jerseyshorejohnny
Well-known member
http://today.ucf.edu/basketball-hall-of-fame-honors-lapchick/
Dr. Richard Lapchick / Basketball HOF / Sept. 6
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jerseyshorejohnny
Well-known member
Very accomplished family.
Older sister was a Ford model.
Older brother a West Point grad.
Older sister was a Ford model.
Older brother a West Point grad.
It should also be noted that Dr. Lapchick is a graduate of our university (1967).
Rich was a member of Zeta Sigma Pi (now defunct)...which in the sixties, was a prominent
Greek frat on campus. Coach Lou and Doc Gimmler were also earlier members.
I grew up a short distance from the Lapchicks...and I'm proud to say that Rich Lapchick has been
my dear friend for almost an entire lifetime. That friendship was a primary reason that I also attended
the university. My treasured friendship with entire family has been a valued part of my life. You will not find
better man than Dr. Lapchick.
A few short years back, St' John's bestowed it's annual Joe Lapchick Sportsmanship award on John Thompson.
At the luncheon, Coach Thompson asserted his deep respect for Coach Lapchick, but cited his decision to
accept the award and attend the ceremony to his deep gratitude to Dr. Richard Lapchick...who he acknowledged as an important influence in bringing civil rights and fairness to sport...and to everything that Richard has accomplished
in efforts spanning almost half a century.
Rich was a member of Zeta Sigma Pi (now defunct)...which in the sixties, was a prominent
Greek frat on campus. Coach Lou and Doc Gimmler were also earlier members.
I grew up a short distance from the Lapchicks...and I'm proud to say that Rich Lapchick has been
my dear friend for almost an entire lifetime. That friendship was a primary reason that I also attended
the university. My treasured friendship with entire family has been a valued part of my life. You will not find
better man than Dr. Lapchick.
A few short years back, St' John's bestowed it's annual Joe Lapchick Sportsmanship award on John Thompson.
At the luncheon, Coach Thompson asserted his deep respect for Coach Lapchick, but cited his decision to
accept the award and attend the ceremony to his deep gratitude to Dr. Richard Lapchick...who he acknowledged as an important influence in bringing civil rights and fairness to sport...and to everything that Richard has accomplished
in efforts spanning almost half a century.
DieHard Johnny
Member
Great story on dr. lap! but Coach Thompson is not a role model for fair racial ethics,he blantly refused to recruit white students/athletes on his Gt teams & when the heat got hot he added a white player named Kelly in the 90's to try & shade his bias.
I will never forget his fake sweater of Louies under his jacket in the battle for number 1
I will never forget his fake sweater of Louies under his jacket in the battle for number 1
jerseyshorejohnny
Well-known member
Just got back from Springfield.
Amamzing how many guys associated with the university have been honored by The HOF in some way, shape or form:
Coach Joe Lapchick, his son Richard, Coach Carnesecca, Frank McGuire, Al Maguire, Dick Maguire, Chris Mullin, St. John's professor Bob Wolf, and Jack Curran, one of the greatest high school coaches of all time.
Perhaps Mark Jackson will gain entry in the not too distant future. Coach Keady is also a very worthy candidate.
Amamzing how many guys associated with the university have been honored by The HOF in some way, shape or form:
Coach Joe Lapchick, his son Richard, Coach Carnesecca, Frank McGuire, Al Maguire, Dick Maguire, Chris Mullin, St. John's professor Bob Wolf, and Jack Curran, one of the greatest high school coaches of all time.
Perhaps Mark Jackson will gain entry in the not too distant future. Coach Keady is also a very worthy candidate.
I hope Mark gets in, quintessential point guard, par excellence.
Doc’s story about the Lapchick’s was great, and I for one, appreciated John Thompson’s comments; I like JT 1’s son as a coach and person too!
The apple and the tree---JT 1 raised a real good kid there.... maybe we have the wrong opinion of JT 1, I’ve reconsidered in light of what I heard.
I know Looie is truly fond of JT 1---- that’s good enough for me.
Doc’s story about the Lapchick’s was great, and I for one, appreciated John Thompson’s comments; I like JT 1’s son as a coach and person too!
The apple and the tree---JT 1 raised a real good kid there.... maybe we have the wrong opinion of JT 1, I’ve reconsidered in light of what I heard.
I know Looie is truly fond of JT 1---- that’s good enough for me.
DieHard Johnny
Member
If any white coach made claims of giving only white kids a chance to play bigtime hoops he
be fired but bec. he was a 6ft10 black man he got away with it for yrs.
