and Pete said that he was not part of the housing office. Vivian then mentioned that her nephew was 6’8”, which gave him the opportunity to get to Cal, where the rowing coach tried to recruit him to his own team. Pete had given away all of the beds so during his 1st year my dad was stuck in a boarding house on a twin-size bed with an orange crate on the end of it. His roommate was Bob Steiner, who later worked as the SID at Cal and in PR for the Lakers, and Ned Averbuck was the benchwarmer who kept track of everything.

He played for Hall of Fame coach Pete Newell: what made Newell such a great coach, and what was the most important thing that your dad ever learned from him? His judgment on athletic ability/team unity was the best. He drilled the fundamentals, which is why he had 5 men on the floor who were all contributing by setting picks/rebounding at both ends of the floor/taking charges. All of his players benefited from that. My dad left Berkeley 3 credits shy of graduating and in his mid-50s he realized that he was the only guy who ever played for Pete who had not graduated. He took some correspondence classes, walked across the stage in his cap/gown, and got his degree. The team would gather for Pete’s birthday every year with their spouses/kids to celebrate him. My grandfather’s birthday was only a few days apart from Pete’s birthday. 1 year I heard Jerry West speak at the Rotary Club in LA about his new book. He mentioned that he had been driving to interview Pete for his book but missed a freeway exit and had to double back. When Jerry finally showed up he was told that Pete had just passed away a few minutes earlier: Jerry wept because he never got a chance to say goodbye to his old coach. I think about what a guru Jerry has become regarding the evaluation of talent in Memphis/Golden State/LA: he wants to go somewhere that he can really make a difference. Jerry needs affirmation about what he does, which is why he left Golden State after they became a dynasty. I am sure that Pete sowed some seeds into Jerry’s eye for talent. I heard John Wooden giving a keynote speech 1 time and gave my card to his assistant: Wooden ended up making room for me at his own table. He said that my dad/Pete kept UCLA out of the Final 4 for so many years and that he would not have had such a great career had Pete not eventually retired: what a humble thing to say!

Take me through the magical 1959 Final 4:
In the Final 4 against Cincinnati he had 22 PTS/16 REB in a 6-PT win: how was he able to get the best of future Olympic teammate Oscar Robertson (who had 19 PTS/19 REB/9 AST)? They walked out to the opening tip and 1 of my dad’s teammates introduced himself to Oscar as if he did not know who he was: I think it really rattled him because there was so much media hype at the time about Oscar. Whichever team has 5 men who will contribute will always win against a team that has 2 stars and 3 role players.

In the title game against West Virginia he scored 10 PTS including the go-ahead basket with 17 seconds left in a 1-PT win (future Olympic teammate West had 28 PTS/11 REB): what did it mean to him to win a title, and how did the family/team/school celebrate? Jerry said that both his best (winning a gold medal) and worst (this game) moments in basketball were a result of Pete Newell. At Pete’s funeral Jerry tore up his notes and spoke from his heart and wept about how Pete was more of a father to him than his own father was. The video I saw of the game showed that my dad tipped in a missed shot with 1 hand to give his team the lead. After my dad passed away his teammate Bill McClintock said that he knew the original shot was going to be off and Bill was going to make the winning basket and get his name in the newspaper headline…but my dad was just scrapping for the rebound. If you look at the photo of the celebration after the game his head is down: he was not basking in the glory but just playing for a coach who he loved. A great coach can get his players to play above their ability and achieve things that they could not ordinarily achieve on their own.

In the 1960 NCAA title game he scored 8 PTS in a loss to Ohio State (future Olympic teammate Jerry Lucas had 16 PTS/10 REB): what did it mean to him to lose the title game 1 year after winning the title game? I do not think that they took it as individual disappointment: they were just sad to not win another title for Pete. They did not have any delusions of grandeur but I am sure that they were a little disappointed even after the previous year’s triumph. They were a bunch of glass-half-full people so making it to the title game and then losing is not a black mark on your record.

That April he was drafted 3rd overall by the Knicks (behind Robertson/West): did he see that as a validation of his college career, or the realization of a lifelong dream of reaching the NBA, or other? They were all proven players as everyone saw from the Olympics. I think that his salary was comparable to a local schoolteacher’s salary where they lived in Long Island. The financial gain back then was not the same as it is now. I think getting drafted was sort of a surprise and he just figured he would go play pro basketball. It was not his master plan: it was just an option out of left field. He would get outdoors as much as possible during the off-season: he/Jerry would go hunting with Barron Hilton.

