Meeting Dr. Jack was something I wanted to do for two very selfish reasons.
Number One-Out of all the basket ball commenters I have ever heard, there were precious few as good as Dr. Jack.
He could break down a play in a way that thrilled me as a hardcore hoops fan and educated me as a ball player.
As someone who sits in front of a mic. I just wanted to thank Dr. Jack, treat him to lunch and then ask him all the questions I have about becoming a better on air journalist.
Number Two-Dr. Jack's Basket Ball IQ was amongst the best I ever heard discuss the game.
Again he talked about basket ball, plays, players, defenses, offenses, policy and people...in a way that was warm and invited. I pictured being at the games with Dr. Jack and him talking directly to me about what was happening in time outs and why certain plays worked and why other plays broke down.
Listening to Dr. Jack call a game, I felt like we were both at the game and he would be bumping me and just showing me all the little things that only someone with his knowledge of the game and the broadcast booth could know. I was always excited to turn on ESPN radio and hear that he was doing the game.
I wish I had the words or the insight to do justice to his memory right now...
What I can say is that listening to a basket ball game will never be the same again.
From Dr. Jack's Wiki Page-
John Travilla "Jack" Ramsay (February 21, 1925 – April 28, 2014) was an American basketball coach, commonly known as "Dr. Jack" (as he held an earned doctorate, see below). He was best known for coaching the Portland Trail Blazers to the 1977 NBA Title, and for his broadcasting work with the Indiana Pacers, the Miami Heat, and for ESPN TV and ESPN Radio. Ramsay was among the most respected coaches in NBA history[2] and a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
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