Warren Jabali obit

 

Shocker basketball legend Warren Jabali dies at 65

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His 6-foot-2, 200-pound body was built more for a linebacker than the tight-fitting shorts of 1960s college basketball. But Warren Jabali’s legs made him the best leaper on the court. His huge hands led to full-court passes or dribbling through trouble. He played three seasons at Wichita State, a Missouri Valley Conference first-teamer every year. Another seven standout seasons in the American Basketball Association added to his Shocker legend. “I’ve recruited 17, 18 guys who went on to play in the NBA,” former Shocker assistant Lanny Van Eman said, “but I can’t think of any who had in his body what Warren had.” Mr. Jabali died Friday in Miami at the age of 65. Mr. Jabali, known as Warren Armstrong while at Wichita State, had a recent history of heart problems, said Len Trower, a close friend since college. Mr. Jabali’s wife called Trower on Friday and said Mr. Jabali had died in his sleep.

Five jerseys hang from the Koch Arena rafters, and if there were to be a sixth, it might be Mr. Jabali’s 52. He was 6-2, yet 25-rebound games weren’t uncommon. Neither were 30-point nights. Nor 12-assist games. “He was certainly athletically ahead of his time,” former Shocker teammate Ron Mendell said. “I think of Warren in the ’60s and he was playing above the rim long before others were.” Mr. Jabali arrived at WSU in 1964 from Kansas City (Mo.) Central High. He was highly recruited but Wichita State — a consistently ranked team in the “Valley of Death” — beat out Big Eight, Big Ten and other MVC schools. Freshmen were ineligible for varsity then, but when WSU raced to the Final Four in 1965, Mr. Jabali averaged 29.1 points on the freshman squad. He quickly became a sophomore star. He averaged 16.5 points and 11.9 rebounds as the Shockers went 17-10. A year later, he averaged 14.9 points and 8.6 boards. The Shockers were 12-14 in Mr. Jabali’s final season, but he averaged 18.6 points and 11.6 rebounds after missing early practices with a broken foot.

He left WSU as the school’s career assists leader and was No. 2 in rebounds and No. 4 in scoring. “If he got the rebound, I would make sure I hit the sideline and look back for the ball like an NFL receiver,” former teammate Melvin Reed said. “Because if he got his hands on the ball, we had that fastbreak going.” The late 1960s were turbulent times on college campuses, especially for black men. Mr. Jabali was outspoken about racial issues. Trower was one of the campus’ most outspoken critics of racial inequality. “Jabali jokingly, but seriously, blamed me for changing his attitude about the whole culture in this country regarding white America and black America,” said Trower, who now lives in Philadelphia. Mr. Jabali was an ABA star from the start.

He was Rookie of the Year in 1969 and a four-time All-Star, earning All-Star Game MVP honors in 1973. He averaged 17.1 points for his career, including more than 21 his first two seasons. But Mr. Jabali was also known for an incident in which he intentionally stomped on an opposing player after knocking him to the ground. It strengthened his reputation and as one of the league’s toughest players. Mr. Jabali lived in Miami after basketball, teaching elementary school and working as a youth counselor. He was elected to the Shocker Sports Hall of Fame in 1985. The Central High court that Van Eman watched him break a backboard on with a thunderous dunk almost 50 years ago was named in his honor in 2008. “He was never a prospect,” Van Eman said. “He was an absolute player.”

In his first season in the ABA, he won Rookie of the Year honors, prompting teammate Rick Barry to comment, "No doubt he's one of the best guards I've ever played with—or against". Later that season, Jabali averaged 33.2 points against the Indiana Pacers in the 1969 ABA Finals and was named Playoffs MVP.

As one of the most physically gifted guards in the American Basketball Association, Warren Jabali muscled his way through seven straight seasons of double-digit scoring, including 1968–69, when his average of 21.5 points per game earned him ABA Rookie of the Year honors. That season Jabali's efforts helped bring an ABA Championship to the Oakland Oaks, a team that also featured Rick Barry, Larry Brown, and Doug Moe.

Jabali became an instant star after coming into the league from Wichita State University. Although Barry, the Oaks' biggest attraction, won the league scoring title in 1968–69, he was only able to play in 35 games because of a severe knee ligament injury. It was Jabali, an immediate starter, who gave Coach Alex Hannum the extra scoring punch needed in Barry's absence. With Jabali aboard and Barry helping for part of the season, the Oaks recorded a stunning 38-game turnaround to post a league-best 60–18 record. In the playoffs, they went 12–4 on the way to claiming the ABA Championship. A year later at midseason, with the team playing as the Washington Caps, an injury sidelined Jabali. Hurt shortly after playing in his first of four ABA All-Star Games, he was carrying an average of 22.8 points per game at the time.

Jabali made a comeback, although his final five years were spent with four teams. In his first season back, 1970–71, he was traded from the Kentucky Colonels to the Indiana Pacers on October 13, 1970, in exchange for a first-round draft choice and cash. Jabali saw action in 62 games with the Pacers. It was with the Pacers that Jabali started pulling the trigger from three-point land; he did it 163 times that year, making 47 treys.

He had a big year with the Florida Floridians the following season, averaging 19.9 points and hitting 102 of his 286 three-point attempts, among the most in the league. When the Miami-based franchise folded, Jabali moved to the Denver Rockets (later the Denver Nuggets). During his first campaign with the Rockets, Jabali's 16-point effort in the 1973 ABA All-Star Game keyed the West's come-from-behind victory and earned him Most Valuable Player honors. That game is often referred to as the Jabali's Jamboree.

After one more season in Denver and another with the San Diego Conquistadors, Jabali retired in 1975, at age 28.

In his seven-year professional career, Jabali played for the Oakland Oaks, Washington Capitals, the Indiana Pacers, The Floridians, the Denver Rockets, and the San Diego Conquistadors. While playing for the Rockets in 1973, he was named the All-Star Game MVP and was named to the All-ABA First Team after averaging 17.0 points, 6.6 assists, and 5.2 rebounds. Knee problems would soon limit his effectiveness, however, and he retired in 1975, having achieved career averages of 17.1 points, 5.3 assists, and 6.7 rebounds.

Career information

High school         Central (Kansas City, Missouri)

College  Wichita State (1965–1968)

NBA draft             1968: 4th round, 44th overall pick

Selected by the New York Knicks

Playing career    1968–1975

Position Shooting guard / point guard

Number               15, 31, 12, 2

Career history

1968–1970         Oakland Oaks / Washington Caps

1970–1971         Indiana Pacers

1971–1972         The Floridians

1972–1974         Denver Rockets

1974–1975         San Diego Conquistadors

Career highlights and awards

 

    ABA champion (1969)

    ABA All-Time Team

    4x ABA All-Star (1970, 1972–1974)

    All-ABA First Team (1973)

    ABA Rookie of the Year (1969)

    ABA Playoffs MVP (1969)

    ABA All-Star Game MVP (1973)

    3× First-team All-MVC (1966–1968)

 

Career ABA statistics

Points    7,666 (17.1 ppg)

Rebounds            2,985 (6.7 rpg)

Assists  2,389 (5.3 apg)