That fall he joined Robertson/West/Lucas on team USA at the 1960 Olympics: what did it mean to him to win a gold medal, and how did he feel when that team (featuring 10 future NBA players) was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010? Jerry and my dad became roommates on the road and eventually best friends. Jerry’s wife actually drove my mom to the hospital before she delivered me and the Wests are my sister’s godparents. My dad was a very patriotic person and confided in us many times that the most important moment of his basketball career was walking in the opening ceremony and carrying the USA flag. When he got his medal and heard the anthem on the podium it meant a great deal to him. He is on the cover of the Rome Olympic yearbook and if you look closely he is walking next to 13-year old swimmer Donna de Varona. I ran into Donna at the Beijing Olympics and she said that my dad and his whole team looked out for her in Rome. When the Vietnam War started he was too big to fit in a military vehicle but went over there as an entertainer with some other pro players to shore up the morale of the troops. He happened to be staying in the same hotel as John Wayne (who was filming “Hondo”) and they would hang out together and play cards. Wayne gave him a letter and asked him to mail it to his 2nd wife Pilar: I later told Pilar’s son Ethan about it! In 1964 Japan hired my dad and some of his Olympic teammates to come coach their players: he would have to duck under ceilings to avoid hitting his head.

On March 2, 1962, he faced the 76ers and had to guard Wilt Chamberlain: did he take it personally when Wilt ended up scoring an NBA-record 100 PTS? I heard my dad tell the story about that game many times. The Knicks had a few guys who were out with the flu (including their regular starting center) so my dad was thrust into the middle of everything. Wilt was basically cherry-picking because Philly wanted to go for the record that night during an exhibition game in Hershey. If you look at the box score my dad fouled out after only 20 minutes so Wilt did not score all of his 100 PTS against my dad. I have a photo on my wall of a game a few years later where my dad fouled Wilt as hard as he could: his feet are so high above Wilt’s feet because he needed his hops to get up into the clouds. There was no 3-second rule back then and Wilt was dunking from the FT line. The next night they played again in Madison Square Garden: my dad fouled out toward the end of the game while holding Wilt to “only” 50 PTS…and got a standing ovation as he walked to the bench!

After getting sold by Detroit to the Lakers after the 1964 season he made the NBA Finals 3 times in 4 years from 1965-1968: was it just a case of bad timing that he kept running into a Celtics dynasty that was in the middle of winning 10 titles in 11 years? Red Auerbach called him later in his career and asked him to join the Celtics. Lakers owner Jack Kent Cooke asked him if he would be willing to be traded to Philly and my dad said no way because his family was settled in LA. Cooke then told him that Philly would pay him twice as much and my dad said “When can we leave?!” My dad turned Red down because he could not stand the thought of wearing Celtic green: he hated them due to the Boston-LA rivalry. It was tough to lose to Boston every single spring. When my dad got to Philly after being traded for Wilt the fans were not sure how it would work out: the Philly players told some crazy road trip stories involving Wilt!

After retiring he became Vice President of Sales & Marketing at the United States Basketball Academy, an internationally-recognized basketball camp in Oregon: how did he get into the business, and how did he like it? My parents were in Portland and the USBA wanted to develop a grassroots basketball academy that fed into the Olympic team. The guys back then did not make enough to take summers off so he would go to Chico, CA, to help out with our family construction business. My dad built a lot of things at the basketball camp and loved his time there.

He passed away in 2017: when people look back at his career, how do you think that he should be remembered the most? He was the most humble person who deflected all of the credit onto the team. He was making sky-hooks/no-look passes before they even had a name. A lot of big men can dominate 1 end of the floor or the other but not both. He was all about the team and always included his teammates in his accolades because he considered them like family. He did a lot of speaking engagement for Christian organizations after retiring and joked that he always asked his mom why she did not wait 10 years for him to be born! His NBA pension was only $50,000: a lot of the older players and their widows all went on to have other jobs. He was regarded by his teammates as a really hard worker. Pete multiplied his work ethic: it was never about his own glory.

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The Olympians: HoopsHD interviews Alan Karpick about 2000 Olympic gold medalist Gene Keady

Posted on June 29, 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 Alan Karpick (president/publisher of GoldandBlack.com) about Coach Gene Keady winning a gold medal as an assistant in 2000.

Keady was a 4-sport athlete at Garden City Junior College (where he was an All-American QB), then played several sports at Kansas State before being drafted by Pittsburgh in the 1958 NFL Draft: how good of an athlete was be back in the day before his career was cut short due to a knee injury? He did not play D-1 basketball but he was great at football and his 1st love was baseball because he was fleet afoot. He was a pretty talented guy.

