The Olympians: HoopsHD interviews 1964 Olympic gold medalist Joe Caldwell

Posted on June 21, 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 Joe Caldwell about beating John Wooden in the 1963 NCAA tourney and winning a gold medal in 1964. Today marks the 2nd anniversary of Joe’s grandson Marvin Bagley III getting picked 2nd overall by Sacramento in the 2018 NBA Draft.

In April of 1947 you witnessed the Texas City disaster, which killed more than 500 people and triggered the 1st-ever class action lawsuit against the US government: what impact did seeing the deadliest industrial accident in US history have on you as a 6-year old kid? I can still remember that awful day because it is still in my mind. It is hard to get over it: I can still see the same man flying through the air. I wanted to run but my dad told me to get down. I thank God that I only had 1 sister get hurt when a department store window collapsed on her. As I got older I would think about how blessed we were to live through it but some of my family’s friends were never heard from again. Sometimes when I am sitting alone I will still think about it: it was a tough time to see all of those people die.

In 1960 you were named a Parade All-American: which of your fellow honorees impressed you the most (Connie Hawkins/Bill Bradley/Roger Brown/other)? The best players I watched back then were Jerry West/Elgin Baylor. 1 of my all-time heroes was Wilt Chamberlain. 1 morning around 8AM he came to play 3-on-3 at a park in California and we were all lined up around the court. We shot FTs to get a chance to play: Wilt looked at me and asked if I could play and I told him that I put my shoes on just like he did. He told me to join his team…and we won every single game that we played until 5:45PM! He drove me home in his Cadillac and I was in hog heaven: that is 1 of my fondest memories. I won a state championship during high school and ended up going to ASU.

In the 1963 NCAA tourney as a player at ASU you had 22 PTS/10-18 FG/12 REB in a win over UCLA: how big a deal was it to beat John Wooden (who won 10 titles in the following 13 years) in the NCAA tourney? My high school coach Bill Thayer was a UCLA man so I was planning to become a Bruin but I did not take any college prep classes so I had to do 1 year of junior college. UCLA eventually put me on campus and gave me a job pulling weeds out of the prettiest rose gardens you had ever seen for $3.50/hour. I was roommates with 3 other players including my future Olympic teammate Walt Hazzard. 1 day I got a knock on the door and it was an assistant coach from ASU who wanted to give me a ride. I asked him where we were going and he said “Arizona”. I got here and it was hot: I assumed that somebody from UCLA would call me but nobody raised a stink so I figured I would stay put because it was obvious how much ASU wanted me at their school. I played with some great guys like future ABA All-Star Art Becker: we gelled together and whipped everybody in the WAC. I looked at Coach Wooden before the game and neither of us said anything. We had a huge lead by halftime and even after sitting our starters we still won by 14 PTS. Hazzard and those other guys never forgot about it: they could not believe that I did not come back to campus. 5 years later Wooden came back to play ASU and left his starters in the game for all 40 minutes: he never forgot.

You won a gold medal with 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? They picked 100 of us and I flew to Kentucky for a tryout, which was only the 3rd time I had ever been on a plane. Most of the All-American players that year were from schools in the East (such as Bill Bradley from Princeton and Jeff Mullins from Duke): I was wondering what I was doing there with all of them. We ran, split into teams for a scrimmage, and then went to New York for a tournament to see who would get picked to go to the Olympics. I was on the White team and we lost a game so I figured that I had missed my opportunity. They posted a list in the hotel lobby the next day around 1PM of who made the team: when Coach Iba said I had made it as his choice it was 1 of the best feelings of my life. I am still in touch with many of my Olympic buddies who are still alive. I thought that the USOC was going to bring us back as their guests for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo before the Games got cancelled. We have lost 4 guys from that team (Jim Barnes/Dick Davies/Hazzard/Pete McCaffrey) but the other 8 were planning to attend. When the USOC said they were not doing it I simply could not believe it. My friend Michael Tucker said that he would send me back to Tokyo himself: it was very emotional for me. I called up the USOC to say that I had a plane ticket but they still would not give me a hotel/game ticket, and then the virus hit and the Olympics were postponed. There was so much political stuff going on during 1964 with the Cold War that the Russians were doing whatever they could to beat us. 1 of the Russian players asked me how long our team had been together and I told him 3 months: he said that his team had been playing together for 8 years. How much better can it get than to be the best in the world?! I was hoping to go back this summer but I guess it was just not meant to be. There were a lot of negative articles in 1964 that said we were not as good as past US Olympic teams so it was great to actually win it. The Olympics were the greatest part of my life: that memory has stuck with me similar to the way that the Texas City memory has. George Wilson later reminded me of all the great players who never made the Olympics: Walt Frazier, Willis Reed, etc. I called Coach Iba after he lost in 1972 and asked how it happened. He said that he was more concerned about getting his pocket picked while he was standing on the court! A lot of teams played us rough: we actually had to come from behind to beat the Russians. Iba told referee Mendy Rudolph to throw the ball high because he knew that I would out-jump the Russians.

