The Olympians: HoopsHD interviews 2-time Olympic gold medalist Yolanda Griffith

Posted on June 9, 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 Yolanda Griffith about being named 2005 WNBA Finals MVP and winning a pair of gold medals in 2000/2004. Today marks the 11th anniversary of the final game of her WNBA career.

(photo credit: hoopfeed.com)

You originally got a scholarship to play at Iowa but turned it down after giving birth to your daughter Candace, then after 2 years at Palm Beach CC you ended up at Florida Atlantic where you were named D-2 national POY despite having to support your daughter by working for a car repossession company: how were you able to get through school while juggling so many different responsibilities? I actually attended Iowa before leaving after 1 semester. I graduated from Palm Beach but was settled in the area so I decided to stay in Florida and go to FAU. Having a balance of family/close friends allowed me to keep playing basketball.

After being selected 1st overall by Long Beach in the 1997 ABL draft you were named DPOY in 1998: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? I just had the mentality to play hard and put defense 1st because it wins games/championships. I knew who I was as a player even though my journey was not a straight line: it molded me into the strong person I am both mentally/physically and tried to take advantage of every opportunity that was given to me. I did not want to let my family/friends down so I gave it everything I had.

After being selected 2nd overall by Sacramento in the 1999 WNBA draft you averaged 18.8 PPG/11.3 RPG and were named MVP/DPOY: what did it mean to you to receive such outstanding honors? They only selected a few players from the ABL so I was fortunate to be taken. It would have been nice to go #1 overall to Washington but I was overwhelmed to go to Sacramento because Maura McHugh had coached me in Long Beach. It was awesome to be reunited with her: I also played with Michelle Marciniak in the ABL. They pushed me/motivated me. I would have been ROY as well but I had already played at the pro level so they gave me Newcomer of the Year instead.

You played for team USA at the Olympics in 2000/2004: what did it mean to you to represent your country, and what did it mean to you to win a pair of gold medals? Who would turn down a chance to represent their country?! I participated in some USA trials when I was younger but was just trying to have fun. I was honored to represent the USA: it was a challenge for us to put our egos aside and just come in and do our part. You have to find what you can bring to the table so I just defended/rebounded because we already had strong veteran leaders. The post players around Lisa Leslie would come in and contribute in any way that they could. We were competitive with each other from day 1 and even a bronze/silver medal was unacceptable. The goal was to win the gold, which was embedded in our minds non-stop. It was awesome to blast Australia by 22 PTS in 2000 to get the monkey off our back.

As a player for Sacramento you lost both of your regular season games against Connecticut in 2005 but beat them 3-1 in the WNBA Finals en route to being named Finals MVP: how were you able to play your best when it mattered the most, and what did it mean to you to win a title? Houston was smoking everybody at 1st but the team that we needed to get by was the LA Sparks. I think there was a concert at the Staples Center during the 1st round so they had to move our games to Anaheim, which took away their home-court advantage. Even though we had the best regular season record some people predicted that we would lose but our motto was “2005: All the way live”. Everyone on our bench could have started for any team in the league: when we stepped onto the court we refused to lose and always had someone stepping in to fill the void. To win the 1st title in the state’s capital was surreal. I knew who I was and what we were capable of: it was a special team.

You are considered 1 of the greatest rebounders/defenders in the history of women’s basketball: what is the secret to being a great rebounder, and what is the secret to being a great defender? Overall you just need to be 100% dedicated to wanting to do it and be the best. It was not a job for me: it was something that I enjoyed doing for our team to be successful. They used to tell me to stop diving on the floor but you just never know if that 1 possession will help you win the game. I took pride in it. I was just talking to 1 of our post players at BC who was voted most improved player: this year she wanted to be better than anyone else and averaged 10 RPG. You need to make everything tough for your opponents. I wanted the ball so I pursued it. Defense is easy: it fired me up and motivated me. Scoring is a plus but my focus was always on defense/rebounding.

In 2011 you were voted 1 of the top 15 players in WNBA history and in 2014 you were inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame: where do these rank among the highlights of your career? There are so many great players out there and it must have been very difficult to select the top-15 so to be mentioned with that group was truly an honor. I never thought about all of the accolades because I had a blue-collar attitude from being born/raised in Chicago. My siblings were athletes and we did everything together: if I did not do my homework then I could not go outside to play. It can be taken away by an injury or your parents so I tried to work hard every day. When I started playing in 8th grade on an all-boys team it was neat: I got teased until I started schooling the boys on the court! I am blessed that I was able to play a game that came so easily to me on the court and to have parents who would discipline me off the court. I never let people buy gifts for me now that I can afford to buy things for myself. Without my teammate TP (Ticha Penicheiro) I would not have had the PTS/championship.

You have been coaching for the past decade and are currently an assistant coach at BC: how do you like coaching, and what do you hope to do in the future? My future plan is to be a head coach. Being at BC has been a great experience: we play in the best conference in the country and it has given me the opportunity to give back and mold the players on our team. I keep it simple and work on the fundamentals, which give you the chance to get to the next level and have the longevity to stay there. There are 3 different levels: AAU (streetball), high school/college (organized basketball), and the pros. You need toughness and have to work hard to adjust to the different styles of basketball. I try to educate our young ladies about the discipline of the game: if you put in 20 minutes in the gym then your self-motivation will allow you to get better.

