Hoops HD

Last month the Historical Basketball League (HBL) announced that it was changing its name to the Professional Collegiate League (PCL). As the first collegiate basketball league to enable athletes to directly benefit from their talent/marketability/hard work by offering an education and compensation, it will provide a basketball opportunity in the U.S. for top college-aged talent across the globe. The league already had an executive team in place, led by CEO Ricky Volante and COO David West, but recently added 4 new members to its Advisory Council. 1 of those new members is 3-time NCAA champion Henry Bibby, who joined the PCL’s Athlete Advisory Board as the league prepares to launch its inaugural season next year with teams in 8 different cities. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Mr. Bibby about being part of UCLA’s legendary 88-game winning streak and his new role with the PCL.

You played for Hall of Fame coach John Wooden at UCLA: what made him such a great coach, and what was the most important thing that you ever learned from him? John Wooden was a great coach: 1 of the most successful to ever coach college sports. He paid attention to the little things and was big on details. One of the best things about him is that he did not make the game of basketball complex like it is today. He kept it simple and understandable for his players. He would give us one or two things to focus on and then he would just let us play basketball. I think that is a quality that has been lost in today’s game. Coach Jerry Tarkanian used to say that the more you put in your head, the slower your feet get. Wooden adopted that coaching style: he never gave us too much to think about on the court, allowing us to play basketball the way it should be played. The most important thing that I learned: there are a few. He taught me to keep the game simple. Talk about what your team is doing more than what the other team is doing. Do not talk about winning: talk about your philosophy of the game. Be professional, respectful of people, and respectful of the game of basketball.

As the starting PG for the Bruins you won the 1st 47 games of what turned into an 88-game winning streak (including 30-0 as a senior when you were named an All-American): did it reach a point where you expected to win every single time that you stepped onto the court? After a while we expected to win. I do not know what it was: it seemed like winning was in the DNA of UCLA basketball that year. We had great individual players and all-around talent but what really made the difference is that Coach made sure we played as a team instead of as individuals. We had a game plan, which allowed us to approach every game with confidence. We never talked about the other team or what they were doing. We focused on what we wanted to do, on our plan, and we executed every time that we were on the court.

You remain 1 of only 4 players to have started on 3 NCAA championship teams (along with Lew Alcindor/Curtis Rowe/Lynn Shackelford): is it harder to win a title or defend a title? They are both very hard to do but I think it is harder to win one. Once you have been there you know (mentally) what is needed to get back there again. To win the first one is really tough. Everyone has to fire on all cylinders every night: the starters have to play well and the subs have to play well. Putting together a perfect season the first time takes a special kind of determination.

Take me through the magical 1973 playoffs as a rookie with the Knicks:
In Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Walt Frazier had 25 PTS/10 REB in a win at Boston: how were you able to become the 1st team to ever beat the Celtics in a Game 7 (much less to do it in Boston Garden)? That team was a great team to be on as a rookie. If I had gone to another team in the NBA then I may not have lasted long in the league. The Knicks had a great fundamentals coach like I had in Coach Wooden at UCLA. Red Holzman understood players and let us play our game. It was basketball at its best: Earl Monroe, Walt Frazier, Jerry Lucas, Willis Reed. It was just a spectacular group of people playing together and I am so thankful to have been a part of that team. I did not play much as a rookie but I got out there in practice and pushed the starters, challenging them to be better. They did the same to me, helping me grow immensely as a player. The coaching was also a huge part of it. Holzman knew how to bring his players together, which made a huge difference.

In Game 5 of the Finals, Willis Reed had 18 PTS/12 REB in a road win over the Lakers: what did it mean to you to win a title, and how did it compare to winning all of those NCAA titles? Winning an NBA championship is the ultimate basketball achievement: there is nothing bigger. Coming out of UCLA I knew what it was like to win so it was the best feeling to be a part of another winning organization. I did not play a lot that year, but I played my role (instant offense) when I got minutes. I was blessed to be able to go from UCLA to the Knicks and win. That is rare…and I never won another championship during the rest of my career. Now that I think about it, maybe it IS harder to repeat as champion!

In 1978 you finished #6 in the NBA with 5.7 APG: what is the key to being a good PG? A good point guard wants to lead his team, be the coach on the floor, and be willing to sacrifice for the good of the team. A good point guard sees things developing before they happen, knows what the coach wants, and knows who to get the basketball to at the right time. There are not a lot of true point guards left these days: there are more scoring guards now, guards who are looking to create more for themselves than anything else. Years ago point guards were creators for the entire team: they would assess the situation and then make things happen for the entire team.