In the spring of 1964 you were drafted 2nd overall by Detroit (6 spots ahead of Reed): did you see that as a validation of your college career, or the realization of a lifelong dream of reaching the NBA, or other? I did not want Detroit to take me because it was too cold for a desert rat like me. Earl Lloyd explained to me that there were a lot of cold-weather NBA cities so when I went 2nd behind Barnes it felt nice. What kept me grounded were my 13 brothers/sisters who told me not to lose my way. You have to respect God/yourself/family. If I complained about my brother not doing something he would tell me to just worry about doing my own job and I have patterned my life after that. My mom said that you cannot rush God: I stayed humble and thought about all of the good things that happened to me. I do not think I left the block in Detroit where my hotel was: there was a movie theater on 1 side and a bar on the other side. There was a woman at the bar named “Lottie the Body” (legendary burlesque dancer Lottie Tatum-Graves-Claiborne, who passed away last March): she was something!

You played 6 years in the NBA/5 years in the ABA and were named an All-Star and All-Defensive team player in both leagues: what was the biggest difference between the 2 leagues, and what is the secret to playing great defense? The ball was red/white/blue in the ABA and was a little slicker but it was basically the same game. The 3-PT line was also a little different but you still have to put the ball in the basket. Superstars come and go but all that the fans will remember is how long you played and how many games you won. I made $11,500 as a rookie and then made $17,000 with St. Louis. I would get fined $50 if I made a mistake so that got my attention. The coach said he did not need any more scorers so I just focused on playing defense. ASU coach Ned Wulk taught me how to play defense without needing a drink of water during a game. If your stomach is warmed up and then you douse it with cold water it will make you work harder. I once asked John Havlicek if he ever got tired: he said that the right question was whether I could keep up with him! The art of defense is long gone: the young people now want to score 40 PPG and be a hero. I might not have been able to stop stars like West or Havlicek but if I could hold them to 20 PPG then I had done my job. Defense was already built into me during high school/college: if I could steal the ball before you crossed half-court then I could get an easy 2 PTS. If defense is played right then you can control the game. When you see your teammate struggling then you want to help them out by neutralizing your opponent. I tried to pass that along to my grandsons…but they prefer to shoot threes.

In February of 1971 as a player for Carolina you scored a career-high 56 PTS in a win over Kentucky: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were “in the zone”? I had a # of 40-PT games but it seemed like I could never break 50. That night I had 48 PTS at halftime: I had some teammates who would not get me the ball in the 2nd half and the fans booed them! The next game 1 of those teammates got hot and I made sure to get the ball to him: when you get hot your teammates will be the 1st to recognize it. It was a great night: I got out of the hospital earlier that day and then had a highlight moment. I played in the All-Star Game that year for the West: they gave the MVP award to Mel Daniels and the fans booed for 15 minutes while yelling that I should have been named MVP.

Your contract with Carolina contained an “irrevocable guarantee” for you to receive $6,600/month beginning at age 55 but owner Tedd Munchak sued you to try to negate the pension: how did it feel to prevail, and how sweet was it to receive that very 1st pension payment in 1996? I consider it to be the greatest contract in pro basketball history. My pension called for a $600 monthly payment multiplied by each of the 11 years that I played for a total of $6600/month. The owner later told the world that he meant to say $60 instead of $600. I was just trying to make sure that I would have $1 million/year in retirement on which to live comfortably. They tried to change the amount from $600 to $60 and they lost. My agent gave me a crash-course in economics in 1968 and asked me how much things like bread/gas would cost in 2000: I told him that I had no idea. In 2000 when I went to buy bread/gas I was stunned because he was correct. I was planning to play for 20 years and the insurance guy calculated that my pension would be around $1 million/year. If my 1st check in 1996 had read $79,200 then it would have been very sweet: instead I am making $6600 but I am still getting by. That is a war that I have been fighting for the past 40 years but there is nothing more I can do about it. I talked to a lawyer at ASU and he looked into it: he told me he could help me out but he was playing tennis 1 day and had a heart attack. They shut me down after 11 years and now I have to pay taxes on my current pension.