He was a phony then & now, thats why he sweated so much & needed the big towel.
Michael Graham was the true Gt thug that thompson loved to recruit even if he had a below 700 sat score.
He fielded a all black team for yrs in a mostly all white school :blink:
I remember taking the st.j's student bus trip to cap center many times from 83-87 to see the redmen vs the hated hoyas & the gt students were bused in from dc 99% white to my surprise I thought it was a black university like grambling
Read the bio by shapiro "big man on campus"
one former player states coach JT "always told us not to let the white man exploit us but many of us felt it was
him really exploiting us after all"
be fired but bec. he was a 6ft10 black man he got away with it for yrs.
He was a phony then & now, thats why he sweated so much & needed the big towel.
Michael Graham was the true Gt thug that thompson loved to recruit even if he had a below 700 sat score.
He fielded a all black team for yrs in a mostly all white school :blink:
I remember taking the st.j's student bus trip to cap center many times from 83-87 to see the redmen vs the hated hoyas & the gt students were bused in from dc 99% white to my surprise I thought it was a black university like grambling
Read the bio by shapiro "big man on campus"
one former player states coach JT "always told us not to let the white man exploit us but many of us felt it was
him really exploiting us after all"
DieHard Johnny
Member
And stupid Al bianchi & riley taded mark for big softie charles smith :yell:
Johnny,
Not disrespecting your point of view in any way, but in my opinion, your observations require perspective with regard to history.
John Thompson was a pioneer of sorts in my opinion. His place in the history of college basketball occurred during a period of tremendous social upheaval. As a man in my mid sixties, I remember this game when black players at universities were an exception to the rule, rather than what has become a norm. I watched while places like Kentucky and North Carolina integrated their ball clubs with considerable reluctance. There was racial tension on many campuses. The nation was coming off an era when to be african american, meant being treated differently and with less respect. Black coaches were far and few between. Why would you find it odd and surprising that this large and imposing black coach would find it appropriate to make a statement with regard to being a black man, leading a mostly all black team, in a racist america, in a sport that not that long ago, would have locked him out. History will honor John Thompson...including his light-hearted attempt at making fun of Coach Carnesecca's sweater.
Here's some more interesting stories about Dr. Lapchick. When I was 11, I moved from north to south Yonkers. I attended sixth grade in the same elementary school as Rich Lapchick. There were two sixth grades and we would
trade classrooms for music and art. The first occasion of this change, both classes lined up on opposite walls in the hall. When I looked across at the other class, most of the kids were roughly the same size, but there was one kid who towered by almost a foot over the other kids. That kid was Rich Lapchick. Rich won the foul shooting contest for all six graders that year for the entire city of Yonkers. Since his dad was coach of the NY Knicks at the time and a great player in his own right, everyone was of course predicting a wonderful basketball future for Rich. He and I became good friends. We would play basketball in the garage at the Lapchick home. You had to shoot over wooden beams to score. Rich was a wonderkind for the next couple of years and everyone wanted him as the center on their team. After the eighth grade, Rich was rewarded with a basketball scholarship to Manhattan Prep, where he played along side Billy Jones (who eventually would be a starting 2 guard at St. John's, but played center for the Prep). Bill, at 6'5" guarded Lou Alcindor (now Kareeem Abdul Jabbar) in high school. Anyway, Rich, who was probably 5'10" in the sixth grade, never grew another inch, and while remaining a fine player, he was always a big man trapped in a guard's body. Fortunately, Rich's academic acumen would lead him in a different, but not less important direction.
We both eventually attended St. John's and rode to school together from Yonkers for several years. Rich convinced me to join Zeta Sigma Pi...something I'm most indebted to him to this day. Many of my lifelong friends have come from that decision, and I still play weekly golf with frat guys. Rich was in my wedding party when I married in 1972...I sang at his wedding.. and he remains a close lifelong friend. We've shared many important life moments together, and his presence in my life has been a blessing of unmeasurable proportions.
Not disrespecting your point of view in any way, but in my opinion, your observations require perspective with regard to history.
John Thompson was a pioneer of sorts in my opinion. His place in the history of college basketball occurred during a period of tremendous social upheaval. As a man in my mid sixties, I remember this game when black players at universities were an exception to the rule, rather than what has become a norm. I watched while places like Kentucky and North Carolina integrated their ball clubs with considerable reluctance. There was racial tension on many campuses. The nation was coming off an era when to be african american, meant being treated differently and with less respect. Black coaches were far and few between. Why would you find it odd and surprising that this large and imposing black coach would find it appropriate to make a statement with regard to being a black man, leading a mostly all black team, in a racist america, in a sport that not that long ago, would have locked him out. History will honor John Thompson...including his light-hearted attempt at making fun of Coach Carnesecca's sweater.
