A (Tony) Guy to always remember

I first wrote about my all-time favorite Jayhawk Tony Guy in my blog on Feb. 17, 2019, writing about our Where are they Now? interview in 1999 and my dad's friendship with Tony. Here's more good stuff on Tone--in his own words from that 1999 interview at his State Farm office in Kansas City, Mo. Tony, you will always have a special place in my heart…far more than you will ever know. You helped bring my beloved late, forever hero dad and I closer together, and I will always be grateful to you for that. I was an impressionable high school sophomore then when I met you at my parents house the summer of 1982 when you regularly played racquetball with my dad, who sadly passed on March 11, 2021 at age 95. 

You told me during our interview that it was people like my dad, who treated you as Tony Guy the person, and not Tony Guy, the athlete, that helped make your college experience so special. That meant a lot to me; my dad, myself, and our family treat everyone we meet equally. When we met at your State Farm office in Kansas City, Mo, on that memorable afternoon in 1999, we talked man to man. Maybe no other person I’ve ever interviewed in my long journalism career talked to me the way you did; you spoke about being a good father, a good husband — so more important than your kids don’t know or don’t care about your basketball exploits. You also spoke that society has sports out of perspective, and so much more profound wisdom. While I truly loved watching you play growing up in Lawrence — pure grace in motion —I honestly don’t care if you ever shot a ball threw a hoop. Who you are as a person, as a man — someone of impeccable character, morals, values and integrity, how you graciously treated me as a teenager when I first met you and then again at our wonderful interview in 1999. You are the tremendous man, father and husband your mom, Gertrude, raise you to be — that’s what counts for me. Humble, gracious, and kind. That’s the bigger picture by far! That's the Anthony Guy I remember, and I will always remember! So thank you Tony. I wish you and your family all my best, and hope to connect again with you in the future! You are one of the greatest ambassadors that not only KU basketball, but the University of Kansas has ever seen!

And yes, it would be a thrill to shoot hoops with you at some point. I regret I never took you up on your offer to do that when we talked at Robinson Gym way back in the summer of 1982. While I've lost my quickness and speed and my jumper isn't what it once was, it would still be very special!

Favorite memory at KU:

“Ironically enough, some of my favorite memories about KU have nothing to do about basketball. And I think that’s the way it ought to be. My favorite memory of KU has to do with a conversation with (sociology professor) Norm Yetman, a surrogate father. We’re extremely close today. My sophomore year (1978-79), we were walking up on campus. Norm said, 'Tony, this is a neat place to go to school. You’re a neat basketball player. And who knows what’s going to happen to you in the future. But I just want you to keep something in mind while you’re at the university. And the thing that you’ll need to always remember is way after you’re gone, KU’s going to continue to have great basketball players and teams. The most important thing you can do for Tony Guy is to get the most of this experience as possible, meaning you need to graduate and you need to get a degree. 

“The thing he was trying to let me know, was that although my name was in the paper and everybody’s telling me how great I am, well, you’re just another basketball player, you’re just another athlete that after four years, no one talks about you. No one remembers what you did on the basketball (court) — all the great things you did on the basketball floor. That’s just the way life is. I think more young people need to have conversations like that so we don’t get caught up on the euphoria that takes place. We need to go to school and get an education. That’s the exchange. If you get a degree, it’s a fair exchange. You better believe it. The more relationships that young people can get plugged into, the better off they’re going to be. That was my most important conversation I had in my four years at the university. Basketball takes care of itself. There’s highs and lows. What young people need to be concerned with is four years is just a short period of time. There’s a lot of life left after college. And what do we with all the time that we have left.”

Most important experience at KU:

“The most important experience I take from KU is the night (teammate and best friend) David Magley took me to a FCA meeting (our senior year). I gave my life over to Christ. That experience (helped me) make it through the Celtics (when Guy was injured and cut after being a second-round draft pick (No. 46 overall). There’s nothing (else) that would have enabled me get through it. He’s been with me every step of the way. …(I speak) a lot on behalf of FCA.”

The games:

“I didn’t care much for the lower echelon team. (Playing) Kentucky, North Carolina, Indiana, K-State, Missouri, Arizona State, that’s what basketball should be about —when you get the upper echelon teams playing against each other. You find out how good a player I was. (When you) play against the best, (that’s an) accurate guage. And that’s what it should be about. The better teams in the country playing against the better teams in the country.” 

“Playing at Rupp arena (against Kentucky as a freshman). I was in awe of the place. We were blowing them out. They had a great backcourt—(Kyle) Macy, (Jay) Schilder. They had unlimited range (and hitting) bombs. They made a comeback with 30 seconds to go (with KU up six points). The last thing in timeout huddle, (Coach Ted Owens) tells us (we have no more timeouts). Mac Stallcup calls a a timeout (and they) score (and win). ”It broke us. I don’t know if we ever recovered from that (loss). (We went) 18-11, (were) ranked number two in Playboy preseason. (We had Paul) Mokeski (7-1 star center), we had a great team. We had the players. I started at forward, (Parade All-American Wilmore) Fowler (was) a guard (with superstar point guard Darnell Valentine).”

Playing against No. 3 Arizona State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 1981, Guy’s junior year and best season, when he finally played his true position at shooting guard. He exploded for a career-high 36 points on 13-of-15 shooting and 10-of-12 from the free throw line. KU easily upset the Sun Devils, 88-71, and advanced to the Sweet 16 in New Orleans to play Wichita State.

“All week, we read about how good they were and they were going to blow us out and blow everyone out for that matter. They deserved all the press clippings they received (all four starters had NBA careers in Alton Lister, Fat Lever, Byron Scott and Sam Williams). We were extremely talented, too. While Art Housey didn’t have the skill level as Alton Lister, it wasn’t neccessary. Byron Scott was a great player, Fat lever, Sam Williams. It was just one of those games that whenever I was open, Darnell got me the ball. My teammates got me the ball. I think at that point, it’s kind of neat the first couple of shots you shoot, they go in. My teammates (were) confident (in me). At some point, Darnell was like, ‘Hey, Tone, whenever you’re open it’s going to be there.  And it was.

“(One of) funniest things, Arizona State scored. (It was the) left side of court (and) I was dribbling after pass from Darnell, a step inside the (free throw line). “I’m in the air and I thought to myself, ‘Tony, you’re on national TV,  you’re about to fall flat on your face in front of millions of people. What were you thinking about?' I’m in the air thinking about all this stuff and I just keep going, and going, and thinking I’m going to get to the bucket. And I get to the bucket, and the place just goes off. It just goes off. My best friend, David Magley. He said, ‘Tone, you’re the only brother I ever met in my life that can’t dunk.’ That was the physically proudest moment on the court. I didn’t have a lot of dunks in my career. I jumped from at least from the dotted line. At the (season-ending) banquet, everybody still went off. Everybody still couldn’t believe it.