You went 20-12 last year and made the ACC tourney semifinals before a 7-PT loss to NC State: how is the team looking for next year, and what impact has the coronavirus had on your job either on or off the court? When you instill the right way to do things then it is easy to be a coach. I really wanted to give back even as a player: when I finally retired after tearing my Achilles it was heartbreaking to do all of that rehab. I love coaching: it is the next phase of my life. The coronavirus did not affect us a lot with our recruiting class but it is hard to work from home and not see the girls. My family in Chicago has several people who got hit by it but they are finally healthy even though they are not ready to travel, which is scary. I thank God every day that I get to see another day: basketball comes and goes but I am thankful that we have not had to deal with it as much as other schools have that got hit harder. We call/text our players all the time since we cannot interact with them at school on a daily basis. It will be around for quite some time until we take it seriously by wearing a mask/socially distancing.

When people look back on your career, how do you want to be remembered the most? As a fun-loving caring person who put others before herself and gave it 100% every time that she stepped onto the court. I worked at my craft every day to be the best, helped Sacramento win a title, and helped team USA win back-to-back gold medals.

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The Olympians: HoopsHD interviews 1976 Olympic gold medalist Adrian Dantley

Posted on June 8, 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 Adrian Dantley about playing in 1 of the biggest upsets in NCAA history and winning a gold medal in 1976. Today marks the 44th anniversary of Buffalo selecting him 6th overall in the 1976 NBA Draft.

photo credit (2kmtcentral.com)

You went 117-7 at DeMatha High School and were named an All-American while playing center for legendary coach Morgan Wootten: what made Wootten such a great coach? He was a great communicator and a man of his word. He had great character and you could always trust him.

As a freshman at Notre Dame in 1974 you played in 1 of the biggest upsets in college basketball history (the Irish scored the final 12 PTS in a 1-PT upset to break UCLA’s record 88-game winning streak): how were you able to beat the Bruins, and where does that rank among the most exciting games of your career? It is probably the #1 game of my career. We beat them because we just did not quit. Coach Digger Phelps had a great game plan and we forced our will on them.

What are your memories of the 1974 NCAA tourney (John Shumate had 34 PTS/17 REB, but Campy Russell bested him with 36 PTS/18 REB in a 9-PT win by Michigan)? That was the worst game of my career as Wolverines guard Wayman Britt held me to only 2 PTS.

Take me through the 1975 NCAA tourney:
You had 33 PTS/10 REB in a 6-PT win over Kansas: what did you learn from the 1974 tourney that helped you in 1975? I did not learn a lot but it helped just to have some more experience so I was not as uptight.

You had 25 PTS/11 REB, but John Lucas scored 24 PTS in a win by Maryland: could you tell at the time that Lucas was going to become a star? I knew John when I was still in high school: he actually recruited me to go to Maryland.

You were a 2-time All-American and were named national POY in 1976: what did it mean to you to win such outstanding honors? It showed that my hard work/dedication paid off: I sacrificed a lot every summer. I also have to thank my teammates/coaches because I could not have done it without them.

Take me through the 1976 NCAA tourney:
You scored 27 PTS and Toby Knight made a last-second tip-in to clinch a 1-PT win over Cincinnati: was it extra-special to beat the Bearcats after they had beaten you in the 3rd-place game in 1975? It feels pretty good anytime you can beat a team that beat you before. Anything can happen in the tourney so you have to play out every single second.

You scored 31 PTS in a 4-PT loss to eventual runner-up Michigan: how close did you come to winning that game, and did you know at the time that you had played your final college game? That was a payback game against Britt: I played really well but we did not win. I was preparing to go pro but was not 100% sure.

At the 1976 Olympics in Montreal you were the leading scorer for team USA and you beat Yugoslavia for the gold medal: what was it like to play for Coach Dean Smith, and what did it mean to you to win the gold? It was a great honor to play for Coach Smith: he gave me a lot of insight. I thought about going to UNC because he was a great coach. We had a very good team and were happy to win. We wanted to play Russia for the gold but they were upset by Yugoslavia.

In the summer of 1976 you were drafted 6th overall by Buffalo (2 spots ahead of Robert Parish): why did you decide to leave school after your junior year, and what did it mean to you to get drafted? It was always my dream to go pro. I went to summer school each summer so I only needed a few more credits to graduate.

You were named NBA ROY in 1977 but were traded to the Pacers in the offseason (becoming the 1st ROY in any pro sport to be traded following his rookie season): how were you able to make such a smooth transition from college to the pros, and why on earth did you get traded? I think that I got traded because we had an owner who wanted an ABA player. The key to the transition is to be prepared: when you play against the best guys every night you have to make sure you get proper rest, do your scouting, etc.

In 1984 you tied a NBA record (set by Wilt Chamberlain during his 100-PT game) for most FT made in a regular-season game with 28 vs. Houston: what is the secret to being a great FT shooter, and do you remember your 1 miss? I remember the 1 miss because I did not miss a lot that night. The key is practice but also practicing under different circumstances. Since I liked to run I would focus on making 2 FT or else having to run some sprints.