Take me through the 1980 Finals as a player with Philadelphia:
In Game 4 you played 8 minutes in a 3-PT win over the Lakers: what was your reaction to seeing your teammate Julius Erving make his famous “Up and Under” move? It was such a good move: you do not see too many of those. Connie Hawkins used to do that move back before basketball was on TV and Julius was an extension of Connie. When Julius made that move it seemed like he hung in the air for 25 seconds. His hands are so big it was like he was cupping a baseball. It is a move that will not be duplicated anytime soon: seeing it in person was mind-blowing.

In the decisive Game 6 you scored 8 PTS in a loss to the Lakers: where does Finals MVP Magic Johnson’s performance (42 PTS/15 REB/7 AST/3 STL/14-14 FT while starting at center as a rookie in place of an injured Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) rank among the greatest that you have ever seen? Other than Kobe Bryant I have not seen anyone perform like Magic did that night. He was just a young buck fresh out of college yet took the game over. Inside hooks, outside jump shots, cross court passes: he dominated. As defenders we did not know what to do. We thought that we had a chance to win with Kareem out of the game but Magic was unstoppable. It was like he was on auto-pilot. Magic is bigger than most guards but he could handle the ball like one of the smaller guys. That performance will never be matched in a playoff game.

Take me through the 2001 NCAA tourney as head coach at USC:
David Bluthenthal scored 27 PTS in a 4-PT upset of Kentucky: how did you keep your team focused after the Wildcats made a 22-5 run early in the 2nd half? I think that game was the highlight of my basketball career. UCLA, NBA championships, and going to the Finals are all obviously close…but coaching that 2001 team that made it to the Elite 8 is something that I will never forget. I had a somewhat hodgepodge group of guys who wanted to play at other schools but ended up coming to USC, and they stepped up every night. I had a point guard (Brandon Granville) who was the most cerebral player: he knew what I wanted before I wanted it. I would give him the ball and tell him “this is your team.” He made me a good coach: all of those players did. I would give them a system and they would believe in it and go out and win games. We go back to talking about getting there vs. staying there but we got there that year. I was very happy about how far we were able to go: it was a bright spot in my career.

Jason Williams scored 28 PTS in a 10-PT win by eventual champ Duke: what was it like to face Mike Krzyzewski in March? When you are facing Mike Krzyzewski you know that you are facing one of the greatest men to ever become a coach. When Jason Williams missed his first few shots we thought that we had found their weakness…but Mike is one of the best to ever coach the game and they prevailed. He is a mastermind at putting the right combination of players on the floor and he was successful that night.

Your brother Jim won the 1979 World Series with Pittsburgh and your son Mike won the 1997 NCAA basketball title at Arizona to make you 1 of 4 father-son duos to each win an NCAA basketball championship (along with Marques/Kris Johnson, Scott/Sean May, and Derek/Nolan Smith): who is the best athlete in the family? The best athlete in my family is actually my brother Fred, who did not play pro baseball or basketball because he never got the opportunity. He tried out with the Baltimore Bullets but got injured. He could play all sports and could play them exceptionally well. He could do everything so I would label him as the athlete in the family. I really looked up to him and went to some of his college games just to watch him play. Growing up I wanted to be like him and excel like he did.

Last month you joined the Athlete Advisory Board of the Professional Collegiate League (PCL): why did you join the board, and how is it going so far? I decided to join the Athlete Advisory Board because I believe in the PCL’s mission to educate and compensate athletes. I bring a lot of experience to the table and think I can also bring a lot of knowledge of what it is like to grow up in college sports. My job as a Board member will be to counsel the Executive Team on how to elevate the athletes’ experiences and mentor the league’s players. As a former player and coach I want to use my experience to empower athletes by focusing on player development both on and off the court. I am excited to work with the talented group of current and former professional athletes to make each player’s experience the absolute best that it can be. It is time to compensate players who make money for their schools: scholarships do not make up for that. The PCL is making the changes that the NCAA should be making. I want to be part of the next level of growth, but growth cannot happen until there is a change.

How will you measure the success of the PCL 5-10 years in the future: players providing their families from low socioeconomic backgrounds with money, players graduating with a college degree, other? Over the next 10 years I would define success for the PCL as having successfully launched the league in 2021, expanded to the West Coast (at least) in the first few seasons, and also launched a women’s league with at least 16 teams and offering salaries equivalent to that of the men’s league. Success will look different for almost each individual that comes through the league. For some it will mean developing their game and being better prepared to get into the NBA and stick in the league (or go overseas to play professionally). For others it will mean not having to choose between academics and basketball, while generating income at a stage in their life that they cannot do in the NCAA, then using that money to help lift their families up and set themselves up for success off the court. Most importantly, it will allow each athlete to get a degree without compromising on their desired major or coursework, especially since the athletes can come back and finish their degrees even after leaving the PCL.