“Magley has the tape (of that game). Every time I ask him about it, he says, ‘I don’t know where that tape is.” l (should) call KU (and have them) make another one. It was a lot of fun. I always dreamed about having a game like that. I guess that’s a zone. Everything I did, I felt at ease with it. I felt comfortable. ‘Yes, this was the right decision’ I only took 15 shots, not an exhorbitant (amount of) shots. I made most of them. It couldn’t have come at a better time. That’s what I was about; I was about wanting to perform well against the better teams.”

KU jelling at end of season:

“(We were) starting to play really well as a team. The only bad thing is that only seven players played. Booty Neal (reserve guard and long-range bomber) could really play. He could flat out play. The one thing I like about Roy Williams is that when you’re wearing a Kansas uniform, the chances are you’re going to get a chance to play. And I think that’s the way it’s supposed to be.”

Playing against North Carolina at Charlotte, N.C., on Nov. 28, 1981, the first game of the season in Guy’s senior year, one of the first ESPN nationally televised games. UNC featured a promising star but relatively unknown freshman at that time named Mike Jordan, who started in his debut college game and defended Guy. KU played ‘Carolina close, but lost 74-67.

“Mike’s a freshman; we did not know much about him. We were more concerned about (James) Worthy, (Sam) Perkins, (Jimmy) Black. Mike was guarding me. I had a real good first half. I remember I was at the free throw line, and I remember Worthy yelling over to Mike,‘Hey, don’t go for his ball fakes.' He was really coaching Mike on how to defend me and how to guard me. (At one point in the game), a shot went up. I didn’t know where Jordan was. No box out. (I jump) to grab the rebound, all of a sudden I feel someone’s body on me. I look up and there’s a long arm up in the air. He went to dunk it and missed. I said to myself, ‘Tony, don’t ever lose track of where that guy is again.’ I thought, ‘My goodness, who is this guy?’ I was up about to grab the ball when I saw this outreached arm.”

On that 13-14 team in 1981-82 during Guy's senior year, which played without a true point guard after All-American Darnell Valentine graduated the previous year. Guy and Magley had to carry the offensive load without much of a supporting cast. Kansas lost eight of its last nine games.

“I played point guard for a while. That was probably one of the least talented teams to ever play at the University of Kansas. (I was) Playboy preseason All-American.”

On his preseason injury before senior year:

“I remember as if it was yesterday. It was my senior year. ...  (I couldn’t jump off) one leg my entire senior year. I had a sleeve on left leg; it was a serious leg injury. I injured leg in preseason conditioning. I went to coach (Ted Owens and told him I was in) pretty bad shape (and could use some time off). (Owens said), “We’re a young team, (we’re) dependent upon leadership, we need example for youngsters. (I participated in) preseason conditioning program. I shouldn’t have. A calcium deposit developed in leg; at night, I couldn’t sleep (it was) between fibula and tibia. All season I was in so much pain. Nobody knew it. A lot of guys would be bitter. (I could have redshirted). I played, that’s what team athletics is all about, making sacrifices. My senior year, (I had) my worse year, worse time. (I could have went) hardship after junior year. Portland had the 16th pick (and wanted to draft me) behind Darnell if I wanted to come out. I said, ‘No, I didn’t want to come come (out). The lesson is that things don’t always work out the way we ‘d like them to or the way we’d play for them to work out. That’s pretty much what life is about. Very seldom does things go the way we want them to. But life goes on ...For all that basketball has given me, it didn’t owe me anything at that time and it doesn’t owe me anything now. (Portland) called Darnell (and said), ‘we got the 15th and 16th picks in the first round (in 1981 NBA Draft). We’re going to use one of them on you. ‘Is Tony interested in coming out? Check with Tony.’ The thought of going hardship never even crossed my mind. As a kid, (we could) not afford it to go to college. If basketball works out, (I could get a) scholarship, and then you get the degree. That’s all it was about. It wasn’t about trying to be rich and famous. It was about going to school and getting a degree. The quality of life that I have today, there is no doubt in my mind that had I played in the NBA, the quality of my life wouldn’t have been richer than what it is today. Things normally work out for the best.”

Guy’s “consistency” and more on his serious injury:

“I was consistent over (my) career. I had been playing out of position first two years (at small forward) until junior year. (There was) no coincidence (when I played big guard), once everyone saw that I could not only play guard, but I could defend guards as well, it was pretty obvious that I was a pretty good player. I could guard just about anyone on the perimeter. (I was) unique, 6-6, defend on the perimeter. (I could move my feet) and play guard. (There was) a question mark (if I could) score. (Team-high and career-high 15.8 points per game in 1980-81, Guy’s junior season) and Sweet 16 team). There was never a doubt in my mind that I could play in the NBA.

 

(...There was a) pickup game before season,” Guy added about he got hurt. (I was) dribbling the ball. I shot the ball better than ever, (I was in) weight room (and) physically peak shape. Tim Banks (was) running up from behind to steal the ball — slipped, fell and his knee hit the back of my leg. (It was a) deep bruise. In the middle of preseason conditioning program,I was running around (Memorial) stadium, (it turned) turned into calcium deposit. (There were) serious problems. I literally couldn’t jump off left foot (for whole season). I couldn’t elevate.”

On the Boston Celtics camp and playing in the CBA and Switzerland:

“Probably the lowest moment of my life. Up until that point in time, I achieved and accomplished everythiing I set out to do. Playing in the NBA was important, the next step, validate that I was continue to grow and improve as an athlete and a basketball player. I couldn’t move (because of leg injury). Nobody knew. Even on one leg, Danny Ainge couldn’t score or defend me. He was starting for the Celtics. I thought to myself, ‘What could I be doing if I was healthy; (they) didn’t see half the player I really was...If I was at 100 percent (and they said), ‘You ain’t good enough, that’s fine but to be at 25-30 percent, when I knew I was good enough to play in the NBA, never had experienced dissapointment of that magnitude. I never once talked about my injury, no excuses. Life goes on. I got cut. (I then played in the ) CBA. (I was with) Maine (and) traded to Wyoming for one year. I felt injury was getting better. I played extremely well. The following year, (I played in) Switzerland. The best year of my life. I had gotten married the day before I left. By far, the best year of my life. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.The reason being, my wife and I had the foundation for our marriage that will last a lifetime. And that was important. Only place I know of, postcards don’t do it justice, even the best postcards. I was still hurt, never recovered from that injury. I had a great year in Switzerland, (developed) more leg strength. I still had pain, but not as severe. I played 1983 in CBA and1984 in Switzerland.”