In the 1984 All-Star Game you had a 9-PT OT loss to the East: how on earth did you lose with a Hall of Fame starting lineup of you/Kareem Abdul-Jabbar/Magic Johnson/George Gervin/Alex English? All-Star games do not mean a lot when it comes to talent, as we saw with Miami several years ago. Everyone gets to play so it takes a whole team effort. I am pretty sure that the East squad had some Hall of Famers as well!

In Game 5 of the 1987 Eastern Conference Finals as a player for Detroit, Larry Bird stole an inbounds pass from Isiah Thomas and passed it to Dennis Johnson for a 1-PT win en route to winning the series in 7 games: how amazing was that play, and how devastating was that loss? It was a great play and a credit to Bird never quitting. It was pretty devastating but it just goes to show that the game is not over until the final buzzer. In pro sports the unexpected can happen.

Take me through the 1988 NBA Finals:
In Game 6 Thomas scored a Finals-record 25 PTS in the 3rd quarter (11-13 FG) despite playing on a sprained ankle: how was he able to battle through the pain and dominate for an entire quarter? He has always been a competitor and has a big heart so he could play through the pain.

In Game 7 Finals MVP James Worthy had 36 PTS/16 REB/10 AST (the only triple-double of his career): were you surprise that it was Worthy who took over the final game, and do you think that Magic should have been called for a foul after knocking Thomas to the ground in the final seconds? I was not surprised by Worthy’s performance: he was a great player. As far as the no-call…that is the referee’s decision.

You averaged 30+ PPG during each season from 1981-1984, led the league in scoring twice (1981/1984), and your 24.3 career PPG (tied with Larry Bird) remains top-20 all-time : what is the secret to being a great scorer? You have to be in great shape, get to the FT line, and shoot over 50% from the field.

You were inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2008: where does that rank among your career highlights? It ranks #1: it was a great honor to be recognized as 1 of the best.

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The Olympians: HoopsHD interviews 2000 Olympic gold medalist Rudy Tomjanovich

Posted on June 7, 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 Coach Rudy Tomjanovich about his upcoming Hall of Fame enshrinement and winning a gold medal in 2000. Today marks the 25th anniversary of his Rockets’ 2-PT OT road win over the Magic in Game 1 of the 1995 NBA Finals.

(photo credit: nba.com)

Your 1044 career REB remain the most in Michigan history: what is the key to being a great rebounder, and do you think that anyone will ever break your record that has stood for 50 years? I liked to get the ball in the basket so it was elementary to be a rebounder early in my career. When my teammates took a shot I went to the boards every single time. Growing up my friends and I played a game called “Tip-In” and it just became a way of life. In my very 1st game I set a school record with 27 REB vs. Kentucky and later I got 30 REB in Chicago Stadium vs. Loyola. I do not know if anyone will break my record but it does not seem like the game is going that way. I did not think that we were an up-tempo team until Coach Johnny Orr took over in 1968. It is pretty amazing to look back at some of those numbers.

In the spring of 1970 you were drafted 2nd overall by San Diego (1 spot ahead of Pete Maravich): 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 knew that I was going to get drafted but did not realize I would go 2nd. There was pressure from the ABA at the time to have a merger with the NBA soon and a fear that our bargaining power would be gone. I was convinced to see whether we could work something out but I did not trust the guy who gave me that message. Coach Orr had me talk to some corporate lawyers in Ann Arbor who explained that it did not matter. I had a gut feeling and trusted 1 of the lawyers…and it was 1 of the best things that ever happened to me. At the time a draft choice could completely screw up your team’s chemistry if he held out for more money than 1 of your All-Star players made. 1 reason San Diego took me that high is because I already signed with them. It was a great honor and I was very fortunate to be in the NBA.

You made 5 All-Star games during a 6-year stretch from 1974-1979: how were you able to recover from Kermit Washington’s infamous punch in 1977 to become an All-Star in 1979? I did not want the punch to be the end of my career: I wanted to go out on my own terms. I worked really hard and eventually got the okay from my doctors to play. When I played in an exhibition game there was 1 news paper that viewed me as the “same old Rudy” while another paper said I was a “very different player”.

You made the playoffs during each of your 1st full 7 years as a head coach in Houston from 1993-1999: how were you able to make such a smooth transition to head coach after 8 years as an assistant coach? The main reason was a guy named Hakeem Olajuwon! When you get a job you hope to get very great players of his caliber. To win it we had to develop some different strategies such as the way that we spaced the floor after we got the ball to him. It really worked for our team when he got double-teamed: Hakeem was a guy who made defenses pay for double-teaming him by passing the ball out to 1 of our many good 3-PT shooters.

