Jerry Lucas

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Medal record
Competitor for  United States
Men's Basketball
Olympic Games
Gold	1960 Rome	Team Competition

Jerry Ray Lucas (born March 30, 1940) was a basketball player from the 1950s to the 1970s, and is now a memory education expert. In 1996, the NBA's 50th anniversary, he was named one of the 50 greatest players in National Basketball Association history.^[2] He was named to Sports Illustrated's five-man College All-Century Team in 1999.

Lucas was born in Middletown, Ohio, a community of 50,000+ halfway between Dayton and Cincinnati which in the 1940s and 1950s boasted one of the most respected high school basketball programs in the United States. Lucas was already a playground legend by age 15, as he was already at almost his full-grown height of 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m). He had developed shooting accuracy as far out as 25 feet, and had trained his leaping ability and timing to become an amazing rebounder. Lucas was gifted with great hands, which he could use to dazzle onlookers with an array of magic card tricks, as well as with 20-10 eyesight.

[edit] High school

In 1956 and 1957, Lucas led Middletown High School to undefeated seasons and back-to-back Ohio state high school championships. ^[3] With his advanced gameplay, Lucas broke nearly every existing Ohio high school record during these two seasons, and became arguably the first high school basketball player to be known coast-to-coast at a time when television was in its infancy. Crowds of as many as 10,000 were common for games in which he played. Lucas strained somewhat under the media glare, and his minutes in blowout games were usually limited. Lucas usually scored nearly two points per minute, and his best statistical performances were in closer games against better teams because he was allowed to play more. Shying from the limelight, Lucas decided to pass more so that his scoring would not make him appear selfish; it would become his standard for the rest of his playing career. Even while passing up shots, Lucas broke Wilt Chamberlain's national high school scoring record as a senior by making more than 60% of his shot attempts and 85% of his free throws, another standard for his career. Coaches and scouts often traveled hundreds of miles to see Lucas play, swelling Middletown's Wade E. Miller gym to nearly three times its usual capacity. Lucas was so popular that a radio network was set up to broadcast his games across Ohio, drawing more listeners than several local Division I colleges. Lucas is generally considered to be among the 5-10 greatest high school basketball players of all time. Lucas' team suffered its only loss in the 1958 state finals. At one point, Lucas's Middletown team had won 76 consecutive games, including two Ohio state high school championships. He was rated Ohio's top high school player all three varsity years 1956-1958. Middletown has since created the Jerry Lucas Tournament, an early-season invitational for high school teams, in his honor.

[edit] Ohio State University

Offered more than 150 athletic scholarships, it appeared Lucas might choose Adolph Rupp's legendary Kentucky program, but he instead chose more-local Ohio State — which was not well-known for basketball at the time. Lucas insisted on an academic scholarship also, as he was nearly a straight-A student and already known for his intelligence and memory. Ohio State had also recruited three-sport star John Havlicek and Columbus-area star Mel Nowell that year, and promoted Fred Taylor to varsity coach.

When the three star recruits became sophomores in 1959 (freshman were then ineligible for varsity college sports), they teamed with junior Larry Siegfried to form a basketball juggernaut that would go 78-6 over three NCAA seasons. Lucas was the team's clear star, leading the nation in shooting accuracy all three years, and twice in rebounding. He led Ohio State to three straight NCAA Finals. (Future coaching legend Bob Knight was a reserve player.) They were national champions in 1960, and had just one loss in 1961. The 6-9, 240-pound (2.06 m, 109 kg) Lucas was All-American all three years, Big Ten Player of the Year all three years, and was named ahead of all college and pro athletes to be Sports Illustrated "Sportsman of the Year" in 1961. He was considered the greatest college player ever upon graduation, and remains the only player ever to record 30 points and 30 rebounds in the same NCAA Tournament game.

Off-court, Lucas struggled with his remarkable fame. After his sophomore year and the Olympics, he married and moved off-campus to avoid the considerable media attention.

The Buckeyes went undefeated all three years on their home floor, St. John Arena, 1960-62, during the varsity years of Lucas, Havlicek and Nowell. All five starters from the 1960 champions (Lucas, Havlicek, Nowell, Siegfried and Joe Roberts) were drafted to play in the NBA, then with just nine teams and eleven players per team. Lucas and Havlicek have been inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as players, and Taylor and Knight have been inducted as coaches. Lucas's #11 became the second uniform number to be retired by Ohio State University, ahead of many of the school's football legends. He is the only player to be Big Ten MVP three times, and is considered by most experts to be the best basketball player to ever play in the conference.

