Jim Richards obit

Former WKU Men's Basketball Coach, Athletic Director Jim Richards Passes Away

 

He was not on the list.

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Jim Richards, a former Western Kentucky University Men's Basketball Head Coach, Director of Athletics and member of the WKU Athletic Hall of Fame whose contributions to Hilltopper Athletics spanned more than four decades, passed away Friday, Oct. 9. He was 90 years old.

A native of Adair County, Kentucky, Richards was one of the most versatile figures in WKU Athletics history, serving the university as a student-athlete, coach and administrator. His contributions included helping guide the Hilltoppers to the 1971 Final Four as an Assistant Men's Basketball Coach, leading the program to multiple conference championships and NCAA Tournament appearances as head coach, and later overseeing the department as Director of Athletics.

"Jim Richards had a tremendous impact on Western Kentucky University and elevated WKU Athletics through his tenure as an assistant basketball coach, head basketball coach, Director of Athletics and with his service on the Hilltopper Athletic Foundation Board," WKU Director of Athletics Todd Stewart said. "It was an honor to know him and always a pleasure to be in his presence. He loved WKU Basketball as much as anybody. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family. RIP Coach Richards."

"Coach Richards was a special coach, a special man and a special Hilltopper," Mahurin Family Foundation Head Coach Hank Plona said. "The joy and enthusiasm that he brought to each day literally brings people to life. He inspired, encouraged and cheered on a daily basis for great things to happen to people. He saw the good in everyone, and believed the next day would always be better than the last. I cherish every moment that I was fortunate enough to spend with him. Practice won't be the same without him there, but I know I will be able to hear his words after each one. He told me on Monday that we're going to be a great defensive team this year. We are going to work hard every day to make him proud and play with an energy and excitement that he would love. Coach Richards and his family are in our prayers. We are all blessed and honored to be family with him."

Richards returned to his alma mater in 1968 as an Assistant Men's Basketball Coach under John Oldham following a successful high school coaching career in Kentucky. During his three seasons on Oldham's staff, WKU compiled a 62-19 record, captured two Ohio Valley Conference championships and made two NCAA Tournament appearances. The 1970-71 Hilltoppers advanced to the Final Four, falling to Villanova, 92-89, in double overtime before defeating Kansas, 77-75, in the national third-place game.

Following Oldham's retirement from coaching in 1971, Richards was elevated to Head Coach of the Hilltoppers, a position he held for seven seasons from 1971-78. He compiled a 102-84 overall record, leading WKU to OVC regular-season championships in 1972 and 1976, OVC Tournament titles in 1976 and 1978, and NCAA Tournament appearances in 1976 and 1978.

Richards was named OVC Coach of the Year in both 1974 and 1976. His 1975-76 squad finished 20-9, capturing the OVC regular-season and tournament championships before advancing to the NCAA Tournament.

One of Richards' most memorable coaching accomplishments came during the 1977-78 season, when the Hilltoppers overcame a 3-8 start to earn an NCAA Tournament berth. WKU defeated nationally ranked Syracuse, 87-86, in overtime in the opening round of the tournament to advance to the Sweet 16. The Hilltoppers finished the season with a 16-14 record.

After stepping away from basketball coaching in 1978, Richards continued his service to WKU Athletics as Coordinator of Men's Athletics and Head Men's Golf Coach, positions he held through 1986. His eight golf teams each posted winning seasons, and he still holds single-season and career records as the winningest Men's Golf Head Coach in program history.

Richards also served as the first Executive Director of the Hilltopper Athletic Foundation, helping the organization achieve record fundraising growth during its early years.

In 1986, Richards transitioned to the university's Office of Alumni Affairs, serving as Director of Alumni Affairs until returning to WKU Athletics as Interim Director of Athletics in September 1993. He was formally named Director of Athletics in July 1994 and served until his retirement in November of that year.

Before beginning his coaching and administrative career, Richards was a four-year letterwinner for the WKU Baseball program from 1955-58. He led the Hilltoppers in batting in each of his four seasons and served as team captain during his final three years.

A 1959 WKU graduate, Richards also established himself as one of Kentucky's most successful high school basketball coaches, coaching at Auburn and Glasgow high schools. In 1968, he guided Glasgow to a Kentucky state championship.

Richards was inducted into the WKU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005 in recognition of his many accomplishments as a student-athlete, coach and administrator.

His legacy remains woven into the history of WKU Athletics through his success on the basketball court, his leadership of the athletic department and his decades of service to WKU.

Visitation and funeral arrangements for Richards have not yet been announced. Additional information regarding services will be shared as it becomes available.

Heidi Burge obit

 

Fans Crushed As Former WNBA Star Dies Suddenly at 54

She was way too young.

She was not on the list.

One of the best players in Virginia Cavaliers women’s basketball history has sadly passed away this week.

She was just 54 years old.

Heidi Burge, a former star for the Virginia and a standout player in the WNBA, has died, according to multiple reports that have been confirmed by the school.

“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Heidi Burge Horton. Heidi was a cherished member of the Virginia Women’s Basketball family, her legacy will forever be a part of Virginia Athletics. Our sincere condolences to her family and loved ones,” the school announced.

Heidi Burge was a standout player at the University of Virginia, helping the school reach three straight Final Fours. She and her twin sister, Heather, combined to average 24 points and seven rebounds for the Cavaliers.

Heidi Burge went on to play overseas and later in the WNBA, starring for the Los Angeles Sparks and Washington Mystics.

The Disney Channel Original Movie, “Double Teamed,” is based on her and her twin sister.

Horton's death was first reported by Jerry Ratcliffe, a longtime journalist covering University of Virginia athletics. According to a notice posted on Eikenhorst Funeral Services' website, Horton died on Monday. Per Ratcliffe, Horton was diagnosed with Grade 4 brain cancer in October 2025. After going into remission, her tumors returned in July, and Horton entered palliative care in September. Horton is survived by her husband, Patrick, her son Jonathan, her daughter Holly, and her sister Heather. The University of Virginia Women's Basketball program said it was "deeply saddened" by Horton's passing.

Heidi Ann Horton was born in Los Angeles in 1971. Horton and her twin sister, Heather, were unusually tall for girls their age-Heidi was 6'1" when she started ninth grade-making them attractive to the basketball coach at Palos Verdes High School. Speaking to The Buzz Magazines, a Houston lifestyle magazine, in 2024, Horton recalled a coach stopping her and Heather in the hallway.

"'Oh my gosh, how tall are you?'" Horton recalled the coach asking her as he encouraged her to sign up for basketball. "Heather came running home, excited, and I was just like, nah. I had already signed up to play volleyball."

But sign up, she did. Along with Heather, Horton fell in love with basketball and powered the Palos Verdes Sea Kings to a championship. The Burge's story was later turned into a 2002 Disney Channel Original Movie, Double Teamed, which dramatizes their time in high school. Both sisters earned full scholarships to the University of Virginia, where they played with future WNBA star and South Carolina coach Dawn Staley and took the Cavaliers to three straight NCAA Women's Final Four tournaments. In 1991, the duo was recognized by Guiness World Records as the world's tallest female twins, a record later broken in 2004.

"If I didn't always have another person around as tall as me, I don't know what I'd do," Heather said of her sister before UVA took on Stanford in 1990.

After college, the Burges went overseas to play women's basketball in Europe, one of the only avenues for women's players to continue their careers. After finishing playing in Greece, Horton signed with the Los Angeles Sparks of the newly-formed WNBA. She made her debut with the Sparks in 1997 before being taken second by the Washington Mystics in the 1998 WNBA expansion draft. As a 26-year-old who was the centerpiece of a brand-new Mystics team in a burgeoning league, Horton took to the down-to-earth nature of the early W.

"This game isn't about paying $50 a ticket," Burge told the Washington Post in 1998. "It's not just people from politics and wealth, like the men's game. We cater to the younger crowd. They're almost a part of our team. We sign autographs, we hang around after the game, we don't get ushered in and out in limousines."

Horton retired from the WNBA in 1999 after a career-ending back injury. She would later say that her biggest disappointment was that she never got the chance to play against or with her sister. Heather Burge played for a single season for the Sacramento Monarchs in 1999.

After the end of basketball career, Horton moved to Houston and had a short stint as a color commentator for the Houston Comets. She married Patrick Horton after meeting him through mutual friends. Horton turned down a fulltime color commentating job with the Comets in order to start a family, but she didn't stay far from basketball. Horton became a physical therapist specializing in back injuries and founded Hoops School, a basketball program for Houston-area youth. There, she was known as "Coach Heidi."

Burge played professionally for six years overseas with AS Montferrand in France (1993–94), GYSEV-Sopron in Hungary (1994–95), Cariparma in Italy (1995–96), and finally Panathinaikos in Athens, Greece (1996–1997).

Following her season in Greece, Burge accepted an offer to play in the newly formed Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) for the Los Angeles Sparks alongside four-time Olympic gold medal winner Lisa Leslie. Her debut game was played on June 25, 1997 in a 74 - 54 win over the Charlotte Sting where she recorded 1 point, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals and 1 block. Although the team led the league in scoring (with 74 points per game) and were fourth (out of eight teams) in defensive rating, the Sparks finished a disappointing 14-14 and out of the playoff picture.

