When I Played Basketball

[Shoxthemonkey]

Thanks, @Ricardo del Rio:, for the memory jog

[Dan]

So what we've learned is that this board is filled with a bunch of short unathletic point guards that mostly weren't good enough to play past 9th or 10th grade.

[Kel Varnsen]

So what we've learned is that this board is filled with a bunch of short unathletic point guards that mostly weren't good enough to play past 9th or 10th grade.

I was a power forward thank you very much!

[JMAN_KC]

First, I learned to play basketball at a young age on a rock drive and that made me a better dribbler and ball handler. I was always a decent rebounder and could snag rebounds from taller players; although I had a ‘Xavier McDaniel’ nose for the ball, at 5’-11” (probably 5’-10” now) I had to use my skinny butt and instincts to get good rebounding position. One proud achievement occurred in one of my first freshman high school games. I came off the bench (I was pissed because the coach always played his favorites and I wasn’t one of them) and committed five of the quickest fouls in basketball history. Our Shaq would have been proud of my effort.

By the end of my freshman season, I was starting to get comfortable playing organized basketball and developed a ‘sweet stroke’ gaining numerous accolades from my coach. When we scrimmaged the varsity, I would often get “hotter than a pistol” and it would upset some of the star varsity players… I guess they didn’t like a ‘skinny’ freshman showing them up. I even got into a brawl with the star junior after I dominated and embarrassed him in a scrimmage. While I was attempting a layup, he pushed me into the brick wall and I immediately went after him throwing a rapid series of haymakers. :) Toward the end of the season, the coach told my father that I had a good chance to play a lot the following year and could become a star on the team; unfortunately, I sustained a serious leg injury the next summer and rehab kept me from playing basketball and football my sophomore and junior year and thereby ended my high school playing days.

I played intramural basketball at WSU with several former city league players (a couple of them were very good players) in old Henrion Gymnasium. Some of my teammates were surprised when I told them I had only played one year of organized basketball. I could hold my own with most of them and my outside shooting and ball handling skills kept me on the floor (I had the Ross McBurney touch). When I was feeling it, watch out! Unlike @Tyrone Shoelace:, I can’t recall ever inventing any basketball moves, however former Coach Gene Smithson would have said, “ole @WstateU: could sure tickle the twine”. I didn’t invent the popular "picket-fence” play, but I did help patent it. Overall, I’d say I was a ‘salty’ multi-sport intramural athlete during my collegiate days and a legend in my own mind.

Here I am with some of my high school buddies…

HENRION floor had more waves than an 80's perm.....played many an intramural game there....GDI's ruled the place circa 1981 !!

[WstateU]

HENRION floor had more waves than an 80's perm.....played many an intramural game there....GDI's ruled the place circa 1981 !!

My ‘old’ knees would agree…

[kcshocker11]

So what we've learned is that this board is filled with a bunch of short unathletic point guards that mostly weren't good enough to play past 9th or 10th grade.

Actually could have played small college ball but WSU had the degree I was after.

[OregonShocker]

So what we've learned is that this board is filled with a bunch of short unathletic point guards that mostly weren't good enough to play past 9th or 10th grade.

Offered juco at Cowley Co (Jerry Mullen) but realized I had no future in ball and I needed to study somewhere else to achieve my goals.

[Dave Stalwart]

Actually could have played small college ball but WSU had the degree I was after.

I could have played college ball, but I was bad and no colleges wanted me.

[im4wsu]

The radio blurb every morning, American Countryside, I believe is its name, has forcussed the last three days on the 1936 team in McPherson under Gene Johnson and , today, their efforts to get to New York for the boatride to the Olypiics. My parents played poker with a couple of the stars Barry Dunham and Harold Davis) of the Henry;s teams of that era. When I knew them, one would have never believed they could even run across mid-court. Age does have its effect. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry%27s_(clothiers)

[WstateU]

The radio blurb every morning, American Countryside, I believe is its name, has forcussed the last three days on the 1936 team in McPherson under Gene Johnson and , today, their efforts to get to New York for the boatride to the Olypiics. My parents played poker with a couple of the stars Barry Dunham and Harold Davis) of the Henry;s teams of that era. When I knew them, one would have never believed they could even run across mid-court. Age does have its effect. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry%27s_(clothiers)

I played with most of these guys... some good dudes. :)

[shock]

I played with most of these guys... some good dudes. :)

Goodness

[WstateU]

The radio blurb every morning, American Countryside, I believe is its name, has forcussed the last three days on the 1936 team in McPherson under Gene Johnson and , today, their efforts to get to New York for the boatride to the Olypiics. My parents played poker with a couple of the stars Barry Dunham and Harold Davis) of the Henry;s teams of that era. When I knew them, one would have never believed they could even run across mid-court. Age does have its effect. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry%27s_(clothiers)

Great voice and always interesting programs...

[wufan]

I come from a long line of good high school basketball players, but I was all knees and elbows and couldn't dribble or shoot. I could jump and box out just well enough to sit at the end of a stacked JV bench (three D-I players and six more small college stars). My best moment was 6 points and 8 boards in four minutes of action. The coach used me in the half-time speech as I spurred a big come back. I didn't play in the second half, sprained my ankle at the following practice, and broke my hand during recovery. I changed focus in athletics after that which lead to a small college tennis scholarship, where I earned All-American honors as a junior, but was injured during my senior season.

[Ricardo del Rio]

I come from a long line of good high school basketball players, but I was all knees and elbows and couldn't dribble or shoot. I could jump and box out just well enough to sit at the end of a stacked JV bench (three D-I players and six more small college stars). My best moment was 6 points and 8 boards in four minutes of action. The coach used me in the half-time speech as I spurred a big come back. I didn't play in the second half, sprained my ankle at the following practice, and broke my hand during recovery. I changed focus in athletics after that which lead to a small college tennis scholarship, where I earned All-American honors as a junior, but was injured during my senior season.

Did you run around your backhand?

[wufan]

No. I had a really good two-handed backhand; and in fact when I developed tennis elbow my senior year, I often played with a two-handed forehand.