[edit] 1960 Olympics

In 1960, Lucas was also named to the U.S. Olympic team for the Rome Games that year. The team, which also listed Oscar Robertson, Jerry West, Walt Bellamy, and Terry Dischinger among its members, is generally considered the greatest amateur team of all time. The team's youngest player at age 20, Lucas was its leader and star at center. The U.S. team roared through the international tournament to easily win the gold medal. Lucas was the team's co-leading scorer and leading rebounder. He made a shocking 84% of his shots in nine Olympic games, which included a much-watched win over the Soviet Union. Lucas also was noteworthy as he had memorized paragraphs of Japanese, Italian and Russian, and would briefly converse with players speaking those languages during the Games. U.S. coach Pete Newell called Lucas "the greatest player I ever coached."

[edit] Professional basketball

[edit] Cleveland Pipers

Arguably the greatest amateur player of all time, Lucas had no motivation for professional basketball. He already had his bachelor's degree by the end of his junior year of eligibility, had married, and was pursuing a post-graduate degree in business marketing when his senior year concluded. Lucas agreed to a combination player-management contract with George Steinbrenner's Cleveland Pipers of the ABL in 1962 so he could use his education. The contract was unprecedented in that the ABL agreed to shorten its schedule and start its season later just to accommodate Lucas. Lucas also received ownership stock, unheard of for a rookie. His signing instigated several legal actions by the ABL's Abe Saperstein and the NBA, which offered a merger at one point. But the ABL refused and later went bankrupt, and Lucas had to sit out the season due to his contract with Steinbrenner.

[edit] NBA

In 1963 Lucas agreed to join the NBA's Cincinnati Royals, who had actually drafted him as a territorial pick while still a high-school junior in 1957. Playing with him at the start of the season were former Olympic teammates Bob Boozer and Adrian Smith. He also would be reteamed with Oscar Robertson, a schoolyard and college rival as well as Olympic teammate. Robertson was bothered by Lucas' remarkable publicity and was adamant about being the leader of the team, something Jerry did not actually want for himself. Despite that, the two All-Pros were often at odds, and they failed to win a championship during their years together in the 1960s. The activist Robertson was very race-conscious, while Royals management pushed the white Lucas as the very marketable star of the team, a fact Robertson and other black Royals saw as racially motivated. The Royals were a poorly managed and divided team that wasted outstanding years from both superstars.

As disappointing as that was, Lucas did post his usual amazing individual achievements, becoming a seven-time All-Pro and All-Star during his Cincinnati years, and being named Rookie of the Year in 1964 (after averaging 17.7 points and 17.4 rebounds per game) and All-Star Game MVP in 1965. As a shooter/scorer, rebounder and passer, Lucas showed himself to be one of the greatest players ever. He twice averaged over 20 points and 20 rebounds per game in a single NBA season — only he and Wilt Chamberlain were able to accomplish this more than once. He also averaged '20-20' for the Royals during the playoffs in 1965 and 1966. He is the only NBA forward other than Bob Pettit ever to average 20 rebounds for a season, a feat he accomplished twice (with a high of 21.1 rpg in the 1965-66 season). He is the only NBA forward ever to pull down 40 rebounds in a game. He led the league in shooting accuracy as a rookie, despite his many long-range jump shots, and was among the league leaders each year at over 50% made. From 1964-69, he averaged 19 rebounds a game, and 44 minutes per NBA game. He was one of the NBAs top ten scorers four times as a Royal while deferring to Robertson. His intelligence also made him an effective defender, as he came to know the tendencies of every opponent he faced, while avoiding fouls and cleanly forcing opponents to take difficult shots or using his sense of timing and technique to be an underrated shot blocker. He earned the reputation of being arguably the most intelligent man ever to play in the NBA by knowing the habits and plays of nearly every player and team in the league. His remarkable memory made Lucas an impressive asset to his coaches. Lucas, long known for his unselfish style of play, also impressed in agreeing to move to forward so that the Royals could get their best five on the floor. One of the greatest college centers ever, Lucas was still the team's backup center and proved to be at least as good as any center the Royals had during his years there. With Elgin Baylor suffering injuries, and Rick Barry jumping to the ABA, Lucas was perhaps the best forward in the NBA during stretches of the late 1960s. The Royals played in the NBA East Division in 1962, putting them in the same division with the star-studded Boston Celtics, the Philadelphia 76ers with Chamberlain and others, and a developing New York Knickerbockers club, all of which further limited their championship chances. Expansion also drew away some key reserve players as the league grew in the late 1960s.