(After returning home from Switzerland), “a couple of months went by and I talked to my agent. He called and said, ‘The team loved you, but same money.’ I talked to my wife. I’m thinking, ‘A lot of guys spent playing in CBA or over in Europe. They come back after having done that after eight, nine years, still need to get a job.’ She said, ‘Hey, why don’t we just get started on our lives after basketball.’” (I told my agent), ‘Thanks, but no thanks.’”

Working at State Farm and lessons shared

In 1987, Guy began working for State Farm in Kansas City, Mo., as a insurance agent. He’s been there ever since.

“I think every thing I stand for, this company is about. It’s a neat feeling to be working for a corporation who you think values the same things you value. Just taking care of people’s needs is important.. (They’re) dependent on me to have a certain skill level as it relates to being the guy that handles their insurance needs. Almost like being a coach. I have two staff, own little team. I’m in the office and out. I schedule my own, speak when I where I want to. … Most importantly, it allows me the flexibility and the time to spend with my wife and kids. I have three wonderful kids, wonderful wife. My wife is a full-time homemaker, it’s a neat home with the kids. I’m having more fun now than I’ve  ever had in my entire life. 

“I guess the lesson I share with younger guys playing, ‘there’s a lot of life left after basketball. The bottom line is all that matters is ultimately, what type of fathers we become and what type of husbands we become, because those are the most important roles we have in this lifetime is my role as a father and my role as a husband. To be quite honest, my kids don’t know or do they care about any of my basketball exploits. And that’s the way it ought to be. But they do care if I’m a good father and a good husband. … KU is an important time (but) it’s not the most important thing. ... Society, it’s out of perspective...out of whack.

“No one thinks character counts, but character does count and it always will.  No matter how much hypocrisy exists in the system, character does count. Ultimately, my mom raised me to be good husband and father; she never once called and asked how basketball is going. In the final analysis, (basketball) is a vehicle to get a college education, vehicle to be a productive member of society. We treat it as if it’s everything to me. ‘Without it, I’m nobody. I can’t do anything.” 

Guy thinks about that defining conversation with Yetman his sophomore year in his “daily life.”

“What Norm was trying to tell me was, “Tony, a lot of people you’re going to come in contact with are going to like you because you’re Tony Guy, the basketball player. I just want you to know that I care about you because you’re Tony Guy, the person. I just want you to know that Tony Guy the person will carry you much further than Tony Guy the basketball player ever will.” Guy now laughs when adding what Yetman then said, ‘I’ve been watching you. You don’t jump very high.’ I was fortunate to have a mom, Gertrude, she kept myself grounded. …(When I) speak, (I) share (about) society today. Michael Jordan retired, the world still turning. If we don’t somehow find a way to bring young people up in such a way that they become people--men and women of integrity--of high character--this place isn’t going to last much longer … unless we start having better fathers and better mothers. It’s going to collapse. It’s going to collapse. …“What (matter is what) type of adults we become.”

Guarding Magic Johnson, a sophomore sensation point guard at Michigan State, when Guy was a freshman on Feb. 4, 1979 at East Lansing, Mich. MSU blew KU out, 85-61.

“(My) freshman year, (it was both a) high light and low light (of having the) dubious honor of having to guard Magic Johnson. I realized I was OK, but I was just an average basketball player. Magic was so overwhelming that I said to myself, ‘What am I doing out here. He was just truly incredible, truly amazing. Those experiences shape your own perspectives as a player. Having to guard (Magic) was a nightmare. That was bloody.” 

On Roy Williams and the Jayhawks:

“I think that those kids play with an enthusiasm and togetherness that is unparallelled. We didn’t have it when I played. There is more of a one for all and all for one attitude. (There’s a) togetherness that Roy’s teams have that we did not have. Those guys generally care for another one. They’ll do any things for one another. These guys graduate. (They) are class acts. They’re not goofing off. They’re going to class. The positives far outweigh the negatives. … A great coach, and a great guy. (He’s) not perfect, but nobody is.”

Guy’s passions:

“Golf is my new passion, and my kids. My family is my passion. Faith, obviously. Those things are what keeps me going. …I love golf.” 

High-School All-American and Super Prep Stats

Tony made his mark in high school at Loyola in Towson, Md, and one of the country’s most highly recruited prep stars. He was a McDonald’s All-American (KU’s second one in history behind Darnell Valentine), Parade All-American, Street & Smith Yearbook All-American, and Basketball Weekly and Scholastic Magazine All-American.

Guy was a second-team Parade All-American, along with future Hall of Famer James Worthy. Mark Aguirre, a third-team selection, was a future No. 1 overall NBA Draft pick by the Dallas Mavericks.  KU teammate and best friend David Magley was a fourth-team Parade All-American. Guy and Aguirre were also members of the 1978 McDonald’s All-American team.

A three-time all-league selection and three-year starter at Loyola, Guy helped lead the Dons to a 78-19 record during that time. Loyola went 27-6 his first year as a sophomore, then 26-4 and 25-9 his senior year. The Dons ranked No. 2 in the state in final polls both his sophomore and junior seasons. Guy, who lead the team in scoring, rebounding and assists his senior year, averaging 22.9 points,11.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. In league games, Tony averaged 26.5 points,10.0 rebounds and 5.1 assists.

Guy also led Loyola in scoring (15.4 ppg) and assists (154) his junior year, while second on squad in rebounding (9.0 rpg). He culminated his magical career with 1,499 points in 89 games (16.8 ppg). He also had 881 career rebounds (9.9 rpg) and 341 assists (3.8 apg). He connected on better than 50 percent of his field goal attempts last two seasons, while shooting 50.6 percent from the field during his career. He was also a career 77.0 free throw shooter. 

Tony scored a career-high 38 points his senior year and grabbed a career-best 18 boards his junior and senior seasons. Above all, he was a winner and team player. Loyola won the Catholic League Tournament all three years, while Guy served as team captain his senior year.

Tony sums it up:

“(I was) extremely fortunate in my career. I started from day one and played every game. I had a great career. The university and coach Owens and the players were extremely kind to me.”

A tribute to former Jayhawk great Norm Cook

A heartfelt tribute to my childhood hero Norm Cook. A high school All-American from Lincoln, Illinois, Cook starred at KU from 1973-76 and later was a first-round draft pick by the Boston Celtics after going pro after his junior season. Cook played in 27 games for the Celtics and Denver Nuggets from 1976-78. After battling paranoid schizophrenia for most of his adult life, Cook died at age 53 on Dec. 22, 2008.

