Jerome Kersey (1962 - 2015)

Coming from a school that was not known as a basketball powerhouse, Jerome Kersey was selected in the second round of the 1984 NBA draft (46th overall pick) by Portland. He was a regular contributor from the bench, eventually becoming a starter, and by his third year, he began to shine, even coming in second […]

John Johnson (1947 - 2016)

John Johnson played high school basketball at Messmer High School, (Milwaukee, Wisconsin). As a senior, he helped lead Messmer to the Wisconsin state title in 1966. Johnson, a 6’7” small forward, then played for Northwest College in Powell, Wyoming and for the University of Iowa. He set an Iowa record for points in a season during […]

Lamar Hunt (1932 - 2006)

On the strength of his great inherited oil wealth, Lamar Hunt applied for a National Football League expansion franchise but was turned down. In 1959, professional football was a distant second to Major League Baseball in popularity, and the thinking among NFL executives was that the league must be careful not to “oversaturate” the market […]

Lou Hudson (1944 - 2014)

Lou Hudson graduated from Dudley High School in Greensboro. As a junior at the University of Minnesota, Hudson averaged 24.8 points and 10.7 rebounds and was named an All-American. After starring at the University of Minnesota, Hudson was selected by the St. Louis Hawks with the 4th pick of the 1966 NBA draft. He was […]

Art Heyman (1941 - 2012)

Due to NCAA eligibility rules that prohibited freshmen from playing varsity sports, Art Heyman played his first year at then racially segregated Duke with the freshman team, which compiled a record of 10–5, including three victories over the Tar Heels. During one of the Duke-North Carolina freshman games, North Carolina freshman Dieter Krause attacked Heyman, […]

Walt Hazzard (1942 - 2011)

Walt Hazzard attended Overbrook High School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where his teams went 89-3 and he was named the city’s player of the year when he was a senior. Hazzard then went on to UCLA, where he became an important player on the varsity basketball team. In Hazzard’s first season on the varsity squad, the […]

Tom Gola (1933 - 2014)

Tom Gola was one of the most talented collegiate athletes in Philadelphia sports history. He came to national attention while playing for the hometown La Salle University Explorers men’s basketball team. Gola starred as a college freshman and led La Salle to the 1952 N.I.T. championship. Gola paced the Explorers to the NCAA basketball championship in […]

Armen Gilliam (1964 - 2011)

Armen Gilliam began his college basketball career in 1982–83 at Independence Junior College in Independence, Kansas. That year, Gilliam was a standout player on the basketball team that reached the Junior College Finals and finished 6th in the nation. Gilliam averaged 24.9 points and 14 rebounds in five tournament games and was named to the […]

Prince (1958 - 2016)

Prince was born Prince Rogers Nelson on June 7, 1958, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His early music career saw the release of Prince, Dirty Mind and Controversy, which drew attention for their fusion of religious and sexual themes. He then released the popular albums 1999 and Purple Rain, cementing his superstar status with No. 1 hits like “When Doves Cry” and “Let’s Go Crazy.” […]

Doris Roberts (1925 - 2016)

Doris Roberts’ acting career began in 1952 with a role on the TV series Studio One. She appeared in episodes of The Naked City (1958–63), Way Out (1961), Ben Casey (1963), and The Defenders (1962–63). In 1961, she made her film debut in Something Wild (1961). She appeared in such 1960s and 1970s films as A […]

Chyna (1969 - 2016)

Chyna Joan Laurer was born in Rochester, New York, to parents Janet and Joe Laurer. She had two older siblings: Kathy and Sonny. After her parents divorced when she was approximately four years old, Laurer had three different stepfathers and one stepmother. According to Laurer, her first stepfather threatened suicide at one point, and her […]

Peter Gent (1942 - 2011)

Peter Gent was a center/forward with the Michigan State University basketball team from 1962 to 1964. He became the first player in school history to lead the basketball team in scoring three consecutive seasons. In his senior year, he averaged 21 points per game. He left school ranked as MSU’s second career scorer, with a […]

Dave Gavitt (1937 - 2011)

Born in Westerly, Rhode Island, Dave Gavitt graduated from Dartmouth College in 1959, where he was a member of the 1959-1960 varsity basketball team, the last Dartmouth basketball team to win the Ivy League championship. He spent two years as an assistant basketball coach at Worcester Academy before becoming an assistant coach at Providence under […]

Harry Gallatin (1927 - 2015)

In his third year in the NBA, Harry Gallatin was selected for the first NBA All-Star Game in 1951, and from 1951 through 1957 was chosen for seven consecutive NBA All-Star games. It was in the NBA where he earned the nickname “The Horse”. He played his entire career as an extremely undersized center at […]

Kevin Duckworth (1964 - 2008)

Kevin Duckworth was the ninth pick in the 2nd round of the 1986 NBA draft, chosen by the San Antonio Spurs. Later that season, he was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers for rookie Walter Berry. His rookie season was unspectacular, as Duckworth came off the bench to back up center Steve Johnson (who in turn […]

Mel Daniels (1944 - 2015)