You won back-to-back NBA titles in 1994 and 1995: what did it mean to you to win the 1st 1, and was it easier/harder to win the 2nd 1? Since I had been a player/assistant in Houston it meant a heck of a lot because I considered myself a Houstonian who pulled for the other local teams like the Astros/Oilers. To be part of the team that brought a title to the city was a great feeling. It was hard because none of us on that team had ever won a title before. The 2nd year I did not plan to make any trades because I wanted the guys to have a chance to defend their title. However, we were not playing like the same team and I was worried that we were wearing Hakeem out so I felt that we needed another primary scorer. Clyde Drexler’s name was out there and due to their past history as college teammates I felt that it could work…and it did. No disrespect to Otis Thorpe but Clyde was fantastic for us and helped us regain our edge.

You served as head coach for team USA at the 2000 Olympics: how did you get the job, and how did you divide up the responsibilities with your 3 assistants (Larry Brown/Gene Keady/Tubby Smith)? The USOC came to me about the job and asked me if I was interested and I said of course! When I was a college player in Ann Arbor in 1968 I considered myself a peer of Spencer Haywood who played nearby in Detroit so when he made the team and I did not even get a tryout I felt very discouraged. It was a very conservative type of basketball under 1 of the all-time greats in Coach Hank Iba. To finally get a chance in 2000 was a great honor but it was also an unenviable situation because unless we blew out our opponents it seemed like something had gone wrong. Since my 3 assistants were so good I just asked them to chime in whenever they wanted. I had the college coaches work on our zone offense since they ran it a lot more than we did in the NBA.

Which of your opponents impressed you the most: Sarunas Jasikevicius (Lithuania)/Sean Marks (New Zealand)/Yao Ming (China)/other? They were all good individuals but some of the teams posed a big challenge due to their passing/trick plays. Lithuania had assistant coach Donnie Nelson and did a lot of tricky things: they would play man-to-man defense and then switch to a zone after we passed the ball into the post. We had to make some big adjustments because there were no illegal defense rules: I am surprised that more teams did not use the zone defense more often.

In the semifinals Lithuania missed a 3-PT shot at the buzzer in a 2-PT win by the US: how nervous were you about becoming the 3rd coach to ever lose a US Olympic basketball game? That would have been the 1st for a team of NBA players: the 1972 and 1988 teams were both comprised of college players. Nobody wanted that tag the rest of their lives and it was a factor: we played a little tighter and sometimes it paralyzed us from going out and doing what we had to do. We were down by 1 late in the game and then fouled a 3-PT shooter: my whole life was passing before my eyes and I had a vision into the future of people speaking at my funeral. They were saying “Good guy, good friend…1st NBA coach to lose in the Olympics”! It was a relief for us to win the game, both for me and the players.

What did it mean to you to win a gold medal, and what did it mean to you to see 1 of your players from that team (Kevin Garnett) elected to the Hall of Fame earlier this year? Winning a gold medal for your country is about as wonderful an achievement as you can accomplish in any sport. However, the amount of stress involved means that you do not want to go through it too many times: the rules are different, the foreign teams are getting better, etc. It is a dangerous thing because there is always the chance that you will not win. Until you actually get there you cannot understand how good the other teams are: you cannot be sloppy on defense because they will drive by you and score inside or make shots over you from the outside. You need to respect your opponent’s offensive ability because if they get on a roll then the game can get away from you very easily. Kevin was a wonderful player/person and a leader on that team who would fire us all up. Leadership always brings people together: we would have debates about things and he would ask us which way I wanted us to go and when I made a decision he always agreed with me.

You will be joining Kevin in the Hall of Fame: where does that rank among the highlights of your career, and what was your reaction to Jerry Colangelo’s announcement last month that your enshrinement ceremony will be moved to spring of 2021 due to the coronavirus? It is the highest honor you can receive. I have been on the list for the last several years but had the silver lining that a lot of other coaches spoke up about me, which made me feel fantastic even though I was not getting elected. To finally get it allowed me to stop answering questions about why I was not in there: it is not something you campaign for and it was awkward to talk about it. It is mind-boggling and I am just humbled. This pandemic is a life and death thing so it does not matter when they hold the ceremony. I think it is the right thing to do and I am all for it.

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The Olympians: HoopsHD interviews Ted Owens about 1968 Olympic gold medalist Jo Jo White

Posted on June 6, 2020 by Jon Teitel

The NBA Finals date back to 1947 (when they were known as the Basketball Association of America Finals) and the very 1st NCAA tourney was held in 1939. Olympic basketball competition is even older: it debuted as a demonstration event in 1904 and the men’s version became a medal sport in 1936, with the women finally getting their chance to go for the gold in 1976. The United States has dominated Olympic basketball competition from the start: the men have won 15 gold medals in the 18 tournaments they have participated in during the past 84 years, while the women have won 8 gold medals in the 10 tournaments in which they have competed during the past 44 years. Those of you who were looking forward to the 2020 Olympics opening ceremonies in Tokyo on July 24, 2020 will have to wait an extra 364 days, as the coronavirus caused a postponement until July 23, 2021. Due to the absence of college basketball since mid-March, HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel decided to fill the void by trying to interview as many prior Olympic players/coaches as possible so that you have something to read this summer while not watching the Summer Games. We continue our coverage by chatting with Coach Ted Owens about his former college player Jo Jo White winning a gold medal in 1968. Today marks the 44th anniversary of Jo Jo being named 1976 NBA Finals MVP after scoring 130 PTS in 6 games while leading the Celtics to a title by beating the Suns in 6 games.