On February 18, 1998, Burge was taken by the Washington Mystics as their first selection and second selection overall in the expansion draft. Burge was featured as one of the key Mystics players prior to the start of the season and included in team marketing. During the season, Burge would start half the team's 30 games, finish second on the team in both field goal and three point percentages and fourth in minutes, points, rebounds, and blocked shots, but it wouldn't be enough, as the team would finish a league-worst 3-27 despite the presence of Olympian Nikki McCray. Her stay with the Mystics was short as well, as Burge was released on June 9, 1999 by the team following her injury-plagued 1998 season (in which she struggled with a lower back injury and a broken finger) and after drafting all-star forward Chamique Holdsclaw.

Tay Baker obit

Cincinnati Athletics Mourns the Passing of Tay Baker

Baker, who led the basketball Bearcats from 1965-72, passed away Tuesday 

He was not on the list.

CINCINNATI — Cincinnati Athletics mourns the passing of former men’s basketball head coach and student-athlete Taylor “Tay” Baker, who died surrounded by his family on Tuesday.

A 1996 inductee into the James P. Kelly Cincinnati Athletics Hall of Fame, Baker was sixth man on the 1948, 1949 and 1950 basketball teams that compiled a 60-18 record and won three Mid-American Conference titles, before returning as an assistant coach in 1959, helping Ed Jucker’s Bearcats to four Final Fours and back-to-back NCAA titles in 1961 and 1962.

He went on to succeed Jucker as head coach in 1965, leading his first team to the Missouri Valley Conference title and an Elite Eight appearance in the NCAA Tournament. He went on to compile a 125-60 record in seven seasons as head coach of the Bearcats. Baker and his 1965-66 Bearcats’ team were inducted into the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame in 2024.

“Tay Baker represented the very best of Cincinnati Athletics and leaves behind an incredible legacy as both a Bearcats player and coach,” Director of Athletics John Cunningham said. “He was part of one of the greatest eras in our history, first as a student-athlete and later helping lead Cincinnati to national championships and tremendous success as a coach. I was fortunate to get to know Tay and spend time with many of the Bearcats he coached, and his pride in this university and the relationships he built here never faded. Our entire Bearcats family mourns his passing, and our thoughts are with his family, friends, former players and teammates.”

Baker later went on to coach at Xavier, helping the team achieve its first winning season in 12 years during his third year as head coach.

Baker was born on September 24, 1927. He played basketball at Hamilton High School in Hamilton, Ohio, graduating in 1945. He played college basketball for the University of Cincinnati Bearcats, beginning as a freshman in 1947. After only three games, he began an 18-month stint in the U.S. Army. Returning to Cincinnati, he was a top reserve for the first two Bearcats teams to win 20 games: 23–5 in 1949 and, as a senior, 20–6 in 1950. The Bearcats were champions of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) in each season from 1948-1950.

After graduating, Baker worked as a teacher and coach at three southwestern Ohio high schools—first at Lebanon High School, then Wyoming High School and Miamisburg High School.

In 1959, he returned to Cincinnati as an assistant coach under coach George Smith, a post he retained the next season when Smith became the athletic director and Ed Jucker took over as head coach. After an assistant coaching career that included four Final Fours and two NCAA championships for the Bearcats, Baker succeeded Jucker as head coach in 1965.

His first team, in 1965–66, won the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) title and played in the NCAA Tournament, where they were defeated 78-76 in overtime by eventual national champion Texas Western (now UTEP), which famously was the first team to win the title starting five African-American players. Baker's Bearcats retuned to the postseason again in 1970, losing in the first round of the NIT to Bob Knight's Army team. After posting a 17–9 record in 1971–72, Baker resigned as UC coach. In seven seasons coaching the Bearcats, Baker posted a record of 125–60.

 

Playing career

1947–1950      Cincinnati

Coaching career (HC unless noted)

1959–1965      Cincinnati (assistant)

1965–1972      Cincinnati

1973–1979      Xavier

Head coaching record

Overall            195–149

Tournaments    0–1 (NCAA Division I)

0–1 (NIT)

Accomplishments and honors

Awards

MVC Coach of the Year (1966)

Lawrence Tanter obit

Longtime Lakers public-address announcer Lawrence Tanter dies

 

He was not on the list.

Longtime Los Angeles Lakers public-address announcer Lawrence Tanter has died, the team announced Wednesday.

"We are deeply saddened to share the news of the passing of legendary Lakers public address announcer Lawrence Tanter," the team wrote in a statement shared on its social media accounts. "For 43 years, LT's voice served as the soundtrack to Lakers games at the arena. He will be remembered as a cherished member of the Lakers family."

In June, the 76-year-old Tanter retired from his courtside post where he had manned the microphone in L.A. since the "Showtime" days of the 1980s.

Tanter had suffered a stroke late in the regular season and missed the Lakers' last six home games, plus the playoffs.

Last month, shortly before entering into hospice care, Tanter texted ESPN.

"Quote me," he wrote, "'It's been a blessing.'"

Known by Lakers fans simply by his initials, LT, Tanter was the longest-tenured PA announcer in team history and was recognized for his style as much as for his longevity.

Despite being equipped with a booming baritone voice and an imposing 6-foot-7 frame, Tanter's presentation relied on restraint, using a silky-smooth delivery to share the Lakers' starting lineups, substitutions, fouls and score announcements with an aim to inform rather than distract the audience.

Tanter channeled his parallel career as a disc jockey at various jazz radio stations in L.A. when he reported to the arena, often wearing an eight-panel cap atop his head and sporting a well-manicured white goatee on his chin.

Always part of the tapestry but never stealing the spotlight, Tanter's signature call became announcing "The Laker girlllssss" when the dance team finished a routine and scampered off the court.

Tanter's role was particularly poignant during the Lakers' most recent championship season in 2019-20. When the Lakers played their first game after Kobe Bryant's death in January 2020, Tanter introduced all five Lakers starters with the same line: "6-6, 20th year out of Lower Merion High School, Kob-eeeeee Bryant!" Later that season, when the Lakers competed in the NBA bubble in Orlando, Florida, and eventually won the championship, Tanter recorded player introductions at a home studio in the Porter Ranch area of Los Angeles that were played before Lakers games at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.

The Chicago native played forward for his high school basketball team and received a scholarship to attend the University of Dubuque in Iowa.

He went on to be a part of 10 Lakers championships and 16 Western Conference titles.

"Lawrence Tanter has been an integral part of the Lakers gameday experience for more than four decades, setting the tone for countless memorable moments with his professionalism, energy and signature booming voice," Lakers acting governor Jeanie Buss said in June when Tanter was shifting to an advisory role. "Since the 1980s, LT has narrated every chapter of Lakers basketball, connecting generations of fans, players, coaches and staff while becoming a trusted and unforgettable part of the Lakers experience. I am incredibly grateful for everything he has given to this franchise."

Jason Barquero, the PA announcer for the Lakers' G League affiliate, finished last season in Tanter's absence. The team has yet to name a successor for Tanter for the upcoming 2026-27 season.

Bob Pettit - # 364

Bob Pettit, imposing Hawks great and first NBA MVP, dies at 93

The NBA champion and 11-time All-Star was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1971. 

He was number 364 on the list.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Bob Pettit, an imposing scorer and rebounder for the St. Louis Hawks and winner of the NBA’s first Most Valuable Player in 1956, has died. He was 93.

Pettit’s alma mater, LSU, announced Thursday that he died a day earlier. The university did not provide a cause of death.

The NBA issued the following statement:

“The NBA family mourns the passing of Naismith Hall of Famer Bob Pettit, a two-time NBA MVP and a member of all four NBA Anniversary Teams. He raised the bar for excellence as the league’s first MVP, first 20,000-point scorer and first four-time All-Star Game MVP. His iconic 50-point performance in Game 6 of the 1958 NBA Finals clinched the championship for the St. Louis Hawks. Beyond those accomplishments, Bob helped transform the power forward position.

“Our thoughts are with Bob’s family and friends and the entire Hawks organization.”

Pettit was an All-American at LSU before going on to the NBA, where he was an All-Star for each of his 11 seasons, all with the Hawks. He led them to the 1958 championship over the mighty Boston Celtics, the Hawks’ lone title.

He was also the NBA MVP in 1959 and was the MVP of the All-Star Game four times, an achievement matched only by Los Angeles Lakers great Kobe Bryant.

Pettit was a force at a time when the NBA featured the likes of Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, Oscar Robertson and Elgin Baylor. But it was also before a time when the NBA was widely seen on television, and Pettit – playing in a smaller market – was denied a larger audience.

At 6-foot-9 and 205 pounds and with a deeply receding hairline, Pettit was a physical presence at power forward, before such a position became part of basketball’s vocabulary. He rarely missed a game. He also played center and was one of the first big men who did not play solely with his back to the basket.

Pettit was the Rookie of the Year in 1955, the last year the Hawks played in Milwaukee before moving to St. Louis.

