Jerry Lucas

[edit] Biography

• Picked No. 6 overall in the 1962 NBA Draft by the Cincinnati Royals.

Jerry Ray Lucas was born March 30, 1940 in Middletown, Ohio. Very gifted as a young man, Lucas invented mental and memoriy exercises as a young boy to pass time on long car trips. He also had 20-10 eyesight, remarkably dextrious hands which he later used in magic trick performances, and was over six feet tall by age 12. Lucas, the older of two sons of a paper mill worker, also was born into the most ravenous high school basketball community in Ohio. Middletown had begun a streak of state championships which began in 1944, and had become the pride of the small city. Encouraged to play in junior high, Lucas completely dedicated himself to the sport. He practiced in then-famous Sunset Park 8-12 hours a day during the summers. His remarkable work ethic was matched by shooting and rebounding drills he utilized to further advance his game. By 1955, Lucas was making a name for himself against the college competition that often played in the park and drew spectator crowds in the hundreds. By then, Lucas was already 6'7 and outplaying college men. That fall, Lucas started at center for the Middletown varsity. A tremendous shooter and rebounder, Lucas led the squad of juniors and seniors to an undefeated season and the Ohio state high school championship. Despite the loss of graduating seniors, Lucas and the Middies repeated the feat in 1957, with Lucas still showing improvement as a player. He scored over 30 points per game, made over 60% of his shots from the floor, over 80% of his free throws and dominated missed shots at both ends. So devastating a player, Lucas often sat half of the 32-minute games of the era, but still averaged a point per minute. Even against better competition in the state playoffs, his numbers still increased because he played more minutes. Lucas had grown to 6'9 as a senior and beome easily the most famous high school player Ohio had ever seen. Crowds of 10,000 to see him play were not uncommon. Games against arch-rival Hamilton were so popular, they were moved to Cincinnati Gardens, impressing NBA Cincinnati Royals owner Les Harrison enough to name the 17 year old Lucas a territorial draft pick for the team. The New York Times wrote on him and he later appeared on ' The Steve Allen Show '. He was rated by many to be the greatest high school player ever, a label some still apply to him 50 years later. Lucas strained some under the tremendous interest in him, but was still an A student and high school class president.

Lucas agreed to play basketball at Ohio State when freshman coach Fred Taylor talked academics to lure the young star. After an All-Star Game in Indiana with other high schoolers, Lucas convinced the other players in the car he rode in to join him at Ohio State. They were Mel Nowell, Bobby Knight and John Havlicek. Apply his memory techniques to remain an A student with limited study, Lucas drew huge crowds with scrimmages against the varsity as a freshman. While the .500 Buckeyes were not yet a draw, 10,000 saw Lucas score 50 to lead his fellow freshmen to victory in each of two formal matches against the upperclassmen. Coach Taylor, promoted to lead the varsity for the 1959-60 season, started three sophomores, including Lucas. Lucas largely duplicated his high school numbers and led the Buckeyes to the 1960 NCAA Championship with just three losses.

Following his championship success, Lucas was tabbed to play for the USA Olympic team for the 1960 Rome Games. The 6'9 235-pound Lucas had outplayed fellow Big Ten rival and future Hall Of Famer Walt Bellamy to start at center for the squad. Armed with players like Lucas, Oscar Robertson, Jerry West, Terry Dischinger, Bellamy and others, the Americans easily dominated the tournament en route to a gold medal. Lucas had tied Robertson to lead the team in scoring depite being awarded just six free throws in the nine often-physical Olympic games played. Lucas did this by making 80% of his shots, often after rebounds. Unassuming yet dominant, Olympic coach Pete Newell called Lucas " the greatest player I ever coached ". Noteworthy was his play against the Soviets, who had started a seven-foot 300-pound center. Also, he had memorized paragraphs of Japanese, Russian and Italian so he could converse with those players, a feat which impressed many present.