After Carolina moved to St. Louis the team suspended you for “activities detrimental to the best interests of professional basketball” and your subsequent antitrust lawsuit vs. the ABA went all the way to the Supreme Court: how frustrating was it to spend so much of your time in a court of law rather than on a basketball court? After 45 years what is so astounding is that I have not been able to find a single lawyer to resolve my contract pension. I spent several years fighting the hardest businessmen in the NBA. I do not know a lot about business but I know the contract that I signed. If I was getting a tax-free pension of $950,000/year I would be 1 of the highest-paid players in history. I had to negotiate that deal myself, which is not the way that it works these days. My object was to win games at all costs: offense, defense, whatever it took. You will not see me screaming at anybody: if it was not a valid contract then why would I have to file an antitrust case? I am still trying to recover after being in bankruptcy for 13 years. I never retired: they kicked me out due to me wanting to have something to live off of after I was out of the game. I thought that they were kidding because I thought I knew the law but nothing happened. You have to have faith in something.

Your grandson Marvin Bagley III was the #2 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft: what makes him such a great player, and who is the best athlete in the family? I tell him all the time that I have been there. When my youngest grandson was 3 or 4 years old we were sitting around the kitchen table and he said that he wanted to be better than all of us! When Marvin was picked #2 it felt like deja vu or a rerun: it was unbelievable…but there was no way that he was making only $11,500! To be sitting with him at the draft in New York was great. I do not know what the other 2 will be like because they are still learning but if they just do their job then they will be all right.

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The Olympians: HoopsHD interviews Dale Brown about 1996 Olympic gold medalist Shaquille O’Neal

Posted on June 20, 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 former LSU coach Dale Brown about his former player Shaquille O’Neal winning a gold medal in 1996. Today marks the 14th anniversary of Shaq getting 9 PTS/12 REB in a 3-PT win at Dallas in Game 6 of the 2006 NBA Finals to clinch his 4th NBA title in a 7-year span.

You 1st met Shaq when his stepfather Phillip Harrison was stationed on an Army base in West Germany: what was your 1st impression of him, and could you have ever imagined that he would eventually grow to 7’1”/330 pounds? The US planned a summer mission to send troops to the East German border and had me go out to talk to the enlisted men/officers. I finished my lecture and was eager to get home and there was this giant of a guy who was stuttering. He asked me if I could show him some exercises and I said yes. I showed him some non-resistance exercises and said I would send him a copy of our weight training program. I asked him how long he had been in the service since he was 6’9”…and he said that he was only 13 years old! He walked me over to the sauna and just as I was going to open the door his stepfather came out and was sweating profusely. I gave him my card and he looked at it with disdain: he said that he wanted his son to be educated so that he could become a military general or a bank president. About 6 weeks later Shaq wrote me a letter saying that his high school coach cut him for being too clumsy. I wondered what to say to a heartbroken 13-year old and I told him that the secret is to sincerely try to do your very best: if you never give up then God will take care of everything else. A couple of years ago he told me that he walked a mile in the snow to his mailbox, saw my letter, and decided to stick with it.

He went 68-1 record during his 2 years at Robert G. Cole High School in San Antonio, won a state title as a senior, and was the 1989 McDonald’s All-American Game MVP: how did you get him to come to Baton Rouge, and how difficult was it to recruit him? I do not know how difficult it was because he never seemed interested in any other schools. I never tried to pressure him and just told him the truth. We were filming the “Shaq and Dale” SEC Storied program with Hannah Storm a few years ago: he said that every other school was telling him that he could definitely start, and the fact that I would not do so was actually a positive.

At LSU he led the nation in REB and was named national POY in 1991, and in 1992 he led the nation in BLK: was it just a result of him being bigger/stronger than everyone else? He did not really have any moves in high school and was just a power player. He was not developing as a freshman and was struggling so I brought in Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to teach him a hook shot and brought in Bill Walton to work on his post moves/passing…and he got better and better and better. His family said that they wanted me to advise them regarding the NBA/getting an agent.