He captured the MVP the next season, leading the league in scoring at 25.7 points a game. He also was the NBA’s scoring leader in 1959 at 29.2 points.

He retired after the 1964-65 season with career averages of 26.4 points and 16.2 rebounds. At that time, he was the NBA’s career leader in points (20,880) and second in rebounds (12,849).

He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1971.

“Lean, graceful, and always well-conditioned, Bob Pettit’s physical build made him one of the first big men to play facing the basket,” reads Pettit’s biographical profile at the Hall of Fame. “But Pettit’s resolve set him apart from his peers; he simply would not be outworked.”

Robert Lee Pettit Jr. was born on Dec. 12, 1932, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. His father worked in law enforcement and served as East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff. Pettit was a late bloomer in basketball, not making the Baton Rouge High School varsity until his junior season.

As a senior, he led Baton Rouge to a state championship and wound up with more than a dozen college offers. He chose to stay home and starred at LSU as a sophomore, an era when players could not join the varsity until then.

He led the Southeastern Conference in scoring all three of his seasons, with averages of 25.5 points as a sophomore, 24.9 as a junior and 31.4 as a senior.

Pettit is one of only three LSU players – Pete Maravich and Shaquille O’Neal the others – to earn a place in the Hall of Fame. Bronze statues of Pettit and O’Neal stand outside LSU’s home arena, the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. His No. 50 is retired by LSU, his No. 9 by the Atlanta Hawks.

Pettit’s misfortune was that most of his career coincided with a run of Celtics championships that remains one of the most dominant runs in American pro sports history.

Pettit was two victories short of being a three-time NBA champion. Pettit’s Hawks advanced to The Finals four times, all against Boston, twice losing in seven games.

The first meeting, won by Boston in 1957, came down to double overtime of Game 7. The second ended with a championship for the Hawks, interrupting Boston’s run of nine titles in 10 seasons. The Hawks also dropped NBA Finals matchups with the Celtics in 1960 (in seven games) and 1961 (in five).

Pettit retired to his native Baton Rouge after leaving basketball and worked in banking and financial consulting. He was a regular at LSU and New Orleans Pelicans games in recent years.

After high school, Pettit had scholarship offers from 14 universities and accepted a scholarship to play at nearby Louisiana State University (LSU). He was a three-time All-Southeastern Conference selection and a two-time All-American as a member of the LSU men's basketball team. (Freshmen were not allowed to play varsity basketball at the time.) During those three years, Pettit averaged 27.8 points per game. He was also a member of the Zeta Zeta chapter of Delta Kappa Epsilon at LSU.

Pettit made his varsity debut at LSU in 1952. He led the SEC in scoring for his first of three consecutive seasons, averaging 25.5 points per game. He ranked third in the nation in scoring and also averaged 13.1 rebounds per game, helping his team to a 17–7 win–loss record for a second-place finish in the league, and was selected to the All-SEC team.

During his junior year, Pettit helped the Tigers sail through a 23-game regular-season schedule with only one loss (to Tulsa). A clean sweep of SEC opponents became LSU's second SEC Title (their first came in 1935) and the school's first NCAA Final Four. He averaged 24.9 points and 13.9 rebounds per game for the 1953 season. He was honored with selections to both the All-SEC and All-American teams.

Pettit averaged 31.4 points and 17.3 rebounds per game during his senior year and once again led LSU to an SEC Championship and garnered All-SEC and All-American honors. He set a then-SEC scoring record of 60 points against Louisiana College in his second game, and also the SEC record for scoring average, with both records later being broken by Pete Maravich. Pettit also was the second player in major-college basketball history to average more than 30 points a game.

In 1954, the Milwaukee Hawks selected Pettit second in the first round of the NBA draft after the Baltimore Bullets' selection of Frank Selvy. Pettit was initially reluctant to sign with the team before his third cousin, fellow NBA player Frank Brian, convinced him to do so. With $100 in the bank, he signed a contract with Hawks owner Ben Kerner for $11,000 – an all-time high for an NBA rookie then. Pettit's awkward ballhandling and a lack of strength to battle NBA bruisers weighing 200 pounds that early in his career, had Hawks coach Red Holzman move him from center, his position at LSU, to forward in his first training camp. "In college I played the standing pivot", he said in an April 1957 SPORT magazine interview. "My back was to the basket. In the pros, I'm always outside. Everything I do is facing the basket now. That was my chief difficulty in adjusting, the fact that I had never played forward before." Though many were skeptical about Pettit making the transition from college to the rough-and-tumble NBA, in 1955 he won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award after averaging 20.4 points and 13.8 rebounds per game. He became the second rookie to win all-NBA honors but the team finished last in the Western Division. After the season, the Hawks moved to St. Louis.

Pettit helped the Hawks improve during their first year in St. Louis in their winning of 33 games during 1955–56. In his second season, Pettit adjusted his game so that he would get to the free-throw line for easy points for his team and foul trouble for his opponents. Being a phenomenal offensive rebounder and an instinctive scorer, he told basketball historian Terry Pluto that "Offensive rebounds were worth eight to 12 points a night to me. Then I'd get another eight to 10 at the free-throw line. All I had to do was make a few jump shots and I was on my way to a good night."[8] Pettit won his first scoring title with a 25.7 average, and led the league in rebounding (1164 for a 16.2 average). He was also named MVP of the 1956 NBA All-Star Game after scoring 20 points with 24 rebounds and 7 assists; he would win subsequent MVP All-Star Game honors in 1958, 1959, and 1962. He also won his first of two NBA regular season MVP awards (the other was in 1959).

Retooling before the 1956–57 season, the Hawks acquired Ed Macauley and rookie Cliff Hagan from the Boston Celtics for the draft rights to Bill Russell. The team added guard Slater Martin in an early-season deal with the New York Knicks while Alex Hannum arrived a few weeks later after being released by the Fort Wayne Pistons. Hannum became the team's third coach that season by taking over as player-coach with 31 games left on the schedule. Though they posted a 34–38 record in 1956–57, a series of tie-breaking playoff games against the Pistons and a three-game sweep of the Minneapolis Lakers had them in the NBA Finals. In Game 1 of the 1957 NBA Finals at the Boston Garden, Pettit scored 37 points as the Hawks shocked the Bill Russell-led Boston Celtics in double overtime. Pettit won his team the third game in the series with a late basket in St. Louis. His two free throws with six seconds left in Game 7 forced overtime, but Pettit's 39 points and 19 rebounds in 56 minutes weren't enough to win a double-overtime game. Pettit averaged 29.8 points and 16.8 rebounds per game during their 1957 playoff run.

A franchise-record 41 wins and a division crown allowed the Hawks to get back at the Celtics in the 1958 NBA Finals. Pettit led the Hawks to an NBA Championship with a then-playoff record 50 points in the Hawks' 110–109 series-clinching victory in game 6. Pettit's 50 points stood alone as the most in a Finals close-out victory until it was matched by Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2021. Both teams would later meet in the 1960 and 1961 Finals, with Boston winning each time. For the season, Pettit scored 24.6 ppg and pulled down 17.4 rpg, and earned All-Star Game MVP honors with a performance that included 28 points and 26 rebounds. St. Louis finished at the top of the |Westetn Division in each of the next three seasons. Pettit's league-leading scoring average of 29.2 points per game in the 1958–59 season was an NBA record at the time, and he was named the Sporting News NBA MVP.

In the 1960–61 season, Pettit averaged 27.9 points per game[9] and pulled down 20.3 rebounds per game, making him one of only five players to ever break the 20 rpg barrier. He, along with Wilt Chamberlain and Jerry Lucas, are the only three people who averaged more than twenty points and twenty rebounds in an NBA season. On February 18, 1961, Pettit scored a career-high 57 points and grabbed 28 rebounds in a 141–138 win over the Detroit Pistons.

 

Personal information

Born    December 12, 1932

Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S.

Died    September 23, 2026 (aged 93)

Metairie, Louisiana, U.S.

Listed height   6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)

Listed weight  205 lb (93 kg)

Career information

High school     Baton Rouge

(Baton Rouge, Louisiana)

College            LSU (1951–1954)

NBA draft        1954: 1st round, 2nd overall pick

Drafted by       Milwaukee Hawks

Playing career 1954–1965

Position           Power forward / center

Number           9

Career history

1954–1965      Milwaukee / St. Louis Hawks

Career highlights

NBA champion (1958)

2× NBA Most Valuable Player (1956, 1959)

11× NBA All-Star (1955–1965)

4× NBA All-Star Game MVP (1956, 1958, 1959[a], 1962)

10× All-NBA First Team (1955–1964)

All-NBA Second Team (1965)

NBA Rookie of the Year (1955)

2× NBA scoring champion (1956, 1959)

NBA rebounding leader (1956)

NBA anniversary team (25th, 35th, 50th, 75th)

No. 9 retired by Atlanta Hawks

Consensus first-team All-American (1954)

Consensus second-team All-American (1953)

No. 50 retired by LSU Tigers

Career NBA statistics

Points[1]          20,880 (26.4 ppg)

Rebounds        12,849 (16.2 rpg)

Assists 2,369 (3.0 apg)

George N. Gillett Jr. obit

 

Gillett, Canadiens owner from 2001-09, dies at 87

American businessman ‘immersed himself in the Montreal community’

He was not on the list.