In 1974 he became an assistant coach to Eddie Sutton at Arkansas, where he recruited the “Triplets” (Ron Brewer/Marvin Delph/Sidney Moncrief) who helped lead the Razorbacks to the 1978 Final 4 before a 5-PT loss to eventual champion Kentucky: what made him such a great recruiter? In those days he was pretty hard-nosed and a basketball lifer. He was very successful at Hutchinson JC and loved to go out on the road and build relationships: that was 1 of his biggest strengths back then.

He was hired as head coach at Purdue in 1980: why did he take the job, and what did the fans/alumni think about him when he arrived? He took the job because he was offered the job. He left Western Kentucky after only 2 years, which was a bit of a surprise, but he was just looking for that next opportunity. He really wanted his big chance even though Al McGuire discouraged him because Bobby Knight kind of controlled recruiting throughout the state of Indiana.

In the 1982 NIT title game he had a 9-PT loss to Bradley: where does that rank among the most devastating losses of his career? He made the NIT Final 4 in 1981 so I would not call it “devastating”. The NCAA tourney had not yet moved to 64 teams back then so it was still important, even though the goal was to make the NCAA tourney.

In the 1996 NCAA tourney #16-seed Western Carolina missed 2 shots in the final 10 seconds of a 2-PT loss: how close did he come to being the 1st #1 seed to ever lose its opening game? It was pretty close! That team had greatly overachieved and was the 1st team since Ohio State to win 3 undisputed Big 10 titles in a row. They were not good enough to run away from people.

Even though he never made a Final 4 he finished his career with a 20-19 record in NCAA tourney play due to pulling off many upsets as a lower-seed: do you think it was a result of his teams playing up/down to the level of their competition, or the fact that he did not bring in as many McDonald’s All-Americans as other big-time programs, or other? They were typically a higher seed and there were times that they struggled. He lost his opening tourney game 3 years in a row from 1984-1986. Not making the Final 4 was a function of not getting a couple of close calls, having Glenn Robinson get injured against Duke in 1994, etc. He was not wildly successful in the postseason but did have more success later in his career.

He made 16 NCAA tourneys during an 18-year stretch from 1983-2000 and is the winningest coach in school history with 493 wins (which is #3 in Big 10 history behind Tom Izzo/Bobby Knight): how was he able to remain so successful/consistent for almost 2 decades? He was a bulldog who put in a lot of hard work to get his players to play hard for him. In his entire career he only had about 3 McDonald’s All-Americans but was known for being an overachiever. He/John Chaney/Norm Stewart are 3 of the greatest coaches to never make the Final 4 but are all well-respected.

He assisted in selecting the 1984/1988 US Olympic teams and won a gold medal as an assistant coach for team USA at the 2000 Olympics: how did he get those jobs, and what did it mean to him to win a gold medal? Fred Schaus discovered him working at an Olympic Festival event in 1979, which is how he got started in USA Basketball. When Knight was head coach in 1984 Keady helped out with evaluations and he coached several international teams over the years. He inched his way up to the opportunity in 2000, which was due to the respect he received based on his college success.

He has an incredible coaching tree including Bruce Weber/Kevin Stallings/Steve Lavin/Matt Painter: how proud is he of all their success, and what made him such a good mentor? I think that it is his proudest accomplishment because many of those guys played for him as well, including Cuonzo Martin. He was a good mentor because he let his assistants do their own jobs. Bruce did a lot of behind-the-scenes work which helped build his foundation as a coach, while Lavin was initially a volunteer assistant before Gene gave him areas of responsibility. He also gave them high expectations but he was a very approachable person. He was not stuck up/pretentious and happy to let others give their feedback.

He was a 6-time national COY from 1984-2000, inducted into the NJCAA Hall of Fame as a player and coach, and inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013: when people look back on his career, how do you think that he should be remembered the most? He has certainly been on the cusp of making the Naismith Hall of Fame because he is a Hall of Fame-level coach. His legacy is pretty secure as a coach’s coach who is very beloved by everyone I can think of. Knight was his archrival and Gene beat Knight more than Knight beat him so the Purdue fans loved him. He had a great deal of success and was a big-time motivator/self-made person. He did not have a silver spoon in his mouth but was a hard worker. He was a grinder/bulldog who other coaches could relate to, and spending 25 years at the same school got people’s attention.

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