User:ChrisGualtieri/Jerry Lucas
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
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| Born | March 30, 1940 Middletown, Ohio | ||||||||||||||
| Nationality | American | ||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 230 lb (104 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school | Middletown (Middletown, Ohio) | ||||||||||||||
| College | Ohio State (1959–1962) | ||||||||||||||
| NBA draft | 1962: Territorial | ||||||||||||||
| Selected by the Cincinnati Royals | |||||||||||||||
| Playing career | 1962–1974 | ||||||||||||||
| Position | Power forward / Center | ||||||||||||||
| Number | 16, 47, 32 | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
| 1963–1969 | Cincinnati Royals | ||||||||||||||
| 1969–1971 | San Francisco Warriors | ||||||||||||||
| 1971–1974 | New York Knicks | ||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
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| Career statistics | |||||||||||||||
| Points | 14,053 (17.0 ppg) | ||||||||||||||
| Rebounds | 12,942 (15.6 rpg) | ||||||||||||||
| Assists | 2,732 (3.3 apg) | ||||||||||||||
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |||||||||||||||
| Basketball Hall of Fame as player | |||||||||||||||
Medals
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Early Life
[edit]Lucas was born on March 30, 1940 in Middletown, Ohio, to Mark and Jean Lucas.[1][2]
Around the age of 9, Lucas began playing basketball in Middletown's public parks. Owing to his size, he played with older and more experienced players including playing pickup games with college players before he entered high school.[3] Lucas spent all his time practicing, resulting in his experience also resulted in inflammation of the knee from jumping on the concrete courts.[3]
High School
[edit]Lucas went to Middletown High School. From 1956 through 1958, he was rated the top player in Ohio.[4] On January 14, 1957, Sports Illustrated noted that Lucas, had college basketball coaches "drooling over the prospect of signing [him]".[5] In his Junior year, the recruiters came to Middletown and interrupted Lucas's family and life.[3] The recruiting inducements extended beyond Lucas and to his family, offering his father a job and his brother school scholarships, but by mutual agreement Lucas and his family responded by refusing contact; focusing instead on academics and basketball.[3]
Lucas's senior year set the national high school scoring record.[4]
Ohio State
[edit]Lucas's dedication to academics were cited as his reason for picking Ohio State, "State was the only school that talked to me first about my education. All the others talked only about basketball. They didn't understand that I didn't want an athletic scholarship anyway. I wanted an academic scholarship, and that's what I have. No matter what happens—even if I couldn't make the team—I still get my education. That's the way I wanted it."[3]
In 1959, Lucas's knee trouble resulted in missing nearly half of the preseason practice sessions.[3] The inflammation was treated with "diathermy, injections and the use of a molded plastic innersole to absorb shocks".[3]
Though he was only a Sophomore, Lucas was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated on January 11, 1960.[6] His next appearance on the cover would be on January 08, 1962 and once again on October 28, 1963.[7][8]
After Ohio
[edit]After leaving Ohio, Jerry Lucas stated he would not play professional basketball and went on a lecture tour in mid west planning to use the funds towards a master's degree; all while prospective recruiters continued attempting to sign him.[9] Lucas's termed his "first real contact with the professional aspects of basketball" with Abe Saperstein.[10] It was the week following the lost of the NCAA basketball championship to Cincinnati, though Lucas was interested, the lectures prevented him from committing.[10] Lucas's stated he wanted to maintain the "same image as a professional athlete that I did as an amateur."[10]
Dr. Memory
[edit]Known as "Dr Memory", Lucas wrote the The Memory Book and it went on to sell more than two million copies.[11]
Legacy
[edit]In February 2007, Middletown High retired Lucas's number 13 jersey.[4]
References
[edit]- ^ "NBA - Jerry Lucas Summary". NBA. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
- ^ Puma, Mike. "Lucas had a secret weapon, his mind". ESPN. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f g Tax, Jeremiah (11 January 1960). "A Is The Grade For Lucas". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
- ^ a b c "Espn Go - Jerry Lucas". EPSN. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
- ^ "Current Week & What's Ahead 01.14.57". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
- ^ "Jerry Lucas, Basketball, Ohio State Buckeyes - 1.11.60". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
- ^ "Jerry Lucas, Basketball, Ohio State Buckeyes". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
- ^ "Jerry Lucas, Basketball, Cincinnati Royals". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
- ^ "Scorecard - 4.23.62". Sports Illustrated. 23 April 1962. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
- ^ a b c "Why I Am Turning Pro". Sports Illustrated. 21 May 1962. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
- ^ Connor, Floyd (2001). Basketball's Most Wanted: The Top 10 Book of Hoops' Outrageous Dunkers, Incredible Buzzer-beaters, and Other Oddities (Google eBook). Potomac Books. p. 49.