MONTREAL -- George N. Gillett Jr. did much more than own the Montreal Canadiens from 2001-09, his final season monumentally kicking off celebrations for the centennial of the storied franchise that predates the NHL.

The energetic, glass forever half-full American businessman owned basketball’s famed Harlem Globetrotters when they actually lost a game in 1971, and he relished telling that story as much as he did any about his greatest moments in sports and business.

The Canadiens announced Wednesday on social media that Gillett Jr. had died at age 87.

“On behalf of the entire Canadiens organization, I would like to extend my deepest condolences to George’s family,” Canadiens owner, president and CEO Geoff Molson said in a statement. “George immersed himself in the Montreal community and was appreciated by everyone in the organization. We sincerely appreciate his contributions to the Montreal Canadiens during his time as owner.”

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, said in a statement, “George Gillett’s passion for the Montreal Canadiens and commitment to the city of Montreal were demonstrated throughout his tenure as owner of the storied franchise from 2001 to 2009. He guided the Canadiens through a significant chapter in their history that included preparations for their Centennial Celebration, which honored the franchise’s rich legacy and seminal place in our game.

“George was a friend whose company I always enjoyed, whose counsel was wise, and whose energy was contagious. His contributions to the hockey world left an enduring mark, and his legacy will continue to be felt throughout the game for years to come. The National Hockey League sends its heartfelt condolences to his family and many friends.”

Born Oct. 22, 1938, in Racine, Wisconsin, Gillett Jr. became owner of the Canadiens and Molson (now Bell) Centre on Jan. 31, 2001. Founder of Brook Creek Management Corp., a portfolio management firm, he would own the NHL’s most successful franchise during several huge moments in team history, including captain Saku Koivu’s return after beating cancer on April 9, 2002, the renaming of the team’s arena to Bell Centre on Sept. 1, 2002, and the start of preparations for the team’s centennial season in 2009-10.

Gillett Jr. owned the Canadiens until June 20, 2009 when he sold the team, its arena and its Groupe Spectacles Gillett concert/entertainment arm to current owner Geoff Molson and a consortium of investors.

I would get to know Gillett Jr. well during his tenure holding the Canadiens’ reins, spending time with him at the arena during games, in conversation in the team’s executive suites, even flying with him from Montreal to Toronto on his business jet to a 2008 sports awards luncheon when he learned that my commercial flight the morning after covering a Canadiens game would cut my arrival too close.

He’d officially arrived in Montreal on Jan. 31, 2001, from his base in Vail, Colorado, handing Molson Inc. $275 million Canadian for 80.1 per cent of the Canadiens and full ownership of their arena. By his own estimate, the Canadiens were roughly his 150th acquisition, the purchase coming more than a half-century after he’d worked his first job in 1948 – picking weeds in a Racine onion patch for his great-uncle Wally.

Within days, Gillett Jr. was strafed by some in the Montreal media for his 1992 bankruptcy, from which he had fully recovered. Worse, he was compared to an American entrepreneur who had destroyed the Montreal Alouettes CFL football franchise in the early 1980s, then coarsely laughed off that failure.

One of the loudest beefs about Gillett Jr.’s acquisition of the Canadiens was that it was an American who now owned this provincial treasure. It mattered not that no Quebec individual or corporation – not one – chose to bid.

“My reaction was not to get angry (about the early criticism) but ask that we be judged on our record (with the Canadiens), not the past,” Gillett Jr. said on our flight to Toronto for the awards ceremony. “I made a mistake years ago. I can only live with that so long.

“At some point, you have to look at what I’ve done more recently. To the benefit of Quebec and particularly Montreal, they have turned the page and allowed my family’s actions to speak louder than words.”

Gillett Jr. playfully seized his chance at the October 2008 Sports Media Canada luncheon, at which he was named the group’s executive of the year.

“I don’t know how many of you remember the wonderful articles that some of your compatriots wrote about me when I first got to Montreal,” he told the media audience with a grin. “So I feel a real kinship to your organization.”

The packed ballroom roared in laughter.

Fear and loathing had long given way to respect, even affection for a man with a self-deprecating sense of humor who had proven not to be Godzilla with a U.S. passport. It turns out that Gillett Jr. had not, in fact, invaded Montreal to stomp the Canadiens flat or use the club’s long thread of history as dental floss.

The team would have a record of 254-198-52 with 18 ties during Gillett Jr.’s ownership, the 18 ties coming before the draw was eliminated with the shootout following the lost season of 2004-05. Montreal went to the Stanley Cup Playoffs five times in his 6 1/2 seasons, losing three Eastern Conference Semifinal series and two Quarterfinal rounds.

As much as the Canadiens were a business to him and his family, you always sensed that the Canadiens were also an emotional investment.

The team’s 100th season was a gold mine, jerseys from the team’s past, myriad souvenirs and promotions and special nights filling his coffers. But the owner always detoured well out of his way to make alumni feel they still were a special part of the organization, and there was nothing he enjoyed more than being one of the boys.

With the Canadiens on the brink of elimination to the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 6 of their 2002 Eastern Conference Semifinal, Montreal forward Doug Gilmour stepped into the second-period penalty box to serve a minor and misconduct and slammed the door so violently that the glass exploded in a blizzard. It took ice crews some time to clean it up, shoveling the mess into wheelbarrows as Gilmour sat stone-faced in the sin bin.

Later, Gilmour saw the chance to prank the man who signed his paycheck, taking about five pounds of broken glass to a team dinner and filling Gillett Jr.’s suit jacket pockets with it when the latter wasn’t looking. The owner nearly threw his shoulder out when he tried to swing the jacket over an arm.

Gillett Jr. truly cherished the Canadiens community. The engraved bricks in a plaza outside the arena made him a bundle, but he took greater pride in seeing fans study the statues that honour four icons – Howie Morenz, Maurice “Rocket” Richard, Jean Beliveau and Guy Lafleur.

He would return to Montreal in December 2014 upon Beliveau’s death, the team’s greatest captain laying in state on the arena floor for public visitation. Having grown close to Beliveau and taken much counsel from the legend on team matters large and small, Gillett Jr. wept inconsolably in private conversation after he’d done a lengthy interview for the media at large.

The Canadiens would become just one holding in his sports portfolio. During a six-month period in 2007, Gillett Jr. bought a 50-per-cent share of the Liverpool soccer club with fellow American businessman Tom Hicks, and a controlling interest in a multicar NASCAR operation.

I sat with Gillett Jr. in a Molson Centre conference room in 2003, two years into his ownership, for a wide-ranging conversation that he often punctuated with jabs at himself.

“The best thing about owning the Canadiens is being a part of the history and feeling that history – the relationship with the fans, the passion of this (Quebec) province,” he said that day.

“The worst thing? Not being able to have any direct effect on the result. In business, if you lose an order, you call on the customer and get it fixed. In production, you repair the equipment. In this business, it's an indirect kind of relationship and it's very difficult to get an immediate response or reaction to any action that you take. That's difficult for someone used to a very direct relationship with their businesses.”

Our talk that day would shift to his decade-long ownership of the Globetrotters, whose 100-99 overtime loss to the New Jersey Reds in March 1971 in Martin, Tennessee, ended the Globies’ 2,495-game winning streak.

“No matter where they were, or the time of day or night, we had a rule: The team manager would call me after the game to tell me about the crowd, injuries and the weather, because of travel,” Gillett Jr. began.

“When we were in the East or Midwest, the call would come by 11 p.m. or midnight. I was waiting for the call that night and it didn't come, so I went to bed. At 2 a.m. the phone rang, and it was a grown man who was sobbing: ‘I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. ... we beat you tonight.’ It was Red Klotz, the player-coach of our opponent, who had played for the old Baltimore Bullets in the NBA. He was a specialist in the two-hand set shot.”

By now, Gillett Jr. seemed ready to dribble a basketball around his conference room.

“I said: "Red, what happened!?’ ” he continued. “He said, ‘George, you won't believe it. You guys had a one-point lead with a few seconds left and I put myself in to make sure no one would do anything dumb and you’d win. But somebody threw me the ball. I was almost at midcourt and I just reacted. I let fly a two-hand set shot. Swish. We beat you by one.

“Red later said that ‘fans looked at us that night like we had just killed Santa Claus,’ but I think the Globetrotters won their next 8,829 straight. I can still hear Red sobbing. I told him: ‘Red, that's fabulous.’ And then we had a press conference – and we got much, much more publicity out of the loss than any of our wins.”

In Gillett Jr.’s view, this wasn’t a loss. It was a public-relations bonanza that had wonderfully fallen out of the sky, his wheels of opportunity in high gear at 2 o’clock in the morning.

His career continued in the 1960s in marketing and management consulting, initially with McKinsey & Co. A sports fanatic since childhood, by 1966, he was business manager and partner of the Miami Dolphins. In 1966, he purchased a 20% interest in the Miami Dolphins NFL franchise for $1 million. He sold this interest in 1968 for $3 million, and used some of the proceeds to purchase the nearly defunct Harlem Globetrotters and later started Globetrotters Communications, a nationally syndicated radio group. He reinvigorated the Globetrotters by an intense marketing effort that included a popular cartoon series.