How close was he to filling the college spot on the 1992 “Dream Team”, and why did they end up choosing Christian Laettner instead of him? Laettner was probably more advanced then Shaq was at that time but we never discussed it.

After being drafted 1st overall by Orlando in 1992 he became the 1st rookie to ever be named Player of the Week during his very 1st week in the NBA, the 1st rookie to be voted an All-Star starter since Michael Jordan in 1985, and eventually 1993 NBA ROY: how was he able to come in and dominate right from the start? Some people reach their peak early but he just kept getting better with each passing day. His size/strength were the dominant factors but even in the NBA he improved as a FT shooter. I told him that I would bring in Rick Barry to work with him on underhanded shots but he said that would be embarrassing. I said that there was no way he could shoot 75 FT% during preseason practice because he was lucky if he could make 50%…and somehow he ended up making more than 75%. Most of his stats went down from college to the pros: he actually made 12-12 FTs in his final college game vs. Indiana in the 1992 NCAA tourney. We had a rule that if anyone missed class then they would have to do a 5AM workout. 1 week I told my assistant Johnny Jones that I would handle it by getting Shaq up the next day. We went down to the track and I told him that he could not miss class. He said that he could not run anymore because he was tired and I asked him where he was transferring to! He finished his freshman year with the highest GPA on the team and now has his doctorate. I am sick of hearing about coaches who buy cars for their players or change their transcripts: he is the perfect example because that kid never had a darned thing and never asked for anything. The NCAA came into his parents’ home in San Antonio to question him about his recruitment: Sergeant Harrison threw him out of his house!

He won a gold medal with team USA at the 1996 Olympics: what did it mean to him to represent his country, and what did it mean to him to win a gold medal? Knowing that his dad was a military guy I am sure that it had an extra impact. I knew that he would be successful so we tried to get him into the right things early by setting his schedule. I told him 1 day that he was so popular that he would be invited to speak to a lot of people so I had him take a speech class. He came to my office to have me critique his speech and then he asked me to attend the class: he was such a conscientious kid. He later invited me and my daughter to a speech he gave in California: he could not believe that he was getting paid 6 figures to speak! He is the Terminator on the outside and Bambi on the inside.

In 2000 he became the 3rd player to ever win NBA MVP, All-Star Game MVP, and Finals MVP in the same year (along with Willis Reed in 1970/Michael Jordan in 1996 and 1998): do you think that it reached a point between Jordan’s peak and Kobe Bryant’s peak where he became the best basketball player on the planet? I am reserved when it comes to picking the best from any era. I had a little guard on our best team ever (1981) named Ethan Martin: he would never be an NBA player but was an amazing floor leader. That being said, Shaq certainly goes down among the greatest centers of all time with guys like Wilt/Kareem/Walton/Russell.

He won 3 straight Finals MVP awards with the Lakers from 2000-2002 and won a 4th title with Miami in 2006: how was he able to play his best when it mattered the most? I went to Miami to watch them practice and sat down with Coach Pat Riley. He said that in the very 1st practice of the year Shaq put his arm around Dwyane Wade and said that Wade would be the star of the team. He said that if they all helped Wade out they would win a title…and they did.

Off the court he has released several rap albums, appeared in numerous films/reality shows, and is a studio analyst for TNT: how has he been able to follow his on-court success by becoming so successful off the court? Energy. He is a big old teenager in a lot of ways. Beyond that his benevolence is beyond imagination. The Lakers were playing in Indianapolis during the 2000 NBA Finals: I got a call from a woman whose son was in a coma due to a brain tumor and she asked if there was any way I could have Shaq call her son so that if he died he could at least hear from his hero 1 time. A couple of years later I was having dinner with Coach John Wooden and the same woman came up to our table: she said that Shaq came to the hospital, spent an hour with her son, and he eventually woke up. During Hurricane Katrina we had thousands of people dying and I read that he arranged for an 18-wheeler to drive to Louisiana so he could come in to deliver food/medicine. He just has a good heart, which he learned from his dad. They lived in meager circumstances when he was growing up and 1 day they passed a homeless man and his dad gave the man a bunch of sandwiches. I think that left an indelible impression on him.

In 2016 he was inducted into the Hall of Fame and he still ranks top-20 all-time in PTS/REB/BLK/FG%: when people look back on his career, how do you think that he should be remembered the most? We were playing scrimmages around the state when he was a freshman. Stanley Roberts dunked on him once and then made a hook over him. The 3rd time down the court Stanley made a jumper and I called a timeout and told him to play better 3/4 defense…and he asked me what that was! He was a good learner who came from a great family.