Married and living off campus to dodge the media, Lucas returned for his junior year. With Larry Siegfried returning to help the now-three starting juniors, the Buckeyes went undefeated heading into the 1961 NCAA Championship game. His run to the final included a 33-point 30-rebound effort against Kentucky, still the only 30-30 game in NCAA Tournament history. But in-state rival Cincinnati upset Ohio State that game. Lucas's 26 points and 17 rebounds had gotten little help from his team in the contest. Despite the loss, Lucas was named NCAA Player Of The Year. After the loss, Lucas agreed to tour Russia with an AAU team coached by John McLendon. Having graduated with his Bachelors degree in Business in three years, Lucas began post-graduate studies as his senior year started. The now-three starting seniors made it to a third straight NCAA Final led by Lucas, who was leading the nation in shooting percentage and rebounding for the second straight year. He also had become the only three-time Big Ten MVP ever. His knee injured against Wake Forest in the Final Four, Lucas bravely tried to help his team in the final. But the Buckeyes lost again. Again, despite the loss, Lucas was named NCAA Player Of The Year. Just as he had in high school and the Olympics, Lucas had set all-time college records, some of which still stand today at each level.

Lucas had stated he would not play professional basketball and returned to post graduate studies in the fall of 1962. The NBA Cincinnati Royals could not get him to sign, but George Steinbrenner and the Cleveland Pipers of the new American Basketball League could. In addition to a high salary for the day, Lucas would work with the front office in team marketing and received ownership stock before he had played a single pro game. He even got the new league to delay it's schedule so he could finish his post-grad studies. The NBA moved for a merger after the Lucas signing. Steinbrenner agreed to jump leagues with his team. But legalities and fees were such that Steinbrenner could not pay his way in with his new star. Soon, Steinbrenner went bankrupt, folded his team and the entire ABL collapsed as well. Due to his contract with Steinbrenner, Lucas could not join the NBA that year, a fact which dimmed his star in the eyes of many. Lucas did join the NBA Royals for the 1963-64 season. Eager to mend fences, Lucas agreed to move to forward to help his team. Deferring to other team stars, Lucas still led the NBA in shooting accuracy at 18 points per game, and rated third-best in rebounds as well. With Lucas, the Royals surged to 55 wins, the second-best record in the league. The Royals lost to Boston in the East Division Finals, after a key trade had sent Bob Boozer from the team. But Lucas was still named NBA Rookie Of The Year. Adjusting to the physical, racehorse NBA of the day, Lucas missed 15 games with a broken rib in the 1964-65 season. He returned to help the Royals win 60% of their games for the year. Lucas also amazed with his own individual feats. He was named MVP of the 1965 NBA All Star Game. He became the only NBA forward ever to pull down 40 rebounds in a game. He averaged a ' 20-20 ', twenty points and twenty rebounds per game for the season. He hit half of his shots for the year, some now coming from 20 feet or better. He hit 80% of his free throws and played 43 minutes per 48-minute NBA game. He was also the team's backup center. These accomplishments elevated Lucas to the status of NBA superstar and got him named All-NBA First Team. In the playoffs versus Philadelphia, Lucas again averaged a 20-20 over four games, and 49 minutes per game with teammate Oscar Robertson ( Game One had gone to overtime ). But the Royals fell again when Bucky Bockhorn was lost to injury. When Royals coach Jack McMahon unwilling to use talented draftees for the 1965-66 season, Lucas and Robertson did their utmost to again carry the team. Suggestions of racism gnawed at the relationship of the two stars, but the Royals posted another winning season. The 45 wins tied for third best out of nine NBA teams. But Cincinnati was third in the East, with a Baltimore team still in the NBA's West Division. The two were now a legendary duo, both named All-NBA First Team for the second straight year. Lucas again averaged '20-20' for the season. Both stars averaged 45 minutes per game. But Boston again edged them 3-2 in a tight five-game playoff series. One highlight was Lucas pulling down 19 rebounds in the All-Star Game that year to help the East win. The game was hosted in Cincinnati. Another was averages of 21 points, 20 rebounds and 46 minutes during the playoffs. But a disappointed Lucas now saw his team could not match Boston or Philadelphia. Lucas adjusted to NBA conditions following the 1966 playoff loss. With key teammates now retiring or moving to other teams, Lucas focused on off-court business pursuits. One investment included his own fast food chain, Jerry Lucas Beef-N-Shakes, which attracted investments from other NBA players. His under-stocked team hovered around .500 and Lucas averaged 18 points, 19 rebounds and 44 minutes per game. The Royals barely made the playoffs and were routed. Lucas averaged 19 rebounds over the four-game series. Vowing to return to All-Pro form for new coach Ed Jucker, Lucas may have had his best season in the 1967-68 campaign. He averaged 21.5 points, 19 rebounds and 44 minutes per game. He was second in the NBA in rebounds