In 1978, Gillett bought Packerland Packing Co. With the successful venture of Packerland, Gillett then diversified into radio and television with the start of Gillett Communications Company. At its peak, Gillett Communications owned network affiliates, the majority of which were CBS, in many of the country's major television markets.

In 1979, he launched Gillett Communications by buying three small television stations. Three years later he bought WSM-TV in Nashville, renamed WSMV. In 1984, Gillett acquired Appleton-based Post Corporation's eight television stations, 22 newspapers and associated plants; the non-broadcast assets were sold to Thomson Corporation and other buyers. In 1986, he bought out the two A.S. Abell stations as part of a spin-off resulting from the acquisition of A.S. Abell by Times Mirror Company.

n 1985, Gillett acquired Vail Associates' Vail and Beaver Creek ski resorts. He would often ride chairlifts and greet guests, and launched a massive installation of high-speed detachable chairlifts. Gillett also supported major alpine ski events at a time when most ski areas in America declined to host international races, starting with the 1989 World Alpine Ski Championships, and through his support hosted the 1999 World Alpine Ski Championships.

Gillett acquired majority control of the television assets of Storer Communications in April 1987 from merchant banker Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, and represented a valuation of nearly 15 times cash flow for the group. KKR maintained 45-percent minority ownership. To meet regulatory approval, Gillett's existing station group was spun off to Busse Broadcasting, a company formed by Gillett employees. Gillett's purchase was financed by junk bonds through KKR raised prior to Black Monday, which quickly placed Gillett in a 10:1 debt-to-profit ratio. Rumors began circulating of Gillett selling off one or several of his stations, while Gillett was reportedly interested in buying the Seattle Seahawks. One of the Storer stations, WJW-TV, was frequently the subject of sale rumors due to their ratings strength and stability.

In 2000, Gillett joined forces with Pat Bowlen and John Elway in a failed attempt to buy the Denver Nuggets of the NBA, Colorado Avalanche of the NHL, and Pepsi Center. On January 2, 2001, Gillett bought an 80% interest in the Montreal Canadiens and their home arena, Molson Centre, for US$185 million. Prior to the purchase, Gillett had shown interest in the Florida Panthers, New York Islanders, Ottawa Senators, and the Phoenix Coyotes. Gillett's bid initially raised fears that he might move the NHL's oldest franchise to the United States. However, after no other viable offers surfaced from Canadian interests, Molson agreed to Gillett's offer. Molson, however, maintained the right of first refusal should Gillett ever sell the team.

On March 27, 2008, Joey Saputo, chairman of USL First Division team Montreal Impact, confirmed talks with Gillett and Major League Soccer for a Montreal franchise. While a bid for a franchise was launched with Saputo and Gillett co-heading the venture, as a result of finances, however, the team would rescind the bid later that year on November 22.

Chris Spatola obit

ESPN analyst and son-in-law of legendary college basketball coach dies aged 47: Tributes pour in for beloved broadcaster

 

He was not on the list.

Chris Spatola, a longtime college basketball analyst and radio host, has died at the age of 47.

Spatola's passing was unexpected, with stunned reactions coming in from throughout the college basketball landscape. At the time of publishing, the cause of his death was unknown.

Spatola spent years with ESPN and SiriusXM covering the game. His passing was confirmed by the Worldwide Leader on Monday night.

'Chris Spatola brought a unique perspective to ESPN's college basketball coverage, shaped by his experiences as a student-athlete, Army veteran, coach and broadcaster,' a statement from the network read.

'He was thoughtful, prepared and passionate about the sport, earning the respect of colleagues, coaches, players and fans alike. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his loved ones during this difficult time.'

Spatola was a four-year starter playing college basketball at the United States Military Academy at West Point from 1998 to 2002.

He served in the US Army before eventually joining the Duke coaching staff as an assistant under Mike Krzyzewski.

Krzyzewski would later become Spatola's father-in-law when he married the coach's daughter, Jamie.

Chris is survived by Jamie and their three children: John David, Mackenzie and Madeline.

A statement from the Krzyzewski family read: 'There are no words to adequately express our heartbreak over the loss of our beloved Chris Spatola.

'Chris served our country, was a devoted husband and father, and was such an important part of our family.

'We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of love, thoughts, and prayers we have received during this incredibly difficult time.

'We respectfully ask for privacy as our entire family, particularly Jamie and her three beautiful children, grieve and process this unimaginable loss.'

Spatola left Duke's coaching ranks in 2012 to join ESPN and later continued on to SiriusXM. Colleagues posted condolences and remembrances on social media.

College GameDay host Rece Davis posted, 'Devastated to hear the news of the loss of Chris Spatola. Brilliant, funny, dedicated to his family, hoops and his crafts of coaching and broadcasting. My prayers are with his beautiful family. I'll remember him like this - coming out of practice, fired up for a game.'

'Chris was a friend and someone I really respected,' wrote Baylor basketball coach Scott Drew. 'So many Great Memories of Baylor Games he announced. He often talked about his family and I know how much he loved them. Praying for the Spatola Family.'

Former Virginia Tech coach and veteran ESPN analyst Seth Greenberg described the loss as 'heartbreaking' and called Spatola 'such a good soul.'

'Don’t have any words right now other than that we’ve all lost a great one,' wrote basketball play-by-play voice Matt Martucci. 'The light of the world is not as bright without somebody like Chris Spatola in it. RIP to a friend, colleague, and a wonderful family man.'

'Hug your loved ones. I really liked Chris. Always positive when I was around him. Awful, awful news Rest in Peace,' posted ESPN analyst Terrence Oglesby.

'Chris Spatola was an incredible human being, caring for everybody around him and showcasing his rich passion for basketball with the manner in which he called games,' wrote NBC Sports broadcaster John Fanta.

'The sport was better because Chris was a part of it. Beyond the hardwood, Chris was a family man who graduated from West Point and bravely served our country in Iraq. Just a tremendous person who cared for others and was always giving of his time. God bless Chris and his family & friends. Heartbroken to learn of his passing.'

Mike Sweetney obit

Georgetown Basketball Great and DMV Native Mike Sweetney Passes Away

 

He was not on the list.

Former Georgetown University basketball standout, DMV basketball legend and NBA first-round pick Michael “Mike” Sweetney has passed away, according to an announcement from his wife, India Sweetney.

India shared the news on social media, remembering her husband of nearly 20 years as a devoted husband, father and family man.“With the heaviest hearts, we are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our beloved Michael,” she wrote. “His children were the light of his life, and he lived every day to give them the best life possible.”

Sweetney, a Washington, D.C. native, starred at Oxon Hill High School in Prince George’s County, where he was named The Washington Post’s All-Met Player of the Year before continuing his career at Georgetown University.

The 6-foot-8 power forward played for the Hoyas from 2000 to 2003, averaging 18.2 points per game during his three-year college career. As a junior during the 2002-03 season, Sweetney earned All-American honors before declaring for the NBA Draft.

The New York Knicks selected Sweetney with the ninth overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, a class that included LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Sweetney spent two seasons with the Knicks before playing two seasons with the Chicago Bulls. He later continued his professional career internationally.

Following his playing career, Sweetney became an advocate for mental health awareness, speaking publicly about his experiences with depression and grief following the death of his father early in his NBA career. He later worked in coaching, including as an assistant coach with the men’s basketball program at Yeshiva University.

Sweetney is survived by his wife, India, and their children. Memorial service information has not yet been publicly announced.

He had previously served as an assistant coach of the Yeshiva University Men's basketball team and head coach of the girls varsity basketball team at New York's Ramaz School.

Sweetney went to Oxon Hill for high school, where he was named Washington Post All Met Basketball Player of the Year.

He continued the tradition of highly skilled big men at Georgetown University, averaging 18.2 points while shooting nearly 55% over his three-year collegiate career. He was especially dominant over his junior year, in which he was named Honorable Mention All-America by AP, as well as being a Naismith College Player of the Year finalist and a candidate for the John R. Wooden Award. That year, Sweetney was the only player in the nation to rank in the top 20 in scoring and rebounding.

Despite playing only three seasons for the Hoyas, he ranks ninth on Georgetown's career scoring list (1,750), fifth in rebounds (887) and sixth in blocks (180) as of 2026.