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TBT Preview: HoopsHD interviews former LSU player Emmitt Williams

Posted on June 19, 2020 by Jon Teitel

We have been missing college basketball since March and will not be seeing any NBA basketball until July 31st at the very earliest. The good news is that we can celebrate America’s birthday on the 4th of July with some on-court fireworks courtesy of The Basketball Tournament. The TBT returns next month with a 24-team single-elimination bracket that will be played over the course of 10 days in Columbus, OH with a winner-take-all prize of $1 million. We continue our preview coverage with Emmitt Williams, who had 2 solid seasons at LSU before declaring for the NBA draft in April. He will be playing for 2018 TBT runner-up Eberlein Drive along with several other SEC alums including Johnny O’Bryant (LSU)/Tim Quarterman (LSU)/Dusty Hannahs (Arkansas). HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Emmitt about breaking a record held by LeBron James and playing for $1 million next month.

In the 2018 Jordan Brand Classic you were named MVP after scoring 44 PTS (which broke Lebron James’ previous record by 10 PTS): was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were “in the zone”, and what was your impression of teammate Zion Williamson? I went in with an ego after not getting invited to the McDonald’s All-American Game: I felt like I had been stabbed in the back. It hurt me so I had to show them who I really was. Zion was amazing: he is a phenomenal guy off the court. I have known him since 8th grade and he is a great friend.

In the 2019 NCAA tourney as a player at LSU you scored 7 PTS and Tremont Waters drove by 3 defenders to scoop in a layup off the glass with 1.6 seconds left in a 2-PT win over Maryland: did you have a lot of family/friends in attendance in Jacksonville, and where does that rank among the most clutch shots that you have ever seen? I had a lot of family who came up for the game. Tremont worked so hard and it showed off at the end of that game. He is like my big bro and I still talk to him every day.

Last year you were top-10 in the SEC with 6.6 RPG/1.2 BPG: what is the key to being a good rebounder/defender? I felt that it was always my job to rebound/defend so I just try to go out there and do it the best that I can.

The SEC tourney was canceled on March 12th: what was your reaction when you heard about it, and what impact has the coronavirus had on you either on or off the court since then? When I heard about it I could not believe it: I heard it from a teammate and I actually thought that it was a joke. I told my dad that it did not seem real and I felt bad for all of the family members who came up to support us in Nashville.

You declared for the draft in 2019: why did you decide to return last year, and why did you decide to make the leap this year? Last year it was the best decision for me: I just wanted to test the waters and see how I fit. LSU is a great program so I wanted to come back and learn more basketball. I think that coming back last year was the best decision I have made in my life.

Your former teammates Trendon Watford/Darius Days also declared this spring: have you talked to them about their own plans, and how do you think the team is going to do next year after losing so much talent? I talk to them but I do not like to put other people’s business out there. They will always be there for me and we talk every week to keep the contact going since we are like family. I think that the Tigers will be great next year with a coach like Will Wade who has a lot of tricks up his sleeve.

Next month you will be playing for Eberlein Drive in the TBT: why did you decide to participate, and how is the team looking at the moment? It was a great opportunity for me to play with some other pros. I have not seen anyone yet but we are getting to know each other more every day via a group chat.

What will your share of the $1 million prize be if your team wins it all, and what will you do with the money? I have no clue: you cannot say that you have anything before you get it!

What would it mean to you to get drafted, and what is the plan if you do not get drafted? It would be a dream come true to get drafted, and if not then it just means that I need to work harder to get closer to where I want to be.

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.? It is a blessing to see the next day: tomorrow is not promised. I lost 2 of my brothers due to gun violence so it is a blessing for me just to have reached age 21. I have a son who is my legacy: he is actually the 6th generation of my family to have our name.

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The Olympians: HoopsHD interviews Leon Barmore about 1996 Olympic gold medalist Venus Lacy

Posted on June 19, 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 Hall of Fame coach Leon Barmore about his former player Venus Lacy winning an NCAA title in 1988 and a gold medal in 1996. Today marks the 24th anniversary of Venus getting selected by Seattle in the 1st round of the 1996 ABL Draft.

