Basketball and You

[Steubenhoosier]

Got hooked on basketball watching some of the great high school teams of the late 60's early 70's. E. Chicago Washington, Marion among others. 

Got hooked on IU basketball as a young teen during the Downing led team that got screwed in the tournament. 

Never played beyond 8th grade, as my body was built to remain close to the ground. Played hockey during basketball season, but always followed hoops.

Student at IU from 75-79 so saw some good basketball. My senior year culminated in a trip to Lubbock Texas for a first round NIT game, and then a second chance to jump into Showalter Fountain when we beat the Smellermakers.

 

[Lostin76]

My grandparents introduced me to IU basketball in the 1974-75 season. I was 6 at the time. Some time in the middle of that season, after every game I would go out back and recreate some of the key moments of the game - by myself (was an only child) on a backyard hoop. I think there were more cracks and weeds on that little patch of concrete than actual concrete, but it worked for me.

The funny thing was that my only real experience with basketball at that time was watching the Harlem Globetrotters on Wide World of Sports (and one time in person when they came to Evansville). The one thing that the Globetrotters and IU had in common in my mind was that they always won. ALWAYS. Every game was followed by fist pumps and celebration. And then me hitting clutch shots in the backyard afterwards.

I wasn't really old enough to appreciate the rigors of the tournament then, it was both shocking and confusing when we lost in the tournament that year. Thankfully next year's team didn't let me down all season! 😂

[milehiiu]

3 hours ago, Lostin76 said:

 

The funny thing was that my only real experience with basketball at that time was watching the Harlem Globetrotters on Wide World of Sports (and one time in person when they came to Evansville). The one thing that the Globetrotters and IU had in common in my mind was that they always won. ALWAYS. Every game was followed by fist pumps and celebration. And then me hitting clutch shots in the backyard afterwards.

😂

One more thing that IU and the Trotters had in common ...those Candy Stripes 

[Euroclydon]

Grew up in Southeast Indiana about 20 minutes from Cincinnati, Ohio. The Hoosiers have always been the team in this area if you live in Indiana. If you are on the Ohio side you had a strong mix of UC, OSU and uk fans. Xavier had not arrived on the scene when I was a kid.

Watching Isiah was my earliest memory but we didn't get a lot of IU news in this area. If it wasn't on the local news you did not get much outside of the local teams. I would do my best to get to the school library every day just to read the newspapers. Fortunately IU games were on regularly on the weekends during the season.

Bob Knight was the greatest coach of all time. Alford the greatest player. Me and my friends played ball every chance we got and we lived for IU basketball. It just grew from there. I've never stopped following IU and it's not a stretch to say I live and die with every win and loss, as sad as that may sound. Now that I am older you would think it would not be as big a deal. But it is and I find myself growing impatient waiting for the return to prominence where IU belongs. You could not have convinced me in 1987 that this program would need more than 30 years to win another title.

Beyond that, I was crushed when Coach Knight was fired and I had tears in my eyes this year watching him return to Bloomington. Maybe IU basketball should not mean that much to me, but I'd be lying if I said it didn't. Go IU!  

[mrflynn03]

I was pretty much born with a ball in my hand. My dad's passion for the game far exceeded anyone else I ever knew so I got some of that from him. 

To put it simply, today, it reminds me of a time when life was simpler and my only concern was hitting the game winning buzzer beater in my driveway in one of my many made up scenarios.  Won a lot of championships,😂.

[Steubenhoosier]

To follow up on my comments about not being a basketball player...

When I was 14, I played Pony League baseball for a guy in FtWayne who, looking back, was a great mentor. Don Reynolds. Taught, maybe at Franklin JrHigh or maybe North Side High School. Rented a bus and took a bunch of us kids to see Notre Dame break UCLA’s 72 game winning streak. Wish I still had the ticket stub and program from that game. Sat next to Eugene Parker, Concordia High phenom and Purdue stalwart on the bus.

Anyway. Reynolds took a few of his baseball players, myself included, to play some hoops one wintry weekend day. A kid on our team became annAll-State basketball player from North Side and went on to play at TCU I think. I must have made 5-6 long shots over his outstretched arms. In my mind they were definitely Seth Curry range 3-pointers. 

Whatever, I think we won the game. And it was my one claim to hoops prowess in a life lived no more than 3 inches off the hardwood floor 

[BADGERVOL]

I was born and raised in Indiana until 14 and moved to WI. I missed home so much. Indiana always was and is home to me even at 43. I even moved back down there after college for 5 years so I’ve been 19 years there and 24 in WI.

basketball and specifically IU kept me connected to my roots. The relationships, my childhood, etc. It has always been a part of my identity and heritage. I love IU hoops for way more than wins, losses, etc. I love it because basketball and IU is “home” to me and always will be.