...

It was a night to remember for Norm Cook, and one that is indelibly etched in Jayhawk lore. Playing his first game at KU against Murray State on Dec. 1, 1973 in Allen Fieldhouse, all the bright-eyed 6-9 freshman forward did was go 10 for 10 from the field for 21 points while also grabbing nine rebounds.

A star was born.

“I wasn’t even thinking about it. I was a little nervous before the game, but I forgot about it,” Cook told the Lawrence Journal-World afterwards.

His dazzling and commanding performance left fans, teammates and the media all gushing.

“Cook is the quick, big talented forward with finesse who can shoot, rebound, assist, block shots, can do it all, to be brief. He has all it takes to be a superstar by the time his four KU seasons are wrapped up,” Journal-World columnist Bill Mayer wrote.

Cook’s 10 shots without a miss in a game is still a KU record (tied with Danny Manning), and his 21 points were the most by a Kansas freshman in his debut game since Xavier Henry broke the mark with 27 points in his first contest as a Jayhawk in 2009.

Cook was an instrumental reason why KU made the Final Four that 1973-74 dream season; the Jayhawks finished with a 23-7 record, a dramatic turnaround from the previous season’s 8-18 mark. With Cook starting from day one, he earned Big Eight Freshman of the Year honors, averaging 11.4 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. He led KU in scoring three games and tied for team lead in another, while pacing the ‘Hawks in rebounding seven contests and tying for team high in an eighth game.

Cook had 11 points and seven rebounds in KU’s 55-54 victory over Creighton in the NCAA Tournament opening round while posting 10 points and seven rebounds in KU’s 93-90 overtime win against Oral Roberts in the Midwest Regional Finals.

While his scoring average dipped to 10.3 points as a sophomore and field goal percentage slipped from 49.5 percent his freshman season to 44.4 percent, Cook averaged a team-high 8.2 rebounds while blocking 35 shots (No. 2 on team) and helping lead KU to its second-straight NCAA Tournament in 1975, where the Jayhawks lost to Notre Dame and star player Adrian Dantley in the first round.

Cook was rewarded for his efforts by being named to the U.S. Pan Am Games team that summer in Mexico City, where he shined under Washington head coach Marv Harshman. Playing with future NBA Hall of Famer Robert Parish and All-Star Otis Birdsong, Cook was USA’s gold-medal winning team’s (9-0) fourth-leading scorer at 10.8 points per game, ranked third in rebounding, tied for second in assists, and ranked second in free throws made. He exploded for 24 points in the United States’ opening-game 102-63 blowout over Argentina.

While Cook was creating a buzz with his game in Mexico, he was also toying with the idea of turning pro. The Utah Stars and one other ABA team wooed him with offers to jump to the league and forgo his final two years at Kansas. In the Oct. 28, 1975 issue of The Spokesman-Review, it was reported that Cook had a four-year contract offer worth $150,000.

Cook spoke to Harshman about his situation during the Pan Am Games.

“Norm is one of nine kids. He talked it over with me for quite awhile,” Harshman told The Spokesman-Review. “I couldn’t advise him not to take the money. Finally, he said, ‘I’m gonna go back to Kansas and then I’m gonna play in the 1976 Olympics.’”

Cook had a career year as a junior, averaging a team-best 14.8 points and 7.9 rebounds as a co-captain while earning first-team All-Big Eight honors. He, though, could not carry KU alone as the Jayhawks stumbled to a 13-13 record.

After three marvelous years, Cook declared as a hardship case for the NBA Draft. He concluded his career with 1,004 points and 624 rebounds in 83 games. Cook, who wasn’t selected for the Olympics, currently ranks No. 60 all time at KU in career scoring and No. 25 in career rebounding.

The NBA champion Boston Celtics, who coveted Cook since seeing him star at the Pan Am Games, selected the former KU standout with the No. 16 overall pick in the first round in the 1976 NBA Draft, seven spots higher than future Hall of Famer Alex English of South Carolina.

Celtics head coach Tommy Heinsohn was thrilled to get his man.

‘‘He’s a shooter, a scorer,” Heinsohn told the Associated Press on June 9, 1976. “He's a good, quick forward, and a pure forward. We had a chance at the same time to draft Earl Tatum of Marquette, who is also a scorer. But Cook is bigger and more fundamental. He played at a school that uses a slowdown offense, but Jo Jo White learned under the same coach and he adjusted quite well.”

Indeed, White did. White, Boston’s first-round draft pick in 1969, was an All-Star and had just earned MVP of the NBA Finals.

The AP story reported that “assistant Coach John Killilea said Cook was wooed last summer by two American Basketball Association clubs, but the Celtics apparently convinced the 6-foot-9, 210-pound forward to stay in school another year.”

“I don’t say we were the ones who convinced him not to sign," Killilea said. “But both Jo Jo and I urged him to stay in school another year, to better prepare himself, to mature a little more. We kept telling him that if he didn't sign, he stood a good chance of being drafted high in the NBA this year.”

That chance had now become reality.

“What we wanted was somebody who could put the ball in the hole,” Heinsohn said. “With (Don) Nelson retiring and not knowing what to expect at this point out of (John) Havlicek, he's the kind of player we need.”

Two months later as the Celtics were preparing to open rookie camp, Heinsohn was still excited about his top draft pick. In an Aug. 18th UPI story, the wire service reported that “the enigma is Tom Boswell, last year’s top draft choice. Heinsohn swears Boswell is not another Steve Downing, that he does have special talent and that he will round into a tough cornerman. However, the Celtics picked up many of the same qualities in 1976 top choice Norm Cook of Kansas. He comes recommended by White, a former star at Kansas who has seen him several times, and by Providence coach Dave Gavitt, who called Cook the best player in the 1975 Pan American Games. Heinsohn also has seen Cook twice and likes him very much.”

Cook seemed poised to have an impressive rookie season. However, dreams die hard as Cook barely played in 1976-77, averaging just 2.5 points and 5.5 minutes in 25 games. In the 1978 edition of The Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball, here’s how one writer labeled Cook’s performance that season:

“Still another first-round pick that’s fizzled. Played pattern ball at Kansas where his career average was only 12.1 and never caught onto the running game at Boston. Loves to shoot, but never knew when to pass. A member of the All-Bench team after logging exactly 125 minutes in an injury-free season. Impressed Celtic scout John Killilea when he was named MVP in Pan Am Games. Has a reputation as a shooter, but made only 37 percent. Also, his attitude was not the best. Will never make All-Practice team and sometimes loses track of time. Doesn’t seem to have the desire to succeed.”

