Jerry Lucas - At the end of his sophomore season in high school, Jerry Lucas was being heralded as the greatest Ohio schoolboy player ever. At the end of his scholastic career, Lucas, a two-time Ohio Player of the Year selection, had led Middletown High School to 76 straight wins and two state championships. He graduated with an Ohio high school record 2,466 points, and was coveted by more than 150 colleges.
A consummate team player, Lucas was one of the most dominant players in college basketball history. Playing under Hall of Fame coach Fred Taylor at Ohio State, Lucas teamed with Hall of Famers John Havlicek and Bob Knight to produce a 78-6 record and three Big Ten championships. Impressively, Lucas led the Buckeyes into three straight NCAA Finals (1960-62), and the 1960 championship. In 1960 and 1961, Lucas was chosen as the NCAA Tournament Outstanding Player. His distinctive over-the-shoulder shooting style helped him amass 1,990 college points, but Lucas was an equally tenacious rebounder, grabbing 1,411 for his career. As a sophomore, Lucas shot a stunning 63.7 percent from the field and averaged 26.3 ppg and 16.4 rpg. A three-time First Team Consensus All-America and the 1961 and 1962 College Player of the Year, Lucas won an Olympic gold medal as a member of the 1960 team. The 1960 Olympic team is regarded as the finest amateur squad ever assembled and featured Oscar Robertson, Jerry West and Walt Bellamy.
Drafted by the Cincinnati Royals as a territorial choice in 1962, Lucas averaged 17.7 ppg and shot a league-leading 52.7 percent en route to being named NBA Rookie of the Year. In a career that spanned 11 seasons with Cincinnati, San Francisco and New York, Lucas was a three-time All-NBA First Team selection. He tallied 14,053 points (17.0 ppg) and collected 12,942 rebounds (15.6 rpg). He was named to seven NBA All-Star teams and chosen MVP of the 1965 game. Prior to the 1971-72 season, Lucas was traded from San Francisco to New York, and the next season helped orchestrate the New York Knicks' NBA championship. He was named to the NBA 50th Anniversary Team 1996. Lucas, who has a photographic memory, has written many books on memory improvement techniques.