Jo Jo was born/raised in St. Louis: how did you recruit him to Kansas? I was hired as an assistant at Kansas in 1960 and was named head coach in 1964. Someone recommended Sam Miranda as an assistant coach so I met with him and liked him very much. We went over a list of recruits and he mentioned a former St. Louis star who had become a ref. We flew to St. Louis in the summer of 1964 and had lunch with Jo Jo and his parents, which was legal back then. We invited him to attend the Oklahoma-Kansas football game that fall. It was a beautiful October day and we upset the Sooners due to 1 of our good running backs named Gale Sayers. Not many people remember that Jo Jo graduated a semester early from high school. We went back to St. Louis to watch him play in December and he was an outstanding athlete…but it snowed so we did not get to see him play. He came to Kansas the day after he graduated and we could not wait to hold a freshman practice to see how good he was. He was an outstanding all-around player but his best quality was that if a teammate was open he would get him the ball.

Due to his age he was eligible to join the team 1 semester early and with only 1 semester of eligibility left in his final year you opted to have him play for the 1st 18 games of the season during the 1st semester: how difficult was it to bring him in during the middle of the season, and do you have any regrets about not having available during the end of his final season? We had a very good team and knew that we had something pretty special. If a player began his eligibility during the middle of the semester then you had no choice because you had to play consecutive semesters. I talked to our captain Riney Lochmann because there was a chance that he would lose his starting spot to Jo Jo but Riney wanted to win so he agreed that we should let Jo Jo play immediately. We dominated in the 2nd semester and won by an average of 29 PPG. It was a joint decision but it was a real blow to lose him during his senior year.

In the 1966 NCAA tourney he had 19 PTS/11 REB in a 1-PT 2-OT loss to eventual champ Texas Western: how much of a home-court advantage did the Miners have in Lubbock, and do you think that referee Rudy Marich was wrong when he ruled that Jo Jo stepped out of bounds before making a 28-footer at the end of the 1st OT that would have won the game? There were definitely some Texas-enthusiastic fans in Lubbock, as there were when we beat SMU in our previous game. We knew that Texas Western had some wonderful athletes and it was a terrific game. Back then there was no seeding so I think that game featured the 2 best teams in the country. We were tied at the end of the 1st OT and got the ball near mid-court after forcing a charge. We called a play to let Jo Jo penetrate: the Miners pushed him to his left and he nailed it right at the gun. We were celebrating on the floor when the ref came over late to say that Jo Jo had stepped on the line. His heel was hovering over the line but he did not actually step on the line, and the ref was looking at the basket to see if there was any goaltending. Jo Jo landed out of bounds and I think that is what the ref focused on to make his call. You do not get many chances to win a national title and you cannot be 1 of the greatest teams in Kansas history unless you win it all. At his memorial service I said that God would know for sure if he got it right. The movie “Glory Road” had it all wrong: the game was tied so that call did not end the game.

He won gold medals with team USA at the 1967 Pan Am Games and the 1968 Olympics: what did it mean to him to represent his country, and what did it mean to him to win a pair of gold medals? It was an extra-special gold medal in Mexico City. Some players refused to go to the Olympics as a protest but Jo Jo had dreamed of making it his entire life so he proudly went. Henry Iba was the coach of the team and was very well-regarded. Iba took guys like Jo Jo/Spencer Haywood/Charlie Scott and they returned to the US as heroes. When Jo Jo was introduced at road games after returning to college he would get a standing ovation.

He was a 2-time All-American: what did it mean to him to receive such outstanding honors? His teammates loved him because he played hard at both ends of the court and was unselfish. 1 night at Oklahoma State he only scored 3 PTS and I surprised the players because I said that it was 1 of the finest performances by a PG I had ever seen because he dominated with his defense/passing. He had great humility and led by example (as great leaders do). He was not very talkative about his accomplishments even though he was proud of them. I had the great privilege of attending a game with him in Boston before he passed away and seeing his jersey hanging in the rafters. He would come back every summer and help out at our basketball camp: the kids loved him.

In addition to getting drafted by the Dallas Cowboys and Cincinnati Reds, in the spring of 1969 he was drafted 9th overall by Boston but did not join the team until 1st completing his service in the Marines: how excited was he to join a Celtics team that had won 10 of the previous 11 NBA titles, and what impact did his service have on him either on or off the court? He was graduating in the middle of the term and the draft board was hot on his heels. Back then we did not have sophisticated agents like David Falk so he came to me because he did not know what to do. I called 1 of our former players who was a judge in Kansas City and told Jo Jo that we would negotiate his contract for free. We went to a hotel at the Kansas City Airport and had NBA executive Carl Scheer in 1 room and an ABA guy from Dallas named Max in another room. We went back and forth and Carl made the best offer at the time for a guard entering the league: 3 years for a total of $225,000. 1 reason the Celtics could get him at #9 is that they could afford to let him serve in the reserves for 6 months. Jo Jo loved the Celtics and Red Auerbach loved him right back.