Mel Daniels attended Pershing High School in Detroit, Michigan, which also produced players like Spencer Haywood, Ralph Simpson, Kevin Willis and Steve Smith. Daniels then played for the University of New Mexico Lobos basketball team, where he averaged 20 points per game and was named an all-American. He was the ninth pick of the 1967 […]

Chuck Daly (1930 - 2009)

After compiling a 111–70 record in eight seasons at Punxsutawney High School, Chuck Daly moved on to the college level in 1963 as an assistant coach under Vic Bubas at Duke University. During his six seasons at Duke, the Blue Devils won the Atlantic Coast Conference championship and advanced to the Final Four, both in […]

Quintin Dailey (1961 - 2010)

Quintin “Q” Dailey (January 22, 1961 – November 8, 2010) was an American professional basketball player. A 6’3″ guard who played collegiately at the University of San Francisco, he later went on to a career in the NBA, playing for the Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Clippers, and Seattle SuperSonics over the course of his 10-year […]

Bob Boozer (1937 - 2012)

In the fall of 1960, Bob Boozer joined the Royals with Olympic teammate Oscar Robertson. As a rookie, Boozer contributed 8.4 points and 6.2 rebounds in a reserve role. The following season, he earned a spot in the Royals’ starting lineup and averaged 13.7 points and 10.2 rebounds. Boozer continued to improve, averaging 14.3 points […]

Tom Boerwinkle (1945 - 2013)

Tom Boerwinkle played for the University of Tennessee and helped the team win the 1967 Southeastern Conference championship. The next year he was named a Helms Foundation first-team all-American. In his junior and senior season, he averaged a double-double each season—10.2 points and 12.2 rebounds his junior season and 11.3 points and 15.2 rebounds his senior […]

Buddy Blattner (1920 - 2009)

Buddy Blattner (February 8, 1920 – September 4, 2009), commonly known as “Buddy” or “Bud” Blattner, was an American table tennis and baseball player and radio and television sportscaster. A graduate of Beaumont High School in St. Louis, Buddy Blattner played table tennis in his youth, winning the world men’s doubles championship in 1936. He started […]

Gene Bartow (1930 - 2012)

Gene Bartow coached at Central Missouri State University from 1961 to 1964, Valparaiso University from 1964 to 1970, and Memphis State University from 1970 until 1974, and he led the Memphis State Tigers to the 1973 NCAA national championship game and consecutive Missouri Valley Conference titles in the 1971–72 and 1972–73 seasons. He coached the […]

Paul Arizin (1928 - 2006)

After being selected by the Warriors with their first pick in the 1950 NBA draft, Paul Arizin averaged 17.2 points per game in his rookie season and was named NBA Rookie of the Year — a designation not currently sanctioned by the NBA for the 1950-51 season. He became one of the greatest NBA players […]

Jake Daubert (1884 - 1924)

In 1908, Jake Daubert was signed by the Cleveland Indians. However, Daubert never played for Cleveland as they released him shortly thereafter. He left Cleveland and signed with the Nashville club of the Southern Association. He spent the remainder of the season with Nashville. Jake Daubert returned to Ohio for the start of the 1909 season. […]

Mike Darr (1976 - 2002)

Michael Curtis Darr (March 21, 1976 – February 15, 2002) was a Major League Baseball outfielder who played for the San Diego Padres (1999–2001). Mike Darr was a promising young outfielder. The last season he played prior to his death, he appeared in 105 games for the San Diego Padres, compiling a .277 batting average with […]

Ray Chapman (1891 - 1920)

Ray Chapman was born in Beaver Dam, Kentucky, and raised in Herrin, Illinois. He broke into the Major Leagues in 1912 with the Cleveland team, then known as the Naps. Ray Chapman led the American League in runs scored and walks in 1918. A top-notch bunter, Chapman is sixth on the all-time list for sacrifice hits […]

Hal Carlson (1892 - 1930)

Harold Gust Carlson (May 17, 1892 in Rockford, Illinois – May 28, 1930 in Chicago) was a professional baseball pitcher in the Major Leagues from 1917 to 1930, for the Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies, and Pittsburgh Pirates. Hal Carlson used his curveball exclusively, owing to his lack of speed. He played 7 years for the Pirates, […]

Lyman Bostock (1950 - 1978)

Lyman Bostock’s minor league stops were in Charlotte in 1972, Orlando in 1973, and Tacoma in 1974. His batting averages for those years were .294, .313, and .333, respectively. He was promoted to the major leagues in April 1975, and batted .282 in 98 games for Minnesota (and .391 in 22 games for the AAA […]

Tiny Bonham (1913 - 1949)

In a 10-season career, Tiny Bonham posted a 103-72 record with 478 strikeouts and a 3.06 ERA in 1551.0 innings pitched. Bonham kept opposing batters off balance with an assortment of deliveries. He started his professional baseball career with the Oakland Oaks of the Pacific Coast League in 1935. He worked his way up through the […]

Walter Bond (1937 - 1967)

Walter Bond (October 19, 1937 – September 14, 1967) was an American professional baseball player who appeared in six Major League Baseball seasons between 1960 and 1967 for the Cleveland Indians, Houston Colt .45s/Astros and Minnesota Twins. An outfielder and first baseman, he played the last five seasons of his 11-year professional career after being […]