 

Career information

High school     Oxon Hill (Oxon Hill, Maryland)

College            Georgetown (2000–2003)

NBA draft        2003: 1st round, 9th overall pick

Drafted by       New York Knicks

Playing career 2003–2017

Position           Power forward

Number           50, 60

Coaching career          2019–2026

Career history

Playing

2003–2005      New York Knicks

2005–2007      Chicago Bulls

2009–2010      Shaanxi Kylins

2010    Erie BayHawks

2010    Cangrejeros de Santurce

2010    Metros de Santiago

2010–2011      Club Biguá

2011    Cangrejeros de Santurce

2012    Vaqueros de Bayamón

2013    Guaiqueríes de Margarita

2013    Vaqueros de Bayamón

2014    Club Atlético Atenas

2014    Brujos de Guayama

2015–2017      Urunday Universitario

Coaching

2019–2023      Yeshiva University (assistant)

Career highlights

Second-team All-American – NABC (2003)

Third-team All-American – SN (2003)

Jim Sutton Jr. obit

Jim Sutton

1935 - 2026 

He was not on the list.

im Sutton

 

April 20, 1935 - September 3, 2026

Jim Sutton, 91, passed away Thursday, September 3, 2026. Visitation will be held 10:00-11:00am, Monday, September 14, 2026 at the Sully Buttes Gymnasium with a Funeral Celebration of Life following begining at 11:00am. Interment will follow at the Onida Cemetery. Condolences may be conveyed to the family and his service may be viewed online at www.feigumfh.com.

James Louverne Sutton, Jr. was born to James and Flossie (Nystrom) Sutton April 20th, 1935, in Hughes County. He grew up on the Sutton Ranch beside the Missouri River and was educated in Sully County rural schools, Onida High School, and South Dakota State University.

High school sweethearts, Jim, and Julie (Nelson) Sutton were married in June 1953. They lived in Brookings, while Jim was attending SDSU to play basketball and rodeo. Their daughter, Teri and son, Steve, were born there. He joined ROTC and served as a second lieutenant in the artillery at Ft. Sill, OK. Jim received a degree in Animal Husbandry at SDSU where he was an all-conference basketball player for two years and was the national free-throw champion for percentage shot.

The Minneapolis Lakers drafted Jim and he attended their preseason training camp. However, he believed following his father and grandfather in the ranching business made more financial sense than a basketball career.

In 1968, Jim and Julie joined Jim's father, James, in creating the Sutton Rodeo Company. Edwin Sutton, Jim's grandfather, produced the first rodeo on the home ranch in 1926. Their daughter, Tanya was born while living at the ranch. They supplied stock from their Agar, S.D., ranch to rodeos across South Dakota and the Northwest. By the late 1970s, Sutton's were raising more than 90% of their own bucking stock and developed a breeding program that is one of the best in the business.

The program produced three PRCA Horse of the Year winners: saddle bronc horse Deep Water (1979), bareback horse Big Bud (1985), and saddle bronc horse Chuckulator (2012). Chuckulator also won Top Saddle Bronc Horse of the National Finals Rodeo in 2012. The program also earned Sutton four nominations for PRCA Stock Contractor of the Year, with Sutton Rodeo stock selected to perform at every National Finals Rodeo since it started in 1959 but two.

Jim and Julie won the PRCA Donita Barnes Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017. The award, created to recognize PRCA members who have dedicated their lives to the rodeo industry for their commitment, work, and contributions. Jim and Julie were perfect candidates for this honor.

Jim served as Director and past president of Miss Rodeo America and on the PRCA's Executive Council as Rodeo Committee Representative. He valued the friendships made with rodeo committees, personnel, and sponsors. Jim was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame Class of 2020, for Stock Contractor.

Jim is past president and Director of SD American Quarter Horse Association and National AQHA.

Jim is preceded in death by his parents James and Flossie, wife Julie, daughter Teri, siblings Delores, Lorraine, and Lyle. Jim and Julie enjoyed 68 years of marriage. They were blessed with children: Teri (Monte) Melvin, Steve (Kim) Sutton, Tanya (Todd) Yackley; grandchildren: Amy (Steven) Muller, Blake (Kayla) Yackley, Brent (Roz) Sutton, Sasha Yackley, Brice (Alyssa) Sutton, Wayne Yackley (Rozlynn Murrow); and great grandchildren: Shaden Muller, Shally Muller; Jett Yackley, Nathan Nelson, Lakyn Yackley, Tracen Yackley, Wesley Yackley; Sid and Scottie Sutton; Briggston, Bevin Bertsche; Ruby Sutton, Stella Sutton, Waylon Sutton; and Vera Jo Yackley.

Wayne Martin obit

MSU Mourns the Passing and Celebrates The Life of Eagle Legend Wayne Martin

 

He was not on the list.

Visitation will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, at First Christian Church, 24 E. Hickman St., Winchester. A funeral service will follow at 1 p.m., with Pastor Jerry Johns officiating. Burial will follow in Winchester Cemetery.

Memorials are suggested to First Christian Church, 24 East Hickman Street, Winchester, KY 40391 and/or Morehead State University Athletics, c/o MSU Foundation, P.O. Box 628, Morehead, KY 40351, Morehead, KY 40351.

MOREHEAD, Kentucky — Former Morehead State men's basketball head coach Wayne Martin passed away on Aug. 29 at the age of 79.

A native of Winchester, Ky., Martin earned his bachelor's degree from Morehead State in 1968 and earned his Master's Degree from MSU in 1972.

He returned to his alma mater to lead the men's basketball program from 1978-87 where he guided the Eagles to Ohio Valley Conference Championships and NCAA Tournament berths in 1982-83 and 1983-84. He earned OVC Coach of the Year twice (1981-82, 1983-84). Martin was inducted into the Morehead State Athletics Hall of Fame in 1995.

He coached three NBA draft picks, including the 1986-87 OVC Player of the Year Bob McCann. Martin helped mentor 12 All-OVC award winners. Seven members of Morehead State's 1,000 career point club were coached by Martin.

Martin's team won 130 games, which at the time ranked third among all men's basketball coaches in program history (now ranks fourth). His tenure was highlighted by the 1985-86 team which finished 25-6 and set the then-program record for wins in a season. That team won an NCAA Tournament game against North Carolina A&T.

His coaching foray also included serving as head coach and athletic director at Pikeville College (now University of Pikeville). He led the PC teams to three national tournament appearances. He worked as an assistant coach at Oral Roberts and began his career as the head coach and a business teacher at Pikeville High School.

In 1990, Martin moved into broadcasting, beginning his management career at WYMT-TV in Hazard, where he served successively as general sales manager and general manager. In 1993, he moved to sister station WKYT-TV in Lexington as vice president and general sales manager before being named president and general manager later that year. He served in that role for nearly two decades.

He rose through the corporate ranks of Gray Media, serving as regional vice president and president of Gray Kentucky Television Inc., which operates WKYT, WYMT, and WBKO in Bowling Green. Martin also served as president of WVLT in Knoxville, Tennessee, before retiring in 2012.

He received the MSU College of Business & Technology Distinguished Alumni Award in 2017. In 2025, the MSU Board of Regents presented Martin with the university's Founders Award for University Service.

Cementing his legacy, Morehead State broke ground in 2026 on Martin Hall, a new campus residence hall named in his honor, set to open in spring 2027. The university also established a new scholarship endowment in Martin's name, which has already raised more than $100,000 in support.

His commitment to the University continued through decades of service on the Morehead State University Board of Regents. Martin served three separate terms on the Board and held the position of vice chair from 2016 to 2020.

Martin's impact on Morehead State Athletics also extends to the next generation, as his son, Matthew, has served as the Eagles' head men's golf coach since 2014-15.

Wayne Martin's legacy reaches far beyond the wins, championships and accolades. It lives on in the players he mentored, the university he served, the community he impacted and, now, in a building that will carry his name for generations to come. For Morehead State, Wayne Martin was more than a coach and alumnus, he was an Eagle whose lasting impact will never be forgotten.

Information regarding memorial arrangements will be shared as it becomes available.

Paul Snyder obit

Paul Snyder, Buffalo businessman and former Buffalo Braves owner, dies at 94

 

He was not on the list.

Paul Snyder was a businessman through and through — an entrepreneur whose impact could be seen across Western New York, from the food industry and amusement parks to downtown Buffalo and professional sports.

Snyder co-founded Freezer Queen, a frozen-food packaging company, in the 1950s. He later purchased property that would become Darien Lake, transforming it into a campground and amusement park before selling it in the 1980s. Snyder died Monday at the age of 94.

His influence also extended into downtown Buffalo. Snyder played a key role in bringing the Hyatt Regency to the city.

Former Sabres partner Larry Quinn recalled meeting Snyder after Hyatt representatives asked him to find a local developer who could take on the project.

"No question that it is. I mean, Hyatt had been worried about the strength of local developers," Quinn said. "They asked me to go out and find somebody. I didn't know Paul, but somebody had recommended him."

Quinn said the two met over breakfast at the old Howard Johnson's on North End Delaware Avenue. Snyder agreed to take on the project.

"Paul was one of those giants," Quinn said. "There was nothing that was too big for him, nothing that he had to wait on. He was a guy that would grab something quickly and do it."

Snyder was also an accomplished athlete.

He owned the Buffalo Braves, Buffalo's last NBA franchise, during the 1970s. The team featured stars including Moses Malone, Bob McAdoo and Randy Smith, a Buffalo-area favorite.

Quinn remembered Snyder as someone who wasn't afraid to think big.

"He didn't go about it in a shy way. He went for it," Quinn said. "I think just ultimately Buffalo wasn't big enough to support two professional sports teams in the winter in one arena. Back then there was no suite revenue. There was not a lot of television money in the NBA back then. Probably would work today, but back then it didn't have those sources of outside income."