I was devastated when I first read those words about 40 years ago. Norm was my childhood hero; I put him on a pedestal, and he could do no wrong. I thought he was destined for great success in the NBA. Instead, he was labeled as a bust who would go down as one of the worst first-round picks in Celtics history.

Cook, who scored four points (2-2 FG) in three minutes in his lone playoff game with Boston, was cut by the Celtics after his rookie season. He was then signed by the Denver Nuggets and head coach Larry Brown on April 7 the following season in 1978, playing just two games before being released four days later.

And that was it. His NBA career was suddenly over. In 27 games with Boston and Denver, Cook averaged 2.4 points and 1.1 rebounds in 5.5 minutes per contest, while shooting 37.3 percent from the field and 52.9 percent at the free throw line. He totaled 65 points, 30 rebounds, 10 steals, six assists and 148 minutes.

Cook next played briefly overseas and then settled back in his hometown of Lincoln, Illinois, where he married and had children, including a son named Brian, who would become a standout 6-10 forward at Illinois and first-round draft pick by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2003 and nine-year NBA player.

When I think of Norm Cook these days --- and I do pretty much every day -- it is with a mixture of sadness and joy. I am saddened that he died too soon at age 53 and pained that his life was destroyed by mental illness; he battled paranoid schizophrenia most of his adult years and suffered alone until his death after slipping into a diabetic coma. Perhaps the first signs of his mental illness came when he played for Denver, telling his teammates that he thought someone was following him.

I cried that December night in 2008 when I read about Norm’s death. It was tears of a life cut much too short, tears of what my childhood hero had meant to me growing up as an impressional boy in Lawrence, and tears of all the years Norm battled with his devastating illness.

While I’m sad about what happened to Norm shortly after leaving KU, I try to choose to remember the joy and great times I had watching him play in Allen Fieldhouse as a kid and living out my childhood dreams while I attended games with my dad. I can still close my eyes and see him swish his patented 18-foot jump shot from the baseline by the KU bench, sweet memories that I’ll hold on forever.

I’d like to think, after so much pain, he’s finally at peace, free at last. As his Final Four teammate Roger Morningstar told me after Norm died, his old friend no longer has to fight his demons.

“This is God’s way of helping him,” Brian Cook told the Orlando Sentinel on Dec. 31, 2008 after his dad’s funeral. “He doesn’t have any worries anymore. He doesn’t have any schizophrenic episodes or paranoia.”

“I’m not saying I don’t want him here now ... but he’s in a better place,” Brian added. “He’s in his right mind now.”

...

I interviewed Morningstar in 2001 and Cook’s former KU teammate Dale Greenlee in 2009 about their thoughts and memories of Norm. Here is what they told me.

“We just saw about every day in the papers around the town of Olney (Illinois, where Morningstar starred in junior college) what Norman Cook and what Lincoln (Community High School) had done,” Morningstar said. “They had a great team (30-1 in 1972-73, one of the best squads in Illinois prep history). He was just killing people (22.8 ppg, 11.8 rpg, high school All-American, one of top 15 players in the country by Street and Smith Magazine). He was extremely talented, very quiet and aloof, Norman. Very soft spoken. Never got jacked up too much emotionally, just kind of showed up and played. I’d say he was more sensitive than not. Any time you’re out on the floor swinging elbows and trying to compete, you can’t be too sensitive to do that kind of thing. Norman again was very quiet. He was close to his mom. He dad was actually murdered when he was young -- when he lived up in Chicago. He was a good, kind, good kid. Great player.

 

“He’s had more problems on the mental illness side that’s caused him to do the things that would put him in jail from time to time. Never been a hard-core criminal. He’s got a terrible case of schizophrenia. He’s never been the same. Norman had a brother who played at Duke. There’s some athletic talent in his family. It’s heartbreaking to see what has happened to him. I don’t think it’s getting any better actually. I think it’s getting a little bit worse. It’s impossible to communicate with him. We all feel bad about the circumstances, but that’s kind of the way it is. The last time I spoke to him was the 100-year anniversary that Roy (Williams) did here (in 1998). I was in charge of getting our team back here since I’m local and around. I sent off a bunch of stuff and called him. I got a return call. It was a little mysterious. It was after the event had happened, and it was Norman. It was a little bizarre, but he at least was talking and kind of knew what was up. He was actually out--he’s been in and out--in Illinois, they call it the state hospital. I guess it would be something similar to Menninger over here in Topeka. This was during the time period when he was actually out. To be real honest, I haven’t heard over the last eight or nine months, whether Norm’s in and out or how he’s doing.”

And then there were Greenlee’s recollections.

“Norman was probably one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet,” Greenlee said. “Norman was a quiet, when you first meet him, he was a very quiet unassuming person. And for him to have that tremendous talent and be so unassuming was really amazing. It would be amazing now, but really even amazing back then. No bravado with Norm, no I’m the best. Six-nine, could shoot from 20-feet out, obviously first-round draft choice of the Boston Celtics. A lot of us would be kind of full of themselves if they had that kind of ability, but Norman really wasn’t. He was a very, very regular guy; he had kind of a quiet, unassuming person for having that kind of God-given talent.”

Greenlee said Cook and the Jayhawk players were quite close.

“We all lived in Jayhawk Towers. We lived together, we practiced together, the lives were really closely intertwined,” Greenlee said. “He played bass, he had a bass guitar. To the consternation of some of his roommates, he played maybe later at night than we wanted. Again, a good person. He was not when many people went pro early, Norman left after his junior year. Kind of the tragedy of that, he may have needed one more year of maturity. If he stayed at Kansas one more year, he needed that kind of big brother, someone to guide him and did not have that at that point of time. That’s why the unfortunate things happen, but just a tremendous talent. We were blessed to know Norman.”

Greenlee related that mourners at Cook’s funeral shared “similar stories” about what a good, quality, genuine and humble person he was.

“Guys that he had grown up with, they would talk about going fishing with Norm, playing ball with Norm, and just kind of hanging out,” Greenlee said. “Again, their comments were very similar in that he was not looking to be the spotlight, he wasn’t looking to be the focal point. Would help you if you needed some help to do whatever, but he really wasn’t full of himself, and that’s a quality, boy we all should take every day.”

Greenlee said people at the funeral also talked about Cook’s mental illness.

“Unfortunately Norman had some mental challenges and had tried to work through some of those. We all have demons in our lives, and unfortunately some are greater than others, and some are attacked in different ways,” Greenlee said. “Every person who got up and spoke, he had some relatives and friends, coach (Duncan, Cook’s high school coach and then his assistant coach at Kansas) Reid got up and gave a wonderful, wonderful talk at the funeral. He talked about Norman as a high school player. Duncan would take him to the gym, and he would work for hours on footwork. He was talented, but there were things he needed to develop, and Norman would do whatever he said. Coach Reid came to Kansas with Norman, he knew him probably the best of those with us during the Kansas years. Norman was a people pleaser, a good person and he expressed the sadness that obviously Norman had passed at such an early age. When you pass away in your 50s, that’s certainly very short in today’s life span.”