and minutes played and third in shooting percentage. He had become the second man to outrebound Bill Russell for a season and again named All-NBA First Team with Robertson. But despite his best efforts, his team missed the playoffs. They were now largely known as the Ohio Royals as they played a number of games in Cleveland, Dayton and Columbus. A disappointed Lucas again focused on business pursuits. With a key trade helping the Royals in the 1968-69 season, Lucas focused on rebounding to help a team that was 22-14 on New Year's Eve. But the Royals then traded one of those tradees, John Tresvant, and the team spiraled in the second half. Lucas continued to be named an All-Star, but gave up minutes to Willis Reed and Gus Johnson after starting in 1968 and 1969 to please their home crowds. Lucas shot 55% to finish second in shooting accuracy and scored 18 points per game with the fourth-most attempts on the team. He also rated fourth in the NBA in rebounds and averaged four assists. But the team went 41-41 and missed the playoffs again. The NBA now had 14 teams and was clearly changing. New stars now got more attention and Lucas was overlooked for All-NBA honors in 1969. Part of the issue was that Lucas had to fold his fast food chain that year and declare bankruptcy, which damaged his reputation. Bob Cousy was named Royals coach by new ownership in 1969 and Cousy set his sights on trading stars Robertson and Lucas for little-used reserves.Lucas was traded to San Fransisco where he teamed with big men Nate Thurmond and Clyde Lee. But the injury-riddled club never got going and went just 30-52. Lucas played just 63 games, but rated fifth in rebounds per game while hitting 515 of his shots. For the 1971-71 campaign, a determined Lucas roared back to All-Pro form. The Warriors won half their games with Lucas going for 19 points per game, 15 rebounds and 50% shooting. He also averaged four assists and 41 minutes. He started for the West NBA All-Stars and the team won the game. In the playoffs, another future NBA champion ended his season, but that didn't stop some from calling Lucas 'The Comeback Kid' at age 31. In the off-season, the big-man heavy Warriors traded Lucas to the New York Knickerbockers for small forward scorer Cazzie Russell. Lucas was eager to play for a true contender, and agreed to be a backup for Dave DeBusschere and Willis Reed, two stars he had often outplayed during his days in Cincinnati. They were the established starting big men from New York's 1970 championship team. Lucas was there to help win another championship to retire on. All three were 32 and 31 years old. But 11 games into the 1971-72 season, the gimpy Reed went down for the year. Lucas, sore-kneed and 6'9, was pressed into action. Some predicted disaster for the Knicks from here. Lucas, instead, stunned the league. His outside shooting, deft passing and drives past slower, bigger centers bedeviled opponents all year. He led the team in shooting and rebounding, and was second to star Walt Frazier in scoring and assists on the team. With Lucas filling in ably, the Knicks still fielded the third-best rated defense in the NBA. Not an All-Star ( he let DeBusschere have his spot ), Lucas helped lead the Knciks past better-rated centers to the NBA Finals. Los Angeles beat New York decisively, but not before Lucas had outscored and put up more assists than 7'2 opposing center Wilt Chamberlain, who praised Lucas for his play. For the 1972-73 season, Willis Reed was back. Reed and Lucas played interchangably at the center spot, earning the tag 'Willis Lucas'. It was Lucas's job to eat minutes and keep Reed fresh for the playoffs, which he did without complaint. New York won the NBA title that year, ending Lucas's long journey. He retired after the 1973-74 season. In 1973-74, Lucas enjoyed celbrity success in the Big Apple. His array of magic card tricks, children's puzzles, and memory feats. He memorized the names of an entire studio audience on the 'Mike Douglas Show'. He showed off his rare trick of pulling words apart and putting them back together alphabetically in rapidfire( his name would spell E-J-R-R-Y A-C-L-S-U ). He memorized part of the Manhattan Phone Book and baffled many by reciting phone numbers. Lucas published a bestseller with Harry Lorayne, 'The Memory Book'. Turning his life over as a born-again Christian, he put his memory gifts in teaching. His book 'Remember The Word' teaches how to learn and remember the Gospel of the Bible. Today Lucas is known as Doctor Memory. He travels and does seminars from his home near Columbus, Ohio. He had designed and devlo[ped a slew of materials which teach his system of image-based memory education. Several school systems in Ohio have curriculum based on his techniques. Lucas was inducted in the Basketball Hall Of Fame in 1979 with Oscar Robertson and Jerry West. Passed over for 1950s stars for the 25th and 35th Anniversary NBA teams, Lucas was named one of The 50 Greatest NBA Players Ever in 1996. He was also named to the Sports Illustrated All-Century Team, a college five that also included Lew Alcindor ( Kareem Abdul Jabbar ), and former teammates Oscar Robertson, Bill Bradley and Jerry West. While he has long since moved on from basketball, he remains one of the legends of the game decades later. Ohio high schools remember him with the Jerry Lucas Tournament. Ohio State has also retired his number. Middletown and the NBA have not yet honored him.