Venus led Brainerd High School to a state title in 1984 and then started her college career at ODU: why did she decide to transfer, and how did you get her to come to Louisiana Tech? She just had a falling-out with her coach. She reached out to us and we were happy to have her.

In the 1988 NCAA title game she scored 4 PTS in a 2-PT win over Auburn: how were you able to beat 3 #1 seeds in a row (Texas/Tennessee/Auburn), and what did it mean to her to win a title? We had to beat Texas on their home court just to reach the Final 4. We trailed Auburn by double-digits at halftime but Teresa Weatherspoon shut down Ruthie Bolton in the 2nd half. Venus did not score much but she had a presence.

On February 18, 1989, she scored 35 PTS (including a trios of threes during a 3-minute stretch, the only ones of her college career) in the 1st half of a 126-25 win over Texas Pan American: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot she put up seemed to go in because she was “in the zone”? No: I think that it was just a lack of height by Pan American. She dominated due to her physical strength.

Auburn got their revenge by beating you in the 1989 NCAA Final 4 and then ruining your 32-0 season in the 1990 NCAA tourney: how intense was the rivalry back in the day? For a stretch there Auburn coach Joe Ciampi had some very good players/teams. Our conference was pretty weak in 1990 so it was not a total upset but give them credit. Venus got 2 fouls in the 1st few minutes of that game and it just took us out of our rhythm.

She went 98-7 during her 3 years in Ruston and was named All-American/national POY as a senior: did it reach a point where you just expected to win every time that she stepped onto the court? No, but we had a good team. I was proudest of her because she developed some offensive moves and became a great player.

Her 20 PPG remains #1 in school history: what was her secret for being a great scorer? She is 1 of the best scorers in our school’s history, which shows her progression during her 3 years at Tech. I give her a lot of credit for sticking with it because she put a lot of effort into it.

She was cut from the 1992 Olympic team but was the last player added to the 12-woman roster for team USA at the 1996 Olympics: how pissed was she to miss out in 1992, and what did it mean to her to win a gold medal in 1996? In 1992 team USA had some players who were much more advanced at the time than she was. In 1996 they needed some size and she was chosen due to her physical ability.

She was the 1st player selected by Seattle in the 1996 ABL Draft but was seriously injured in a car accident on February 4, 1997: how bad was the accident, and what impact did it have on her pro basketball career? I know that she had some ups and downs in the pros and also played in the WNBA. I am sure that the accident was bad but she never had the pro career that I thought that she could have had.

In 2011 she was inducted into the Louisiana Tech Athletic Hall of Fame and in 2014 she was inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame: where do these rank among the highlights of her career? I would think that she would rank being a national champ and winning a gold medal up there at the top, with the Hall of Fame a close 3rd.

When people look back on her career, how do you think that she should be remembered the most? Based on her domination as a senior she is definitely 1 of the best post players in school history.

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TBT Preview: HoopsHD interviews former Citadel player Lew Stallworth

Posted on June 18, 2020 by Jon Teitel

We have been missing college basketball since March and will not be seeing any NBA basketball until July 31st at the very earliest. The good news is that we can celebrate America’s birthday on the 4th of July with some on-court fireworks courtesy of The Basketball Tournament. The TBT returns next month with a 24-team single-elimination bracket that will be played over the course of 10 days in Columbus, OH with a winner-take-all prize of $1 million. We commence our preview coverage with Lew Stallworth, who played at UTEP/UTRGV before having an amazing grad transfer season at the Citadel. He will be playing for Power of the Paw along with several former Clemson stars including Donte Grantham/Terrell McIntyre/Elijah Thomas. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Lew about being a great PG and playing for $1 million next month.

You were born/raised in California: what made you choose UTEP to start your college career? Being from California, all I knew was California. I was attending high school outside of LA and wanted to see something different. I wanted to experience a different state with new ways of living/new traditions. UTEP has a rich history for basketball and sports in general. When I was recruited Tim Floyd was the coach and he had NBA ties so I wanted to learn from the best.

How did you like playing at UTRGV, and what made you choose The Citadel for your final year of college basketball? UTRGV was very different than UTEP because it was in south Texas right by Mexico so the area was rich in Mexican/Latino culture. I really enjoyed learning new traditions and loved the Valley: my time is Edinburg was great. I learned how to play a different style of basketball under Coach Lew Hill, who had just come off a Final 4 run as an assistant with Oklahoma in 2016. The Citadel attracted me because I was looking for a place where I could really thrive and become the main playmaker. Their up-tempo style really fit my abilities and they allowed me to be myself.