His individual accomplishments not satisfying, Lucas developed several off-court business activities that drew numerous investors. He developed children's games, a range of products for magic tricks, and even a fast-food chain, Jerry Lucas's Beef-N-Shakes. These led many to criticize Lucas as an unfocused player, despite his great play and stats. His stoic, expressionless face on the court only furthered that belief with many. In 1969, the Royals named Bob Cousy, the famed former Celtic, head coach. Putting the Royals in a rebuilding mode, Cousy traded Ohio's most famous player to the San Francisco Warriors for two reserve players. That year was already a bust for Lucas when financing for his fast-food chain was closed. Lucas was forced to declare bankruptcy, his reputation in question on and off the court.

Traded to the San Francisco Warriors in 1970, the depressed Lucas had his first 'down' season ever before roaring back to All-Pro and All-Star form the following season. The Warriors had been slowed by players and coaches leaving for the ABA, and by injuries. But the Warriors were back in the playoffs in 1971. Lucas started for the West in the All-Star Game and the West won. He had started four times for the East with the same winning result.

With a glut of big men on the team, the Warriors sent Lucas to the New York Knicks in 1971 for small forward Cazzie Russell. All the years and time on court made Lucas appear an old 31 years old. But New York expected Lucas to back up Willis Reed and Dave DeBusschere, two players he had often outplayed as a Royal. Lucas was willing to do nearly anything to win a championship at this point. So the All-Pro became a reserve. But early that year, Reed was injured, forcing Lucas into the lineup at his natural center position. Playing a style of center that bedeviled other teams with his outside shooting, his passing, and drives past slower big men, Lucas re-emerged as a star in New York. He led the team in rebounds and shooting, while being second on the team in scoring and assists to star guard Walt Frazier. Lucas was not named an all-star, but outplayed Wes Unseld and Dave Cowens, both East all-star centers, to help the Knicks advance to the NBA Finals in 1972. Matched against the Los Angeles Lakers' mammoth Wilt Chamberlain at center, Lucas became the goat of New York's Finals loss, even as he had more points and assists than Chamberlain. New York coach Red Holzmann, seeing a need for a stronger center to match against Chamberlain and others in 1972, made Reed the starter when that oft-injured star returned the following season. Lucas actually played more minutes that year at center than Reed, allowing the Knicks to keep Reed fresh for the playoffs. The duo came to be known around the league as 'Willis Lucas', and the tandem averaged 26 points and 20 rebounds combined, bewildering NBA teams as interchangeable starters that allowed New York to create favorable matchups based on their styles of play. Lucas' role was crucial to New York's winning the 1973 NBA championship. The win made Lucas the first player to win championships at all four levels of basketball --- high school, college, Olympics, and the pros.

Lucas also became a media darling in New York, where he found a large market for his magic tricks, memory games, and other products. He amazed many by memorizing portions of the Manhattan Phone Book or memorizing the names of an entire studio audience in sequence during television appearances. He also had a knack for taking words apart and then respelling them alphabetically in rapidfire order ( his name would spell E-J-R-R-Y A-C-L-S-U ). Lucas showed many how mental games and memory exercises could build brain power and intelligence for people at any age.

In 1974, the Knicks made a run to repeat as NBA champs, but the team known for its collective intelligence and unselfishness, like Lucas himself , was eliminated in the East Finals. Lucas, Reed and DeBusschere all retired as players after that season.

At retirement, Lucas ranked fourth all-time in rebounds per game to Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell and Bob Pettit. Had there been a three-point line, Lucas, who has the league's longest accurate shot during his day, might have been a much bigger scorer. A star at two positions, forward and center, Lucas is still recalled today as one of the greatest ever in NBA history.

[edit] Retirement

Lucas was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1979 along with Oscar Robertson and Jerry West. After Basketball he took up a role as an educator and memory expert and has written books and produced television programs on the subject. Two of his best sellers are The Memory Book, co-written with Harry Lorayne, and Remember The Word, written for memorizing portions of the Bible. Lucas is active today as a public speaker and in celebrity golf tournaments. His educational programs on image-based memory development is now being used in some Ohio school systems. Lucas serves as a long-distance Director of Basketball Operations for Indiana Wesleyan University, according to their 2006-2007 media guide, and helps in the nationwide recruiting effort for the Wildcats. [1].

[edit] See also

• List of National Basketball Association players with 40 or more rebounds in a game

[edit] External links

• Lucas' Basketball Hall of Fame page
• NBA biography of Jerry Lucas
• Career Stats
• More Career Stats
• 1961-62 Oscar Robertson Trophy USBWA College Player of the Year
• Official Site of Jerry Lucas

[edit] Notes and references

v • d • e 1960 Olympic Champions Men's Basketball team - United States Jay Arnette | Walt Bellamy | Bob Boozer | Terry Dischinger | Burdette Haldorson | Darrall Imhoff | Allen Kelley | Lester Lane | Jerry Lucas | Oscar Robertson | Adrian Smith | Jerry West | Coach: Pete Newell