Cook’s fabulous debut KU game was a also a topic of conversation at the funeral.

“(We) talked about that. Here he is, first college game, goes 10 for 10 and scores 20 (21) points,” Greenlee said. “None of the rest of us ever had a game like that in our lives at any level. Unless you go 2 for 2, I had some games when I didn’t miss but I didn’t shoot much. To have such an impact as a freshman and to step in at the University of Kansas was tremendous. After the game as I recall, it was a ball game, he wasn’t crowing about what a wonderful game. I had 11 rebounds I think against Kansas State one year and I was telling everybody about it. I said, ‘Man did you look? I’m a guard, I had 11 rebounds.’ I was calling people at home, ‘Did you look at that box score?’ Norman goes 10 for 10 and he really wasn’t trying to make a big deal out of it.

“I remember just Norman having such a great first game,” Greenlee added. “But he had a lot of good games. He’d get 18 points and 12 rebounds. Back then, people didn’t really talk about double-doubles like they talk about them now. You could count on Norman to go out and play hard every night. I remember he had a great first step, first dribble. I can almost picture it now, catching the ball on the wing, giving a little look and then just one dribble and either pulling up and shoot a jumper or potentially go all the way to the basket. He was so long at 6-8 or 6-9.”

Greenlee, Morningstar, and all those people who knew and loved Cook can remain comforted in the fond memories they shared with him. For me, I know my childhood hero will always be a part of me.

To Norman Cook: It’s been 10 years since you passed and 45 years since I first saw you shoot a jumper in the Phog as a wonder-eyed 7-year-old. Thanks for the memories you gave me growing up in Lawrence and watching you play. You gave me so much happiness and helped make my childhood brighter. I will never forget you!

RIP.

Paul Pierce made his name as a Boston Celtic and NBA legend

I am now down to the No. 2 former Jayhawk with the best NBA career. There is simply no doubt about the pick here. Paul Pierce put up monster numbers and plenty of wins during his career, while ranking as one of the all-time NBA greats and No. 15 top scorer in history.

No. 2 Paul Pierce

Paul Pierce’s NBA career all began on a gloomy, rainy late afternoon in Vancouver at General Motors Place on June 24, 1998 during the NBA Draft. While it was rainy outside, hope, anticipation and a buzz filled the arena for Pierce and the roughly 20 other future NBA players in attendance.

The Grizzlies’ mascot entertained fans with his antics on the court while a highlight film shined on the video board. A friend and I proudly held up a white and crimson and blue banner supporting Pierce and fellow Jayhawk and coveted NBA prospect Raef LaFrentz: “Rock Chalk, Pick a Jayhawk.”

And then the draft commenced when Commissioner David Stern stepped up to the podium. Pierce, for one, didn’t expect to wait in the Green Room long. After all, after three stellar years at Kansas, where he was named an All-American after his junior season, most observers believed he would be picked in the top three or five spots, and just maybe as high as No. 2.

Jerry West, Los Angeles Lakers Executive VP of Basketball Operations, believed Pierce would make an immediate impact in the NBA.

“He has played kind of an NBA-like game already,” West said. “He looks like he will be able to come in and compete right away without a lot of special coaching to get him ready to play. He plays a thinking man’s game and he is going to be a very, very attractive player for a lot of teams.”

And then the wait and drama started. First, the Los Angeles Clippers selected Michael Olowokandi. Then Mike Bibby went to Vancouver. Every five minutes, Stern called a name with no mention of Pierce. Raef LaFrentz. Antawn Jamison. Vince Carter. Robert Traylor. Jason Williams. Larry Hughes. And then Dirk Nowitzki was selected with the the ninth pick.

Finally, after so much wait and anticipation for Pierce on the biggest day of his life, the Boston Celtics selected him with the 10th overall pick. Stunned, shocked and dazed, Pierce stood up, hugged his family members, put on a green Celtics’ hat, and walked to the podium and shook hands with Stern while taking a picture with the commissioner. He soon spoke to the media about looking forward to his new start in Boston.

“I am a little disappointed, but it is a situation I had no control over,” Pierce said. “I guess teams figured they couldn’t use me, or that someone else fit their needs better. We (agent) never had a chance to talk with, or mentioned the Celtics. It’s a big surprise to me to be wearing this hat. If you would have told me a week ago, I would have not believed a word of it, but I am here, this is my situation and I will make the most of it.

“I am going to use this as motivation and show these teams that they passed on a quality player. I just want to go out there next year to let them know that they should have picked me but I am happy that (Rick, Celtics coach) Pitino felt confident in my ability and gave me a chance.”

Nineteen years later in 2017, Pierce ended his superlative and legendary NBA career proving his doubters wrong, becoming one of the all-time Celtics and NBA greats. His achievements were simply remarkable, especially considering this was once a teenager who was cut from his varsity high school team in Inglewood, California, as a bright-eyed freshman.

With such a fabled franchise in Boston, where legends like Larry Bird, John Havlicek, Bob Cousy and Bill Russell donned the Celtics green, Pierce made an indelible mark for 15 seasons. He averaged 21.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.44 steals and 36.6 minutes in 1,102 career games (1,099 starts). No. 34 ranks No. 1 in franchise history in three-point field goals (1,823), free throws (6,434) and steals (1,583), while placing second as the Celtics’ second all-time leading scorer (24,021 points).

In addition, “The Truth” placed in the the top-10 list in games played (3rd-1,102), minutes played (3rd – 40,360), field goals (3rd – 7,882), field goal attempts (2nd – 17,630), three-point field goal attempts (1st – 4,928), free throw attempts (1st – 7,979), offensive rebounds (8th – 1,008), rebounds (7th – 6,651), assists (5th – 4,305) and blocked shots (4th – 668). With 15 years in Boston, Pierce trails only Havlicek for the most ever spent in a Celtics uniform.

After finishing his career with the Los Angeles Clippers last season, Pierce got his just due by signing a one-day contract with Boston on July 17.

“We’re honored that Paul has chosen to retire as a Celtic. He is among the very best Celtics – a champion on and off the court,” said Celtics governor and managing partner Wyc Grousbeck. “We congratulate Paul on a Hall of Fame career, and look forward to seeing his number raised to the rafters of TD Garden.”

Pierce was overwhelmed with emotion.