In Game 6 of the 1974 Eastern Conference Semifinals he scored 18 PTS and made his only 2 FTs of the game with no time left in a 2-PT win at Buffalo to clinch the series (en route to winning the 1974 NBA Finals over Milwaukee), and in Game 1 of the 1977 Eastern Conference Semifinals he scored 21 PTS including a buzzer-beater in a 2-PT win at Philly: what made him such a great clutch player with the game on the line? He had a super belief in himself and was a fanatic when it came to preparation. He worked on all of his skills and had an inner confidence that you see in great athletes. We had some other outstanding players in 1966 but in the final seconds we always got the ball to him even though he was the youngest player on the team. I remember his very 1st game against Oklahoma State and feared that he might be nervous. I was apprehensive about starting a freshman in an important conference game so when I sent him onto the court he slapped me on the leg and said, “I am okay: do not worry”!

Take me through the magical 1976 NBA Finals:
In Game 5 he scored 33 PTS while playing 60 minutes in a 2-PT 3-OT win over Phoenix: what are your memories of what is often referred to as “the greatest game in NBA history”? He was absolutely exhausted: I think that he just sat down right on the court after the game. It was a truly great game that kept going after Garfield Heard made a shot at the end of the 2nd OT.

He was named Finals MVP: how was he able to play his best when it mattered the most? He was in terrific physical condition so he could sustain his energy much longer than most people. Every once in a while a guy comes along with the right talent/mindset/confidence and he had that, as well as a great desire to succeed.

His streak of 488 consecutive games played remains a franchise record and his 35.8 MPG remains top-50 all-time in NBA history: how crucial was his endurance/stamina to his success? It was very crucial: I do not recall him ever missing a minute in college due to injury. I asked him once about guys not playing hard every single day due to having a long season but he said that he and the other players in Boston like John Havlicek/Dave Cowens brought it all the time and took great pride in that. I am a fan of Russell Westbrook because you can never criticize the effort that he brings.

He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015 and passed away in 2018: when people look back on his career, how do you think that he should be remembered the most? As a wonderful human being who was loved/admired/respected by his teammates and coaches. He represented all of the good qualities in sports and was just as kind to a random kid as to an important man. When he came to our camps he was like the Pied Piper and would just talk to the kids for hours and hours. I asked 1 of my former teammates what he wanted to become and he said “a good man”, which is what Jo Jo was.

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The Olympians: HoopsHD interviews Susan Yow about her 2-time Olympic gold medalist sister Kay Yow

Posted on June 5, 2020 by Jon Teitel

The NBA Finals date back to 1947 (when they were known as the Basketball Association of America Finals) and the very 1st NCAA tourney was held in 1939. Olympic basketball competition is even older: it debuted as a demonstration event in 1904 and the men’s version became a medal sport in 1936, with the women finally getting their chance to go for the gold in 1976. The United States has dominated Olympic basketball competition from the start: the men have won 15 gold medals in the 18 tournaments they have participated in during the past 84 years, while the women have won 8 gold medals in of 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 1988 Olympic gold medalist Susan Yow about her sister Kay winning a pair of gold medals in 1984/1988. Today marks the 18th anniversary of the day that Kay was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

(photo credit: kayyow.com)

In addition to spending almost 35 years as basketball coach at NC State your sister Kay also coached volleyball/softball: how was she able to balance all of these different gigs? She started the volleyball/softball programs at both Elon and NC State, and she was also the Senior Women’s Administrator at NC State. She had played softball in the past so that was an easy transition for her but volleyball was a little tougher. A lot of coaches across the country back then coached multiple sports so it was not that unusual, but she was very good at it and had some great volleyball teams who made some regional tourneys. The volleyball coach at UNC Greensboro really mentored Kay in the fundamentals of volleyball.

In the summer of 1986 as coach of team USA at the inaugural Goodwill Games in Moscow the US had an 83-60 win over the host country: how big a deal was it to break the Soviet Union’s 28-year winning streak against international competition? It was really huge. It was also big for Kay on a personal level because she had coached an all-star team at Elon against the Russian national team…and we got clobbered by about 75 PTS! It kind of made up for that loss.

In 1987 she was diagnosed with breast cancer: what impact did that diagnosis have on her either on or off the court? Our mother had lymphoma surgery the previous year and Kay ended up having surgery in August. Her prognosis going into the surgery was very positive so we all thought that she would be able to recover. She handled it as well as anyone could and we just knew that she would coach in the Olympics.

In the 1988 Olympic gold medal game she coached the US women’s team to a 7-PT win over Yugoslavia: what did it mean to her to win a gold medal? She was an assistant to Pat Summitt for team USA at the 1984 Olympics and became head coach 4 years later. Sylvia Hatchell was Kay’s top assistant and I was her other assistant. Sylvia and Kay spent the previous 3 summers coaching the US national team and worked very well together. We beat Yugoslavia in pool play fairly handily but Kay thought that the rematch would be closer. Anne Donovan was a player on that team but had not played a lot during the tourney. We were trailing in the gold medal game when Kay decided to put Anne in after consulting with Sylvia. Anne really turned the game around for us and gave us a lot of confidence. It allowed her to end her USA basketball career on the highest note possible with a gold medal.