In February of 2019 you scored a career-high 37 PTS in a loss at Western Carolina (which is tied for the 10th best scoring performance in Bulldog history): was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were “in the zone”? That game was really odd in a few different ways. Our 2 best shooters were hurt and our big man Zane Najdawi fouled out so nobody was scoring at all during that game. I just got into a different mode to try to keep my team in the game: I did not want to lose without putting up a fight.

You had the highest scoring increase of any grad transfer in the nation as you improved from 5.9 PPG through your 1st 3 seasons to 20.2 PPG in Charleston: how were you able to become such an incredible scorer in just 1 year? I always had the ability to score but did not have the opportunity to showcase that ability. The summer going into my senior year I got into the gym a lot with my trainer Daytwan Mayfield and really changed my game to become a complete scorer. I wanted to play as if I was in high school again. Once I got onto campus I was able to spend countless hours in the gym with my grad assistant Brad Mason who helped take my game to the next level.

You also ranked top-20 in the nation with 6.2 APG: how do you balance your scoring with your passing? Coach Duggar Baucom and the entire staff did a tremendous job of surrounding me with guys who were high-level shooters. My job was just to make the right play whether it was shooting the ball myself or passing to someone else. The game was easy because there was so much spacing on the floor and it made basketball fun. If there was a hot hand then I would feed him until he ran out, or if I was going then I would keep it going.

Last year you played pro basketball in the Ukraine: how did it go, and what is the biggest difference between basketball in the US vs. basketball overseas? My first year playing overseas was definitely a struggle. It was hard being so far away from home but it taught me a lot about my mental strength. I learned how to be mentally strong and keep my emotions in check. It was a great experience: I played high-level competition and got to play a lot of minutes. I learned about another culture on another continent and am ready for the next season.

The NCAA tourney was canceled last March: what was your reaction when you heard about it, and what impact has the coronavirus had on you either on or off the court since then? I felt really bad for the seniors who could not compete for a championship: that was the worst part of all of this. Personally, it helped me reconnect with my family as I got the chance to spend a lot of time with them. It has also rekindled the love of basketball for me because I have missed it so much. COVID also helped me find my current girlfriend so I am pretty happy about that!

Next month you will be playing for Power of the Paw in the TBT: why did you decide to participate, and how is the team looking at the moment? I got the chance to win a game in the TBT last year so I am really excited to get back to it. I want to play against the best of the best while showcasing my talent/ability. The team looks really good and I am very excited to get to it next week.

What will your share of the $1 million prize be if your team wins it all, and what will you do with the money? My winning share is $100,000. If I win the money I will invest most of it, save part of it, and spend a little of it.

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.? 2020 has been a really wild ride thus far. Being Black right now is very controversial. I fear driving past police officers and fear getting caught running in the wrong neighborhood: I just do not feel safe. I want my kids to be able to feel free but I feel like a prisoner because we are looked at as less than White people in this country. I support the protest movement and have protested myself because I want my people to have equal rights. Injustice and inequality must stop. God loves all humans and created all humans so how can we say that we love God and are God-fearing but do not believe that we are all equal? It makes no sense. I stand with my brothers/sisters as we fight the good fight, the necessary fight.

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The Olympians: HoopsHD interviews 1956 Olympic gold medalist Ron Tomsic

Posted on June 18, 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 Ron Tomsic about winning a gold medal in 1956.

You were born in Oakland: what made you choose Stanford? Because I could get in! I had some other offers that were more lucrative but Stanford is a very prestigious school and I had a counselor in high school who went there. He said that if I could get in then I should go.

You were a 5’11” guard: did you see your size as an advantage or disadvantage on the court? Both. Basketball players are typically taller so I was usually the shortest guy on every team I played on, which means I was at a huge disadvantage when it came to rebounding. However, I was very fast and felt that I could start/stop quicker than anyone else, which was a distinct advantage.

In 1955 you scored a career-high 40 PTS in a game vs. USC, which remains 1 of the highest scoring performances in school history: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were “in the zone”? That particular day: yes. I only missed a couple of shots from the field. I had 3-4 such performances during my career, including 39 PTS vs. La Salle at the Cow Palace and 38 PTS vs. USC. When you are in a zone you just have at it. What made it a little better than you might think is that there was no 3-PT line back then, nor a shot-clock. Usually the final 5 minutes of a game just involved the team in the lead holding the ball and getting fouled. Had there been a 3-PT line back then I might have scored 50 PTS. During high school there were sportswriters who would come from all over to watch the crazy guy who jumped off both feet before he actually shot…and that was me! They would ask me why I did that and I said that if you looked at my height then you could see it was the only way that I could get a shot off. I could shoot over taller guards due to my quickness.