Here's some more interesting stories about Dr. Lapchick. When I was 11, I moved from north to south Yonkers. I attended sixth grade in the same elementary school as Rich Lapchick. There were two sixth grades and we would
trade classrooms for music and art. The first occasion of this change, both classes lined up on opposite walls in the hall. When I looked across at the other class, most of the kids were roughly the same size, but there was one kid who towered by almost a foot over the other kids. That kid was Rich Lapchick. Rich won the foul shooting contest for all six graders that year for the entire city of Yonkers. Since his dad was coach of the NY Knicks at the time and a great player in his own right, everyone was of course predicting a wonderful basketball future for Rich. He and I became good friends. We would play basketball in the garage at the Lapchick home. You had to shoot over wooden beams to score. Rich was a wonderkind for the next couple of years and everyone wanted him as the center on their team. After the eighth grade, Rich was rewarded with a basketball scholarship to Manhattan Prep, where he played along side Billy Jones (who eventually would be a starting 2 guard at St. John's, but played center for the Prep). Bill, at 6'5" guarded Lou Alcindor (now Kareeem Abdul Jabbar) in high school. Anyway, Rich, who was probably 5'10" in the sixth grade, never grew another inch, and while remaining a fine player, he was always a big man trapped in a guard's body. Fortunately, Rich's academic acumen would lead him in a different, but not less important direction.
We both eventually attended St. John's and rode to school together from Yonkers for several years. Rich convinced me to join Zeta Sigma Pi...something I'm most indebted to him to this day. Many of my lifelong friends have come from that decision, and I still play weekly golf with frat guys. Rich was in my wedding party when I married in 1972...I sang at his wedding.. and he remains a close lifelong friend. We've shared many important life moments together, and his presence in my life has been a blessing of unmeasurable proportions.
DieHard Johnny
Member
I respect your opinion doc & I understand the history of racism but when its reversed its just as Evil in my opinion.
IAM respectful of the great Hoya turbo defense developed by JTSr but he did create a intimidating hoya paranoia
with its us ag. the white media.His tactics have molded Ewing into unwanted head coach due to Ewings personality
not favored by nba owners.Dealing with the media was not a talent JT had & passed onto his players.
Louie was a media darling because he respected the job people had to do & that respect was mirrored back to him.
JT was jealous of Louies good guy image & the sweater move was evidence in my opinion.
I was a student sitting courtside at that game that was hyped like a Frazier vs Ali
"Do the wrong thing" Spike Lee loved those all black Gt teams & I saw him root ag. his NY's johnny team mixed
with white&black players but coached by a white man.
When JT coached the 1988 olympic team he chose his point guard from Gt charles smith as the starter which hurt the team bigtime with much better players available. the usa lost to soviets which inspired the dream team.
IAM respectful of the great Hoya turbo defense developed by JTSr but he did create a intimidating hoya paranoia
with its us ag. the white media.His tactics have molded Ewing into unwanted head coach due to Ewings personality
not favored by nba owners.Dealing with the media was not a talent JT had & passed onto his players.
Louie was a media darling because he respected the job people had to do & that respect was mirrored back to him.
JT was jealous of Louies good guy image & the sweater move was evidence in my opinion.
I was a student sitting courtside at that game that was hyped like a Frazier vs Ali
"Do the wrong thing" Spike Lee loved those all black Gt teams & I saw him root ag. his NY's johnny team mixed
with white&black players but coached by a white man.
When JT coached the 1988 olympic team he chose his point guard from Gt charles smith as the starter which hurt the team bigtime with much better players available. the usa lost to soviets which inspired the dream team.
Every black man that has stood up against racism is accused of being racist himself. It is an easy way to delegitimize his stance.
There were vile, racist things said about and to Ewing when he was at G'town. That a coach would shield his players from the press and the public does not make him racist. Picking Charles Smith over better players might make him a "homer" but I don't see how that makes him racist. If race were the deciding factor, he could have picked a more talented black player.
As for Spike Lee, irrespective of what his racial preferences are, the Hoyas were the NY Yankees of college basketball back then. Legions of people who did not have allegiance to a specific team became Georgetown fans. Hoya gear outnumbered St Johns gear 100-1 even in New York in 1985.