[edit] Statistics

     High School        Per Game

Season Age H.S. G Points 1955-56 15 Middletown 25 28.7 ( High School stats incomplete ) 1956-57 16 Middletown 27 34.4 1957-58 17 Middletwon 25 38.0

     College               Totals                   Shooting     Per Game 

Season Age College G FG FGA FT FTA TRB AST PTS FG% FT% PTS TRB AST 1959-60 19 Ohio St. 27 283 444 144 187 442 108 710 .637 .770 26.3 16.4 4.0 1960-61 20 Ohio St. 27 266 421 167 208 470 120 699 .632 .804 25.9 17.4 4.4 1961-62 21 Ohio St. 28 237 388 135 169 499 138 609 .611 .799 21.8 17.8 4.9

    U.S. Olympic           Totals        Shooting     Per Game 

Year Age Country G FG FGA FT FTA PTS FG% FT% PTS 1960 20 USA 8 66 89 6 8 138 .740 .750 17.2* ( team high )

    Pro Career                 

Season Age Team G MP FG FGA FG% FT FTA FT% TRB AST PF PTS 1962-63 22 Cleveland ( ABL ) LEAGUE FOLDED, Lucas never played. 1963-64 23 CINC 79 3273 545 1035 .527 310 398 .779 1375 224 300 1400 1964-65 24 CINC 66 2864 558 1121 .498 298 366 .814 1321 187 214 1414 1965-66 25 CINC 79 3517 742 1523 .487 327 403 .811 1668 243 274 1771 1966-67 26 CINC 81 3558 603 1257 .479 284 359 .791 1547 268 280 1490 1967-68 27 CINC 82 3619 707 1361 .519 356 445 .800 1560 281 243 1760 1968-69 28 CINC 82 3407 614 1115 .551 267 327 .816 1506 339 206 1357 1969-70 29 CINC/SF 69 2492 417 822 .507 206 262 .784 979 180 164 1040 1970-71 30 SF 82 3332 659 1280 .515 309 376 .821 1296 300 197 1576 1971-72 31 NY 79 3002 557 1087 .512 207 255 .811 1037 326 218 1316 1972-73 32 NY 77 2170 338 659 .513 167 208 .803 553 343 157 763 1973-74 33 NY 73 1627 214 440 .486 87 109 .795 374 230 134 455 TOTALS 849 35353 5954 11700 .509 2818 3508 .803 13,216 2921 2387 14342

[edit] References

[edit] Related Articles

[edit] Recent Jerry Lucas ArmchairGM Stories