“It's an honor to have this opportunity to once again call myself a Boston Celtic," Pierce said. "The organization and city took me in and made me one of their own, and I couldn’t imagine ending my career any other way. I’m a Celtic for life.”

A month later on Aug. 18, the Celtics announced that they will retire Pierce’s No. 34 in a game against Cleveland this season on Feb. 11.

“We teamed up with Paul from the beginning of our ownership and grew to be champions together,” Grousbeck said. “He’s a great person and a great Celtic.”

“I will always be grateful for the sacrifices Paul made to help the Celtics be great,” said Celtics President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge. “His love for the game was contagious and his talents and hard work were legendary. He was one of the greatest players of his era.”

Pierce was extremely proud to know his jersey will hang from the hallowed rafters of TD Garden for all time. Pierce’s No. 34 will represent the 22nd retired number in Celtics franchise history. He becomes the first Celtic to have his number retired since Cedric Maxwell’s No. 31 was retired on Dec. 15, 2003.

“The moment I was drafted by the Celtics, I knew I was joining one of the most historic organizations in the NBA,” said Pierce of Boston, which has won 17 NBA titles. “For 15 years, I played at the Garden, looking up at the jerseys of some of the most iconic players in the game – Russell, Bird, and Cousy. To now be recognized alongside those names is such an honor. I have always said I would be a Celtic for life, and now it is really coming true.”

Like many others, Celtics Co-Owner Steve Pagliuca believes Pierce is quite deserving to have his jersey retired.

“Paul was a transcendent player, a great leader, and wonderful teammate; simply one of the great Celtics in every way,” Pagliuca said. “His number in the rafters will forever remind us of the joy he brought to the game of basketball and his love for the fans and the city of Boston.”

Pierce had the makings of greatness from the beginning. In his NBA debut against Toronto on Feb. 5, 1999, all Pierce did was collect 19 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and four blocks. 

He would only get better. Much better.

Pierce was a 10-time All-Star, won a championship and Finals MVP trophy with the Celtics in 2008, a member of the All-NBA Second Team in 2009 and a three-time All-NBA third-team selection (2002, 2003 and 2008). Pierce was also named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 1999 and was the league’s three-point contest winner at the 2010 All-Star game.

In addition, he was the NBA regular-season leader in total points in 2002 (2,144) and the regular-season leader in free throws made in 2003 (604).

This superstar has been named Player of the Week 17 times during his career, Player of the Month four times, and Rookie of the Month once. He averaged over 20 points per game in seven straight years from 2000-2007 with his career-high 26.8 points per contest coming in the 2005-06 season.

He averaged 16.5 points per game his rookie season, then 19.3 ppg his second year, before his breakout third season in 2000-01 when he averaged 25.9 points per game.

That was the year he became known as “The Truth.” It all began after the Celtics lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in a 2001 game. Despite the setback, Pierce mesmerized fans and players alike by dropping 42 points on the eventual NBA champs. 

After the game, Lakers star center Shaquille O’Neal spotted a Beantown reporter and leaned toward the scribe’s notebook.

“Take this down,” O’Neal said. “My name is Shaquille O’Neal, and Paul Pierce is the (very long expletive) truth. Quote me on that, and don’t take nothing out. I knew he could play, but I didn’t know he could play like this. Paul Pierce is the truth.”

Pierce’s superlative year in 2000-01 came after he nearly lost his life in a stabbing incident at a Boston nightclub in September before the season.

He was stabbed 11 times in his face, neck and back, and had to undergo surgery to repair a damaged lung. His life was saved by wearing a thick leather jacket, which prevented the knife wounds from reaching his heart and other important internal organs. Pierce was also helped by the fact that the club was just five minutes from New England Medical Center, where he was given treatment before he had the chance to lose dangerous amounts of blood. 

"A couple ladies were in there, I stopped to say hi, and next thing you know, I was in a mix with somebody," he told his Web site.

"Everything happened so fast, I can't even tell you how long it lasted."

Pierce survived and gained a new perspective after “the night that changed my life forever.”

"It's not something you're going to forget," he told Sports Illustrated in 2008. "I'm fortunate to be here. I feel a lot older from the simple fact I had a brush with death and saw my life flash before my eyes. You grow up 10 times as fast."

At age 35, Pierce became the oldest player in Celtics history to score 40 points in a regulation game when he did so against Cleveland on Dec. 19, 2012 at TD Garden in Boston’s victory. He scored 25 points in the second half and made all seven of his field goals in the final quarter. Pierce shot 13 of 16 from the field, 6 of 8 from beyond the arc, and 10 of 11 at the free throw line.

''When I first came into the league I always asked myself, 'Do I want to be good or do I want to be great?'” Pierce told the Associated Press afterwards. ''Every time I stepped out and worked on my game, that's what I asked myself. I always got here early and worked on my craft as hard as I could because I wanted to be one of the great players.”

He cemented himself as one of the legendary Celtics when Pierce became MVP of the 2008 Finals when Boston won the championship against the Lakers, the team he idolized growing up in Inglewood. Pierce, who scored 38 points in Game Five, produced 21.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 1.08 steals and 38.8 minutes in that six-game series, helping the Celtics raise their NBA-record 17th championship banner and first since 1986.

Boston delivered the biggest turnaround in franchise history in winning 66 games and improving its regular-season wins by a whopping 42 games from the past year with the arrival of Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. While they were called “The Big Three,” the C’s couldn’t have won the title without Pierce, who had endured some trying seasons to finally come out on top in Boston’s title clinching Game 6 victory.

In Bill Simmons’ 2009 “The Book of Basketball,” the author and lifelong Celtics fan wrote that he penned a “postgame passage” about Pierce:

“We watched that guy grow up. We watched him become a man. We believed in him, we gave up on him, and we believed in him again. ... Part of me wanted to walk onto the court Tuesday night and just tell Pierce, ‘It’s hard for me to say this without sounding condescending, but I’m proud of you.’ We spend so much time complaining about sports and being disappointed that our favorite players never end up being who we wanted them to be, but in Pierce’s case, he became everything we wanted him to be. When he held up the Finals MVP trophy after the game and screamed to the crowd in delight, I don’t think I’ve ever been happier for a Boston athlete. How many guys stick with a crummy franchise for 10 solid years, then get a chance to lead that same team to a championship? Does that ever happen in sports anymore?”

Simmons wrote in his book that Pierce ranked as the No. 54 best player in NBA history.

Bob Ryan, the Hall of Famer and former longtime writer for the Boston Globe, also gave ultimate respect to Pierce in his 2014 book, “Scribe: My Life in Sports.”