There were vile, racist things said about and to Ewing when he was at G'town. That a coach would shield his players from the press and the public does not make him racist. Picking Charles Smith over better players might make him a "homer" but I don't see how that makes him racist. If race were the deciding factor, he could have picked a more talented black player.
As for Spike Lee, irrespective of what his racial preferences are, the Hoyas were the NY Yankees of college basketball back then. Legions of people who did not have allegiance to a specific team became Georgetown fans. Hoya gear outnumbered St Johns gear 100-1 even in New York in 1985.
Absolutely.
And Louie's giant towel in the BEC rematch was certainly a veiled reference to the chains of slavery in which he wanted JT bound.*
*Or maybe it was a light-hearted move by both that brought a smile to 99.9% of the people who ever witnessed it.
Coach Lapchick was the coach, and personal mentor, in my years at StJ. Richard was a fraternity brother, as was his dad (honorary) and a classmate in one or two courses. I am personally thrilled with his honor. He is and was a thoughtful and composed individual and a likable chap. I have followed his efforts for opportunity in coaching over the years with a huge rooting interest.
As for Coach Thompson, he is a great coach and a great man and, if he had a bias, it was tha same as Richard's, to provide a fair opportunity to sportsmen of all backgrounds. I saw John play at Providence and in the pros
. I followed his coaching career and attended the first game Ewing played for him against a BE opponent at BC. At the start of the game he walked his team off the floor to the locker and refused to come out until an offenseve handdrawn sign was removed from the crowd. It was a bold move at the time and few coaches would have done that. (Lapchick would have been one of them--------read the book LAPCHICK. Most coaches would have told his kids to suck it up and played without comment. Big John didn't and almost all of us learned from it. Some in the audience saw the move as "uppity" and it started a reputation. Anyone who was a real fan applauded the move and began to look to John for leadership in the sport at the college level and he gave it to us. I think he was one of the finest men ever to coach, and I would add, if he found a 7 footer who could play like Ewing and was white, he would play for G'town in a heartbeat.
I agree that Graham was a little rough around the edges and a kid who reveled in being the bad guy but we have had a small share of guys who were sort of like that over the years. Thompson is a great man and his son has the makings of being his equal.
The only large group of fans I know that dislike Thompson as a group and perpetuate nasty stories about him is the crowd in Syracuse and that's beccause he kicked theit a$$es on a regular basis and grinned about it on every occasion. Once he even took a bow after being tossed from a game! He loved to beat them and did it regularly. With us he tasted defeat on occasion but responded with the dignity Looie and the fans gave to him as a winning coach,
The game would be enriched with more Lapchicks,Thompson's, Looies, and Knights; different styles but great teachers.
As for Coach Thompson, he is a great coach and a great man and, if he had a bias, it was tha same as Richard's, to provide a fair opportunity to sportsmen of all backgrounds. I saw John play at Providence and in the pros
. I followed his coaching career and attended the first game Ewing played for him against a BE opponent at BC. At the start of the game he walked his team off the floor to the locker and refused to come out until an offenseve handdrawn sign was removed from the crowd. It was a bold move at the time and few coaches would have done that. (Lapchick would have been one of them--------read the book LAPCHICK. Most coaches would have told his kids to suck it up and played without comment. Big John didn't and almost all of us learned from it. Some in the audience saw the move as "uppity" and it started a reputation. Anyone who was a real fan applauded the move and began to look to John for leadership in the sport at the college level and he gave it to us. I think he was one of the finest men ever to coach, and I would add, if he found a 7 footer who could play like Ewing and was white, he would play for G'town in a heartbeat.
I agree that Graham was a little rough around the edges and a kid who reveled in being the bad guy but we have had a small share of guys who were sort of like that over the years. Thompson is a great man and his son has the makings of being his equal.
The only large group of fans I know that dislike Thompson as a group and perpetuate nasty stories about him is the crowd in Syracuse and that's beccause he kicked theit a$$es on a regular basis and grinned about it on every occasion. Once he even took a bow after being tossed from a game! He loved to beat them and did it regularly. With us he tasted defeat on occasion but responded with the dignity Looie and the fans gave to him as a winning coach,
The game would be enriched with more Lapchicks,Thompson's, Looies, and Knights; different styles but great teachers.
Also doesn't hurt JT1 to have passed through the influence of one William Felton Russell and Arnold "Red" Auerbach in regard to not taking crap, particulary bigotted crap, from anybody. And yes, Coach Lapchick's demeanor going all the way back to the Rens is one of the beacons lighting the way.