On December 8, 1990 Rhonda Mapp scored 32 PTS in a 137-65 win over Western Carolina to set an ACC team scoring record that still stands today: was it just a situation where every shot that the team put up seemed to go in because they were all “in the zone”? I do not remember that game because I was coaching elsewhere but December 8th is our mother’s birthday. Kay had a great team that year and I thought they were capable of going to the Final 4.

In 2002 she was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame: where does that rank among the highlights of her career? I do not think that Kay ever imagined setting that as a goal after graduating as an English major! It was a total shock to her and another great culmination to her coaching career. She was later inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame as well. She understood the significance of it and was very humbled.

In the 2007 NCAA tourney Khadijah Whittington had to sit out part of the 1st half due to nausea/dehydration but returned to score a career-high 23 PTS in a 6-PT OT win over Baylor: what was it like to face Baylor coach Kim Mulkey (who played PG on the 1984 US Olympic team for which Kay was an assistant)? She always had high regard for Kim dating back to her playing days at Louisiana Tech and knew what a great competitor she was. She was very respectful of Kim’s teams and they had both had tremendous admiration for each other. It sharpened Kay and made her team better.

Your sister Debbie was the Athletic Director at Maryland/NC State/St. Louis and you were an All-American player for Kay before becoming a coach at several different D-1 schools: how did 1 family turn out 3 women who played such a huge role in college sports? We get that question a lot but I do not really know the answer. Sports was always on our TV at home: before the days of cable it was mostly baseball on Saturdays and NFL on Sundays. Both of our parents played sports during high school and enjoyed it. Both sides of our family were very athletic and our parents just had the right pool of genes: we also had a brother who went to Clemson on a football scholarship. Our parents did not coach us and when I came home my dad would never ask me if I was working out or practicing: we just all had a passion for it. Debbie and I never thought about coaching early on so we really followed in Kay’s footsteps. The only female sport we had in our county was basketball: we would play doubleheaders with the boys in packed gyms.

The Kay Yow Cancer Fund was founded in 2007: what have they been able to accomplish so far? They have done remarkably well and raised an astronomical amount of money in a short amount of time. We have had 2 executive directors who have both done a great job. Our next challenge is continuing to grow the foundation and raise some more money for research. Every year we give a $100,000 grant to fund cancer research in the city where the Final 4 is played.

She passed away in 2009: when people look back on her career, how do you think she should be remembered the most? Here in North Carolina she will always be recognized as a great coach. She only went to 1 Final 4 but she is so well-known locally. I also know that she was a great person who had time for everyone because she enjoyed people: she never put a label on people and appreciated them for who they were. She was very kind and genuine and known more nationally for being a great person rather than a great coach.

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The Olympians: HoopsHD interviews 1992 Olympic bronze medalist Clarissa Davis-Wrightsil

Posted on June 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 Clarissa Davis-Wrightsil about winning the 1986 NCAA title at Texas while going undefeated and winning a bronze medal in 1992. We also wish her a very happy birthday today!!

As a senior at John Jay High School in San Antonio you scored a career-high 75 PTS while playing only 3 quarters in a 100-19 win over Edgewood: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were “in the zone”? I think that game was against Memorial High School because they were in our district. I was the dominant scorer on my team anyway but obviously you need your teammates to feed you the ball. I did not know what the record was: it was not until my coach took me out that I realized I had broken the record. I thought it was cool that everyone helped to facilitate that and was all in with me.

Take me through the magical 1986 NCAA tourney as a player at Texas:
You were the only newcomer on the Longhorns as a freshman: how were you able to fit in with all of the veterans, and how much pressure was there on the team after going undefeated during the regular season? My background helped me prepare to play with the veterans. Prior to that I had played weekend pickup games against military servicemen. My aunt is 5 years older than me and was a collegiate athlete so she would being me along to play against other collegiate female players. Once I arrived in Austin I realized that I could compete at the D-1 level. I do not think that we felt any pressure: we had been upset by Western Kentucky at the buzzer in the 1985 NCAA tourney so the entire team was focused on winning a title. We were not surprised because we were supposed to win. We competed very hard in practice: it was even tougher than our actual games. We had so much depth that we had All-Americans/Olympians who came off the bench but we were all in great shape and shared the ball.

In the title game you were named tourney MOP after getting 24 PTS/14 REB off the bench in a win over USC to complete the 1st undefeated season in NCAA women’s history: what did it mean to you to win a title? I also had 32 PTS/18 REB in the semifinal against Western Kentucky. USC was 1 of my top college choices when I was in high school but I realized that to be the best you have to beat the best. I told my mom that I wanted to play on TV and win a title so it was crazy to have the opportunity to do just that 1 year later. I was not even the 6th man: I was more like the 3rd player off the bench and just did whatever I could do during whatever time was given to me. It was like a dream come true and to cap it off by helping our selfless seniors win a title and lift me up as MVP and share what we had all been working toward said a lot about our team. It was the true meaning of a team: there were no agendas and we just all played to win.