Snyder sold the Braves in 1978.

For Quinn, Snyder's lasting legacy is defined not simply by the businesses and teams he owned, but by his willingness to pursue ambitious ideas.

"As somebody that did things and had great courage and great vision," Quinn said. "And I think if you think of those three qualities, we need a lot more of that."

Snyder may be best known in Buffalo for his ownership of the former Buffalo Braves pro basketball franchise for most of its existence. The team entered the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team. In very short time its original owners, a hedge fund group from New York City, ran into problems and the league assumed control of the franchise. Snyder, who had recently sold off his ownership of Freezer Queen, stepped in and bought the Braves.

Pete Weber, now the play-by-play voice for the National Hockey League's Nashville Predators, worked in Buffalo radio sports for many years, first arriving at the former WEBR in 1976. He remembers Snyder as a fiery owner.

“I mean, how many times did he threaten to move the team or to totally get rid of some of his better players, such as Bob McAdoo," Weber recalled. "I'll never forget the press conference he had talking about Bob McAdoo's agent and what he was concerned with, and he just blatantly said, 'Well, I told his agent to just go to hell.' And next thing we know, John Gianelli is no longer a New York Knick. He's a Buffalo Brave. The trade was made.” The Braves, though popular, struggled to secure prime game dates and times while sharing Memorial Auditorium with the National Hockey League's Buffalo Sabres and local college basketball. The Braves were third in the pecking order, behind the Sabres and Canisius College. Snyder blamed Canisius for much of his scheduling woes, but Weber suggests that's not fair.

"I think it's a misunderstanding of the facts when people think that he was burned by Canisius," he said. "Canisius had, I think, eight dates on the weekends, which left many more on the calendar that the Buffalo Braves could have had. So I believe that, and I'm not trying to paint Paul Snyder as a total black hat in this story, but I think he has done a little bit of what we know now from politicians trying to paint a pretty picture about his ownership, his time with the Buffalo Braves."

Snyder sold the team to John Y. Brown in 1978. Brown, in turn, agreed to an odd exchange of franchises with Ira Lewin, who owned the Boston Celtics. Brown took over the Celtics, while Lewin assumed control of the Braves. But Lewin then relocated the team to San Diego, where they were renamed the Clippers. The team later moved again to become the current Los Angeles Clippers.

Don Nelson - # 362

Celtics legend Don Nelson passes away at 86

Boston Celtics legend and iconic head coach Don Nelson has passed away at the age of 86, his family announced on Sunday. 

He was number 361 on the list.

On Sunday, it was announced that Boston Celtics icon Don Nelson had passed away. He was 86 years old.

Nelson's family has since released a statement, per NBA insider Marc Stein.

“On Sunday morning our beloved husband, dad, grandfather and great-grandfather Don Nelson peacefully went to be with the Lord, surrounded by his loving family. Throughout his last week, friends and family encircled him with love, sharing the blessing of his friendship and revisiting treasured memories,” said the family, per Stein's account on X, formerly Twitter.

Nelson played for the Celtics from 1965-1976, winning five NBA titles with the franchise and having his number 19 jersey retired by the team, now hanging in the TD Garden rafters.

Nelson went on to have an illustrious career as a head coach in the NBA after his retirement, coaching the Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, Dallas Mavericks, and Golden State Warriors.

For 12 years, he held the NBA all-time record for most wins by a head coach with 1,333, passing Lenny Wilkens in 2010 before being surpassed by Gregg Popovich in 2022. He was then inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012.

Nelson began his playing career as a standout at Iowa before being drafted in the third round of the 1962 NBA Draft by the Chicago Zyphers. A small forward, he made a huge impact on the Celtics' dynastic success during the 1960s and 70s and was the rare elite player to go on to have just as successful a coaching career.

It remains to be seen what tributes the Celtics will have in store for the legend.

After an All-American career at the University of Iowa, Nelson won five NBA championships playing with the Boston Celtics, with his number 19 retired by the franchise in 1978.

His unique brand of basketball is often referred to as "Nellie Ball". A coaching innovator, Nelson is credited with, among other things, pioneering the concept of the point forward, a tactic which is frequently employed by teams at every level today. He was named one of the Top 10 coaches in NBA history.

Donald Arvid Nelson was born on May 15, 1940, in Muskegon, Michigan, to Arvid and Agnes Nelson. Nelson grew up with his family and two sisters on his grandfather's rural Illinois farm near Sherrard, Illinois. He first learned basketball shooting in the chicken yard where a spokeless bicycle wheel was nailed to the shed to make a basket. Nelson attended a one-room, six-grade, seven-student school. When his family lost the farm, the Nelsons moved to nearby Rock Island, Illinois, while Don was in middle school. His father Arvid eventually worked at the Rock Island Arsenal.

Nelson attended Rock Island High School, in Rock Island, one of the Quad Cities. The Nelsons lived in downtown Rock Island on 19th street and Don would walk to school, stopping to shoot baskets at several different locations along the way. Nelson would go to the YMCA after practice and shoot more.

Graduating in 1958, Nelson led the Rocks to a 47–7 record in his last two years under coach Bob Riley. He had 39 points and 20 rebounds against Moline High School and 30 points and 29 rebounds against No. 1-ranked Ottawa High School. As a junior, Nelson averaged 12.6 points as Rock Island finished 25–3. As a senior, Nelson averaged 20.2 points, leading the Rocks to a 22–4 record in 1957–58.

After his senior year in high school, Nelson wasn't heavily recruited. His father did not see a future for Don in basketball and wanted him to become a watch repairman. University of Iowa Coach Sharm Scheuerman, who had graduated from Rock Island in 1952, recruited Nelson, who ultimately chose the Hawkeyes over Wheaton College and Nelson's hometown Augustana College.

In the era when NCAA freshman weren't allowed to play varsity, Nelson was joined on the Iowa campus by future Hall of Famer Connie Hawkins in 1960. However, after playing for the freshman Iowa team in 1960–1961, Hawkins was embroiled in the 1961 college basketball gambling scandal and left Iowa. Hawkins was never charged with a crime and was later reinstated by the NBA, who had banned him.

In Nelson's years at Iowa, the Big Ten conference was full of future NBA players. Among others, Ohio State had future Hall of Fame players in John Havlicek and Jerry Lucas, along with Larry Siegfried. Indiana had a future Hall of Fame inductee in Walt Bellamy, while Purdue had future NBA All-Star Terry Dischinger.

As a rookie, Nelson averaged 17 minutes, playing alongside Walt Bellamy (27.9 points), Terry Dischinger (25.5 points), Si Green and Charlie Hardnett. Zephyrs Coach Jack McMahon was replaced by player Slick Leonard halfway through the season as Chicago finished 25–55. The Chicago Zephyrs moved to become the Baltimore Bullets after the season. Nelson played for the Zephyrs for one season averaging 6.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 17 minutes. Nelson was then acquired by the Los Angeles Lakers in 1963.

On September 6, 1963, Nelson was claimed on waivers by the Los Angeles Lakers from the Chicago Zephyrs. He played in 80 games in the 1963–64 season, but just 39 in the following season under coach Fred Schaus.

After his career ended, Nelson's son Donnie remembers the family sitting in a Maid Rite restaurant in Moline, Illinois, and Don saying he had three choices: sell cars, become an NBA referee, or accept an assistant's job under Milwaukee coach Larry Costello. They voted 5–0 for the Milwaukee job, which paid $25,000.

Nelson began his coaching career as an assistant with the Milwaukee Bucks in 1976. After a 3–15 start to the season, Larry Costello resigned and Nelson was named Head Coach. A year later he became General Manager of the Bucks and soon began to show what would later become his signature style of wheeling and dealing players. Nelson made his first trade in 1977 by sending Swen Nater to the Buffalo Braves and turned the draft pick he received into Marques Johnson, who had a solid career with the Bucks. On November 25, 1977, the day after Thanksgiving, Nelson managed the greatest fourth-quarter comeback in NBA history. With Milwaukee down twenty-nine points to Atlanta, on the road, and with only 8:43 remaining, the Bucks went on a 35–4 run to win 117–115 in regulation. At the time, there was no three-point field goal.

In 1980, he sent off an underachieving Kent Benson to the Detroit Pistons for Bob Lanier. Perhaps his most publicized deal came before the 1984–85 season when he dealt Johnson, Junior Bridgeman, Harvey Catchings, and cash to the San Diego Clippers for Terry Cummings, Craig Hodges, and Ricky Pierce. And, in 1986, he would deal Alton Lister to the Seattle SuperSonics for Jack Sikma.

Taking over a Bucks team in the aftermath of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's departure to Los Angeles, Nelson was able to improve their win total by 14 games in his first full season as head coach, and established the team as a legitimate championship contender by 1980. It was in Milwaukee where Nelson became known for his unorthodox, innovative basketball philosophy. He pioneered the concept of the point forward – a tactic wherein small forwards are used to direct the offense. In Nelson's tenure with the Bucks, he used 6–5 small forward Paul Pressey for the role. This enabled Nelson to field shooting guards Sidney Moncrief and Craig Hodges or Ricky Pierce at the same time without worrying about who would run the offense. In his offensive half-court sets, he would also put a center who wasn't a threat on offense, like Lister or Randy Breuer, at mid-court instead of near the basket to keep a shot-blocking center like the Utah Jazz's Mark Eaton away from the basket to make him less of a threat on defense.

