Last night I had the opportunity to attend the induction ceremony for the College Basketball Hall of Fame and mingle with some of the greatest names in college basketball history. I grew up listening to Notre Dame basketball games on the radio and dreaming about being the next Austin Carr. My jumper was never as sweet as his, but I was overjoyed when my hometown Cavaliers made him the first pick of the NBA draft in 1971. Most people don’t realize how prolific of a scorer he was because he played at the same time as Pete Maravich. When you average 34.6 points per game for your career there is no doubt you are a Hall of Famer. The other three players inducted were Dick Groat, Dick Barnett and Kareem Abdul Jabbar.
Dick Barnett regaled the crowd with a poetic verse that would have made Longfellow proud. And as he said his biggest achievement was not his three national titles at Tennessee State or his two world championships with the New York Knicks, rather his coming back to school to not only receive a bachelor’s degree and continue on to obtain his Doctorate’s.
The only thing I can say about Kareem Abdul Jabbar is what Bill Walton said in his presentation of him. He was the “King of Everything.” He is the only player to win three national titles and be named MVP three times. The sky hook revolutinized the game. However, it was his ability to score at will inside that prompted the college game to outlaw the dunk for a few years. At least until he graduated.
The Coaches took center stage next and it was Lefty Driesell that captivated the audience with his aw shucks humor. The man credited with starting Midnight Madness at Davidson is the only coach to be named coach of the year in 4 different leagues at 4 different schools. Norm Stewart from the University of Missouri, Vic Bubas and Guy Lewis of Phi Slamma Jamma fame were also inducted. Beween the fourd coaches they amassed over 2000 wins and appeared in multiple Final Fours.
It was truly a night to be remembered for an ex-coach and any true basketball fan.