“Old-timers are pained to hear me say this, but I believe it absolutely--Paul Pierce was the greatest pure scorer in Celtics history,” Ryan wrote. “I don’t mean he was a better player than either Larry Bird or John Havlicek. But in terms of having the most ways to get the ball in the basket, he’s the best Celtic ever. His game has been a strange combination of the 1950s and the twenty-first century, in that he blends the artistry and chicanery of his elders with the three-point shot they often could only have dreamed of. Unlike both Bird and Havlicek, in his extended prime he could always do it on his own--he did not need a pick, he just needed everyone else to get out of the way.”

Boston Hall of Fame player and coach Tommy Heinsohn once said of Pierce: “This guy has the most total offensive game I’ve ever seen a Celtic have.”

The late Red Auerbach, who led led the Celtics to nine NBA championships as head coach and was a team executive for seven other titles, told ESPN The Magazine in 2002 that Pierce was a renaissance player.

“He would absolutely fit in with the Celtics teams I coached,” Auerbach said. “He’s the whole package, offensively and defensively. He’s respectful and he doesn’t bitch. Old-fashioned. I really like him.”

Pierce improved his overall skills and become a complete player during his NBA career while always playing with a high level of confidence. He came up big in crunch time and developed a reputation as a fourth-quarter assassin.

“I want the ball in the fourth quarter when the game is on the line,” he said in 2002. “I feel like I can go help this team win. My teammates have confidence in going to me down the stretch and I try to deliver. I’m a different player in the fourth quarter. That’s when I rise to the top.”

One of the best scoring games of his career came against New Jersey on Dec. 1, 2001 when Pierce scored a jaw-dropping 46 of his then-career-high 48 points in the second half and overtime during Boston’s comeback victory.

“You feel like heads and shoulders above everybody,” Pierce told the Associated Press afterwards. “You feel like everybody else is moving in slow motion and you’re the fastest guy out there. No matter what you do, you feel it’s going to work."

Pierce added: “To tell you the truth, I feel like I’m in the zone every game, no matter if I’m making shots or missing shots. I feel like every shot I take is going to go in.”

Despite being a prolific scorer, points were never that big a deal to Pierce. He was all about winning games.

"It doesn't matter to me, scoring big," Pierce told the Associated Press in 2001. "I'm just trying to play as hard as I can and win. If I am going, I am capable of putting up huge numbers. But I just want to win." 

In 19 seasons with Boston, Brooklyn, Washington, and the Los Angeles Clippers, Pierce averaged 19.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.3 steals and 34.2 minutes in 1,343 games (1,285 starts). He shot 44.5 percent from the field, 36.8 percent from three-point range and 80.6 percent at the charity stripe. He ended the 2016-17 season as the only active player with at least 25,000 career points, 7,000 rebounds and 4,500 assists.

In 14 playoffs, Pierce averaged 18.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.2 steals in 36.6 minutes per game, while shooting 42.3 percent from the field, 35.5 percent from beyond the arc, and 83.0 percent at the free throw line.

Pierce ranks No. 15 all time in scoring (26,397), No. 15 in games (1,343), No. 15 in minutes (45,880), No. 19 in field goal attempts (19,465), No. 24 in field goals (8,668), No. 4 in three-point field goals (2,143), No. 5 in three-point field goal attempts (5,816), No. 8 in free throws (6,918), No. 12 in free throws attempted (8,578), No. 32 in defensive rebounds (6,435), No. 79 in total rebounds (7,527), No. 69 in assists (4,708), No. 19 in steals (1,752) and No. 60 in points per game (19.7).

According to basketballreference.com, Pierce earned a whopping $197,024,552 during his spectacular career.

After all his greatness, after all his resounding success, after all his hardwood magic, Pierce remains grateful he unexpectedly slipped to the No. 10 pick to Boston on draft night on June 24, 1998, where he made all of his professional dreams come true.

“Certain things happen for a reason,” Pierce told Basketball News in 2002. “My initial thought was that I was disappointed that I slid. Then I thought, 'It happened for a reason.’ Somebody wanted me to be here, and this is the place I want to be.”

***

Basketball was Paul Anthony Pierce’s first love and he grew up watching his hometown Los Angeles Lakers on television while sometimes sneaking into the Forum to watch a game.

“That's the beginning for me, just watching the Lakers and Celtics battling it out in the Finals,'' Pierce once told the LA Daily News. "That was just like the birth of basketball for me. I was a little kid  — 6, 7 years old — just being at my uncle's house, trying to get a seat on the floor to see it. The TV was so small, you just wanted to get a glimpse of it.''

He had two basketball heroes as a youth.

“I admired Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan,” Pierce answered in an an email question on NBA.com in 2001. “Magic I had the chance to watch a lot, when I grew up in Inglewood because the only games we got were the Laker games. So I had the chance to pattern my game a little bit after him. I'm not a point guard, but I tried to be versatile in my game and not limit myself because I was taller than the other kids so I tried to be able to do the other things that the guards and forwards could do.”

And someday in the near future, Pierce will join Magic and Jordan in Springfield, Massachusetts, where the legends live in the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame.

Before he achieved superstardom in the NBA, Pierce made his name at Kansas after becoming a McDonald’s All-American in high school and scoring 28 points in that all-star game, two points shy of tying Jordan’s record.

A consensus first-team All-American at KU after his junior year in 1997-98, Pierce was also the Big Eight Freshman of the Year in 1995-96. The No. 9- leading scorer in KU history with 1,768 points, Pierce is one of just seven Jayhawks to score more than 700 points in a season.

His jersey was retired in Allen Fieldhouse on Jan. 25, 2003.

Pierce averaged 11.9 points as a freshman and 16.3 points during his sophomore year before averaging 20.4 points as a junior while blossoming into an All-American. He became the first Jayhawk to average over 20 points since Danny Manning in 1988.

“My first year, I couldn’t do the things that I do today,” Pierce told The Sporting News in 1998. “We had other great players and there was no need. But I developed because there was a process of learning — learning the system and learning the things I could do.”

And opposing coaches and players couldn’t stop him.

“Paul Pierce is like a silent assassin out there,” then-Texas A&M coach Tony Barone said. “He hangs around, gets an offensive rebound. All of a sudden, he steals the ball and gets a dunk. Then he hits a three-pointer.”

 

Former KU coach Roy Williams loved Pierce’s fiery competitive spirit.

"The bigger the game, the bigger he played," Williams said in an interview for Beyond the Glory.

Ryan Robertson, Pierce’s teammate for three years, was also a true believer.

“Best player I ever played with,” Robertson said in a 2007 interview. “My freshman roommate. Just an absolute hunger for basketball.”