This system, known as "Nellie Ball", created a lot of mismatches and enabled Nelson to lead the Bucks to seven straight Central Division championships with over 50 wins in each of those seasons. He earned NBA Coach of the Year honors in 1983 and 1985. For seven straight years, finishing no worse than second best in the Eastern Conference, the Bucks ended up being eliminated in the playoffs by either the Larry Bird-led Boston Celtics or the Julius Erving-led Philadelphia 76ers. After the 1986–87 season, which included some controversy and distraction before Game 4 of the 1987 Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Boston Celtics where Nelson told the local sports media that he didn't expect to be back once the season concluded due to a rift with Bucks owner Herb Kohl, Nelson resigned as head coach of the Bucks. In 11 seasons, Nelson had a 540–344 (.611) record with Milwaukee.

In 1986 former Bucks owner, Jim Fitzgerald, purchased the Golden State Warriors. Nelson did part-time work as a color analyst for NBA games on TBS during the 1987–88 season. During the season he was contacted by the Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, and New York Knicks with offers to coach their teams. Nelson decided to go with Golden State, in large part due to his relationship with Fitzgerald, at first buying a minority stake in the team before being named head coach and vice president after one season away from the NBA.

 

In Golden State, he instilled a "run-and-gun" style of offense. Again using an unconventional lineup which featured three guards (Mitch Richmond, Tim Hardaway and Sarunas Marciulionis) and two forwards (Chris Mullin and the 6'8" Rod Higgins at center), he coached the Warriors to a 23-game turnaround of their previous season and back into the playoffs with his lineup popularly known as Run TMC, for Tim, Mitch and Chris. All three were later elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame after their careers. Nelson was named NBA Coach of the Year a third time after the 1991–92 season.

Nelson continued to retool the team, drafting All-Star Latrell Sprewell in 1992. Nelson traded the Warriors' number 3 pick Penny Hardaway to the Orlando Magic for their number one overall pick Chris Webber during the 1993 NBA draft. Despite Webber averaging 17.5 points and 9.1 rebounds per game and winning the 1994 NBA Rookie of the Year Award, he found himself at odds with Nelson's preference to play him at center rather than power forward. Frequently clashing with one another, Webber threatened to use the out-clause in his contract if he wasn't traded. Nelson reportedly offered to resign rather than let the team trade away their young star, but nonetheless Webber was dealt to the Washington Bullets on November 7, 1994, for Tom Gugliotta and three future 1st round draft picks (1996, 1998 and 2000).

 

Nelson resigned as head coach of the Warriors on February 13, 1995. He made the playoffs with Golden State in four of his six seasons there. Subsequently, the Warriors did not qualify for the playoffs for the next 12 seasons, until he returned to the team in 2006.

In 1994, Nelson coached the Team USA national basketball team at the 1994 FIBA World Championship in Toronto, and led them to the gold medal. The team was marketed as "Dream Team II".

 

Coached by Nelson, along with assistants Don Chaney, Pete Gillen, and Rick Majerus, Team USA had a roster of Derrick Coleman, Joe Dumars, Tim Hardaway (injured), Kevin Johnson, Larry Johnson, Shawn Kemp, Dan Majerle, Reggie Miller, Alonzo Mourning, Shaquille O'Neal, Mark Price, Steve Smith, Isiah Thomas (injured), and Dominique Wilkins.

 

USA went 8–0, defeating Spain 115–100, China 132–77, and Brazil 105–82. In the final round, the U.S. team defeated Australia 130–74, Puerto Rico 134–83, Russia 111–94, and Greece 97–58. In the gold medal game, Team USA defeated Russia 137–91.

Nelson was named head coach and general manager of the Dallas Mavericks in 1997. He was coming to a team that had been dormant through the 1990s and a permanent fixture in the NBA lottery. In 1998, his first full off-season in charge, Nelson worked out draft day deals with the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns, essentially trading the draft rights of Robert Traylor and Pat Garrity for Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash, whom he wanted to pair with the Mavericks rising star Michael Finley.

 

The trio of Nash, Finley and Nowitzki became the foundation for the Mavericks dramatic turnaround, as Nelson coached the Mavericks to four consecutive 50-win seasons. The height of their success was a 60-win season in 2002–03, when they reached the Western Conference Finals against the San Antonio Spurs. An injury to Nowitzki in game 3 that kept him out for the rest of the series doomed the Mavericks as they lost in six games.

 

Lacking an interior presence to combat low-post players such as Shaquille O'Neal, Nelson introduced the "Hack-a-Shaq" defense to the NBA while in Dallas. In the 2004 off-season, Steve Nash was offered a max contract by the Phoenix Suns; despite Nelson's insistence on matching the offer, Mark Cuban declined and Nash accepted Phoenix's offer. Nash won consecutive MVPs with the Suns the following two seasons.

 

On March 19, 2005, Nelson stepped down as Dallas' head coach, naming Avery Johnson as his successor. Nelson retained his job as Dallas' GM until after the season, when he named his son, assistant GM Donnie Nelson, as his replacement as GM. The Mavericks reached the NBA Finals the following season, though they would lose to the Miami Heat in six games.

On August 29, 2006, Nelson returned to the Golden State Warriors for a second stint as head coach. Chris Mullin, a favorite of Nelson's from his first stint as Warriors head coach, was the team's general manager. Nelson's style of coaching favored the play of Baron Davis, Monta Ellis, Matt Barnes, Jason Richardson, and Andris Biedriņš. Midway through the season, Mullin (at behest of Nelson) orchestrated a trade with the Pacers to obtain Al Harrington and Stephen Jackson.

 

The new lineup thrived under Nelson; Davis, Biedriņš and Jackson saw an increase in scoring and efficiency, Barnes went from a virtual unknown to a solid rotation contributor and Ellis was named the NBA's Most Improved Player after averaging 16.5 points per game, a substantial increase from his average of 6.8 points per game the prior season. The Warriors closed out the season on a 16–5 run and just managed to qualify for the 2007 playoffs.

 

Nelson faced his former team, the Dallas Mavericks, in the first round of the playoffs. The Mavs had the NBA's best record, and were a pick to win the NBA championship that year. In one of the biggest upsets in NBA playoff history, Nelson coached the 8th-seeded Warriors to series victory over the top-seeded Mavericks in six games. It was numerically the largest upset in the history of the NBA playoffs, with the 67–15 Mavericks' regular-season win–loss record 25 games better than the 42–40 Warriors'. The Warriors went on to lose to the Utah Jazz in the second round. Nelson became the only coach in NBA history to steer three teams to a first round series victory while being seeded either 7th or 8th, having previously coached the Warriors to first-round upsets of the Jazz in 1989 and the Spurs in 1991 as the 7th seed.

Nelson married Joy Wolfgram at the Oakland Coliseum in June 1991.[62] Nelson and his wife have a total of six children from prior marriages.[62][63] He has a daughter born out of wedlock and put up for adoption, whom he did not know about for 29 years, who first reached out to him in 1997, not wanting anything in return. She now lives in Maui near Nelson and his wife.

 

He had fifteen grandchildren as of 2012.

 

Nelson's son Donnie Nelson was the general manager of the Dallas Mavericks. Donnie was Don's assistant coach with the Mavericks when Don won his 1,000th NBA game. Donnie moved from coaching to become the president of basketball operations for the Mavericks in 2002 while his father was still coaching Dallas. Donnie Nelson was an assistant coach for Lithuania in the 1992, 1996 and 2000 Olympics.

 

Nelson calls Dirk Nowitzki his "German son". Nelson coached Nowitzki for his first six NBA seasons in Dallas. "In my second game ever in the NBA -- obviously I wasn't a defensive presence -- he wanted me out there in the game but he didn't have anybody for me to guard," recalled the 7'0" Nowitzki. "So he let me guard [5-foot-3] Muggsy Bogues for a couple possessions. He said, 'Just stand there in the paint and wave at him. He doesn't want to shoot.'

 

Career history

Playing

1962–1963      Chicago Zephyrs

1963–1965      Los Angeles Lakers

1965–1976      Boston Celtics

Coaching

1976    Milwaukee Bucks (assistant)

1976–1988      Milwaukee Bucks

1988–1995      Golden State Warriors

1995–1996      New York Knicks

1997–2005      Dallas Mavericks

2006–2010      Golden State Warriors

Career highlights

As player:

5× NBA champion (1966, 1968, 1969, 1974, 1976)

No. 19 retired by Boston Celtics

Third-team All-American – AP, NABC, UPI (1962)

As coach:

 

3× NBA Coach of the Year (1983, 1985, 1992)

2× NBA All-Star Game head coach (1992, 2002)

Top 10 Coaches in NBA History

Top 15 Coaches in NBA History

Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award (2025)

Career playing statistics

Points  10,898 (10.3 ppg)

Rebounds        5,192 (4.9 rpg)

Assists 1,526 (1.4 apg)