After entering the 1987 NCAA tourney with only 1 regular season loss you had a 4-PT loss to Louisiana Tech in the Final 4 after they shot 73.9 FG% in the 2nd half: how much of a home-court advantage did you have while playing on your home court with a crowd of over 15,000 people (the largest in history of the sport), and where does that rank among the most devastating losses of your career? We gambled on that game that Teresa Weatherspoon would not be a scorer and used her man to double in the post, but that day she shot the ball very well and hurt us. Home court does not mean anything when your opponent treats it like their own gym. It was just not meant to be: the best team will usually win a series but in a single-game elimination tourney anyone can win on any given night. We were poised to repeat and definitely should have but you have to take every loss as an opportunity to get better.

Your 19.9 career PPG remains #1 in school history: what is the key to being a great scorer, and do you think that anyone will ever break your record? It is surprising that it has stood for this long. I had some foot/knee injuries as a sophomore and junior so it is incredible for any of my records to still be standing. The key is never settling and always striving to be better by working on your game. I spent my offseason expanding my game, especially on the offensive end.

You were a 2-time All-American/2-time national POY: what did it mean to you to win such outstanding honors? It means a lot but I always valued hard work and as a freshman I had to claw for every second of playing time on the clock. It was tough to go from the top recruit in the country to a place where I came off the bench but I learned that I had to perform at an extremely high level both in practice and during games. I am extremely thankful because there are people who played 4 healthy years and never won any titles/individual awards. My faith in God and the discipline and structure of the program made me the player that I was.

You played pro basketball for 10 years: what is the biggest difference between college basketball and pro basketball? I was finally able to showcase all of my skills as a pro after only playing PF at Texas. My natural position was SF so I got to shoot the ball more from the 3-PT line and handle the ball more after graduating. It helped that I could play with my back to the basket and defend kids who were 6’5” but I could flip it around on offense and play the role of a big guard. I had fun as a pro and enjoyed a very productive career. When I was growing up I was very athletic and the sport came naturally to me, but after I got injured I developed a new sense of appreciation for the kind of work it would take to remain a good player: if you want to be successful as you mature you have to work on both your offensive/defensive skills. I also learned a lot about leadership and versatility: when you are 1 of only 2 foreigners on a team overseas you have to try to be the best at everything and instill confidence in your teammates.

After a knee injury forced you to be an alternate on the 1988 Olympic team that won a gold medal, you won a bronze medal with the 1992 Olympic team: how frustrating was it to miss out on the gold, and what did it mean to you to win the bronze? It was tough to miss out in 1988. It was a phenomenal journey to go through all of the tryouts but then I bumped knees during a scrimmage the day before they made the final cut. It was like a fairy tale that took a terrible twist because I was supposed to make that team and win a gold medal. I remember that night: it was a flood of emotions and I just could not understand why I could not control things, but it gave me the determination to become even better than I was before. I still have 5 screws and a scar on my knee, but post-surgery I was a statistically better player and ended up playing for another 10 years. I was excited to make the team in 1992 because by that time I was a full-time guard. I wanted to make it as a 6’1” SF vs. playing with my back to the basket as a PF even if I ended up getting cut from the team: it was a big accomplishment for me to play the game from the outside in. It was unfortunate to not win the gold medal because we were such a talented team: we just did not perform well in the semifinals against the Unified Team. Making that team as 1 of the best players in the world was a feat in itself. It used to just be a 2-week training camp but after that year they changed it so that the players would be together all year long.

After retiring you worked for the San Antonio Spurs from 1999-2002 and later served as Chief Operating Officer for the WNBA’s San Antonio Silver Stars from 2002-2006: how did you like working for the Spurs, and what were your duties as COO? It is a great organization and I learned a lot. I had the opportunity to observe everything from the ground floor. I oversaw the business operations which involved everything from ticket sales to marketing, and also oversaw basketball operations like coaching and staffing and who to draft. The Spurs trained me for a couple of years before I joined the Silver Stars, which was also a great experience. When you are a player you do not realize everything that happens in the front office but there are a lot of people working tirelessly to create a product that the fans will enjoy.

In 2000 you founded a non-profit sports-based mentoring organization for girls in San Antonio called TeamXpress: why did you create it, and what have you been able to accomplish so far? My husband and I started it as our way to give back. You see many players accrue a lot for themselves but they do not always help those around them. It is not good enough to just have a team: I wanted to show the girls what I accomplished via every aspect of my career, from playing in college to playing overseas to the business side of the game. I want to empower these young women to make the right choices and improve their skills. I do a lot of teaching and incorporate some terminology and plays from the pros. We have helped about 100 girls get scholarships to schools like Tennessee/Baylor and even had several McDonald’s All-Americans. For some kids it is their only way out of a tough situation and allows them to pursue higher education. It is very rewarding to me and is my way of giving back with no strings attached: my reward is seeing them do the things that I was able to do.

In 2006 you were inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame: where does that rank among the highlights of your career? That is right up there. Being able to come back from a major knee injury and end up being honored by people who have been there and done that allowed me to take my little place in history. It is a part of who I am and I am definitely thankful for it. I retired on my own terms while I was still in great shape because I wanted to go out on top. I cherish those memories and it was great to have my family/friends/past coaches experience that very special day with me.

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