You were a 3-time all-conference player and at the time of your graduation your 1416 career PTS was the most in school history: what is the secret to being a great scorer? Never up/never in! We did not have a lot of great scorers and I got to play on the varsity as a freshman due to an exception during the Korean Conflict. I played with 4 seniors and after they all graduated the coach told me to take whatever I felt was a good shot.

In the spring of 1955 you were drafted by Syracuse but instead of going pro you played AAU basketball for the San Francisco Olympic Club (where you became a 3-time All-American and won an AAU national title): why did you choose AAU over the NBA, and what did it mean to you to win a title? I am a West Coast guy so after they flew me back to Syracuse there was a huge snowstorm and I wondered why they did not just fly me back West. The NBA was not paying players that much in those days, which was not great for a newly married guy like myself, so I opted not to move to Syracuse. I stayed out West and some of the AAU teams were as good if not better than the pro teams. The AAU teams would give their players a meaningful job so that they would have something lined up for them after their playing days. My future Olympic teammates Gib Ford/Dick Boushka ended up with pretty neat high-ranking jobs. When we won the national title it was very thrilling and 1 of the highlights of my career.

You made the 1956 Olympic team as 1 of 3 players who had served in the Air Force: what impact did your service have on you either on or off the court? I was in ROTC at Stanford but was never going to be a career service guy. I did 2 years in the Air Force but I am unsure whether it really had any impact: it was just an obligation I had to fulfill. It was fun to watch how it worked but I could not wait to get back to civilian life. A few decades later I was a Commissioner for the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee that organized/operated the 1984 Olympic Games and was 1 of hundreds of people that ran with the Olympic Torch on its journey to Los Angeles!

2 other members of the team were San Francisco teammates KC Jones/Russell, who are among a handful of players to have won NCAA/NBA/Olympic titles: what was it like to play with a pair of future Hall of Famers who each won 8+ NBA titles with the Celtics? If we had Russell/you/me/2 other guys we could have won! I actually played against Russell during high school: he was 1 year behind me and was close to me in height until he grew 7” before his sophomore year. He was not a great shooter but he had a great attitude/desire to play defense, which changed the professional game. He anticipated people coming into the lane better than anybody else that I have ever seen. I was guarding a guy in the Olympics who went up for a jump shot and I tried to tick his elbow and they called a foul on me. Bill said if that guy wanted to come down the middle I should just let him go. The next time I did and Bill waited until the last second and blocked the shot out to mid-court and I ended up making a layup in transition. KC is solid as a rock. He was also not a great shooter but his defense was amazing. In the 1955 title game vs. La Salle he scored 24 PTS and held Tom Gola to only 16 PTS/6-15 FG when Gola was the best player in the country.

What did it mean to you to represent your country, and what did it mean to you to win a gold medal? Talk about the highlight of my career! I remember 3 specific moments. We played in the Olympic Trials: I was on the all-Armed Forces team and played about 28 games in an attempt to get selected, Bill/KC were on the college All-Star team, and there were 2 AAU teams. We stayed up at night while the committee went upstairs to decide: when they came down and announced that I had made it I felt very excited. We lined up before our 1st game and KC said that this was big time: it was not like Stanford playing USF. Of course the greatest moment of all is when they hand you the medal and play the national anthem: it gave me chills and brought tears to my eyes.

You were later inducted into the Helms Amateur Basketball Hall of Fame: where does that rank among the highlights of your career? I am in about 5-6 Halls of Fame: I was actually elected twice to the Helms Hall of Fame for some reason! The Stanford Hall of Fame was a big 1, as were the San Francisco Olympic Club/Pac-12/US Olympic Halls of Fame: they were all very exciting. When I got back from the Olympics the LA Times had a big banquet for players from all different sports. They named Russell as the pro basketball player of the year and me as the amateur basketball player of the year, which was also pretty exciting.

When people look back on your career, how do you want to be remembered the most? I would like to be remembered as a good solid basketball player who consistently rose to the level of competition that I was facing.

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