When I was a boy, there was
one thing in particular
Awwww... screw it!
As a kid I loved basketball!
In 1961... on a lark...
(and the lark wasn't
very happy about it)...
I went to a free-throw
I went to a free-throw
shooting ("foul-shooting")
contest held at my school,
York Township Elementary.
To my surprise, I won the
tournament in my age
bracket by sinking 10 out
of 15. Don't believe the
of 15. Don't believe the
last sentence of the article.
That's what you call fake
news. I know for a fact that
375,000 boys competed.
I counted them! :)
My mom
saved these two
newspaper clippings
as proof of my
My dad had his 8mm movie camera along and captured the whole thing
on film! If you don't mind me showing you my home movies, click
the video below and take a look at this rare old footage
taken the day I won that basketball tourney!
on film! If you don't mind me showing you my home movies, click
the video below and take a look at this rare old footage
taken the day I won that basketball tourney!
"Usor, Usor" ("Easy, Easy")
Aza feat. Adrian Sina (May 2016)
FINE PRINT: Aza is a pop singer discovered and developed by Romanian
singer, songwriter, record producer and DJ Adrian Sina.
That same year I dropped out of school and became a "Sixers starter" -
a member of the dream team that led the Philadelphia 76ers to the NBA
championship. My proud dad came along to the Spectrum and tape recorded
the announcer as he introduced the players. Click to start playing the
video at the 40 sec. mark and listen for my name to be called!
a member of the dream team that led the Philadelphia 76ers to the NBA
championship. My proud dad came along to the Spectrum and tape recorded
the announcer as he introduced the players. Click to start playing the
video at the 40 sec. mark and listen for my name to be called!
START PLAYING VIDEO
AT 40 SEC. MARK!
"Keep It On" - Galaxy Five (1983 single)
FINE PRINT: At the time I went by the name "Moses Malone."
Have a Shady day!
Well done! Cool your mom saved those clippings. And sneaky you - I actually did play the video. For a whole three seconds!
ReplyDeleteHi, Alex!
DeleteThanks for being the early bird again, good buddy, and for dropping by on a weekend!
You're right. My mother saved a lot of my stuff including report cards, tests that I got an "A" on and stories I wrote. She also clipped newspaper articles that mentioned my name, including the two on display here, making it possible for me to play "show and tell."
I'm glad you at least caught at least a brief glimpse of Romanian pop starlet Aza in that conceptual video produced by Adrian Sina.
Thanks again for coming, Alex, and have a great weekend!
How about that... you were a sports star! ;)
ReplyDeleteHi, Kelly!
DeleteHa! I won that tourney at age 11 and showed some promise early on, but wound up a second string bench warmer on the junior high school team. In senior high, I switched to playing in the church league so that I could be a starter.
Thanks for coming over to say hello on your Saturday, dear friend Kelly!
Well done, dear friend! You were a sports star for a bit and although it didn't work out later on, that is still pretty cool. It's also pretty cool that your mum saved the article and that you still have it as well!
ReplyDeleteThe music definitely added to this post and added some cheer on a rainy Saturday day. :) Have a great Saturday, dear friend.
Hi, Jessica Marie!
DeleteHow are you, dear friend? Thanks for coming over on a Saturday to see what all the hoopla was about. :)
Yessum, I was a sports "star" for five minutes in 6th grade, but I did not earn a starting spot on the basketball team when I got to junior high. There was a silver lining, however, because, as a "bench warmer," I got to sit next to the pretty cheerleaders for a couple of hours. :) I remember the coach trying to put me into the game one time and I whined, "Must I?" :)
I'm glad you enjoyed the basketball themed Romanian pop song. Did you ever hear that Philadelphia 76ers fight song "Keep It On" by Galaxy Five? It was a big southeastern PA regional hit during that 1982-83 championship season. Maybe your dad remembers it.
Thanks again for stopping by, dear friend JM, and enjoy the rest of your weekend!
If I were a teacher I would use this as an example of clickbait ;) Pretty cool about your basketball skills. It's definitely not my sport, although both of my parents played. Give me a tennis racket, though, and watch out!
ReplyDeleteHi, Ashton!
DeleteI am delighted to see you again, dear friend. Thanks a lot for making time for a Saturday visit!
Yessum, starting at a very early age, I was crazy about basketball. As a child I had a miniature basketball game that fired a ping pong ball at a hoop. When I was age 7 or 8, I hung a peach basket on the basement wall and tossed a softball into it, pretending that I was one of the York High Bearcats. They were my favorite team and I listened to broadcasts of their games while playing at my makeshift hoop in the basement. Around 1960, my dad erected a regulation height goal at the edge of our patio, and in 1961 took that picture of me from atop a tall ladder with the camera aiming down through the net, a very imaginative photograph and one of my favorites.
I tried my hand at tennis, but my wrists weren't strong enough to master the sport, nor was I quick enough. I applaud you for getting into tennis. If you haven't watched it yet, please don't miss the film Battle of the Sexes. It's terrific!
Thanks again for your kind visit and comment, dear friend Ashton!
Wow, you never fail to amaze! That's pretty awesome that you have those clippings and that great shot threw the hoop! I enjoyed basketball when my boys played and like all good moms..like your Mom...I saved all the newspaper clippings and photos from their glory days! Now I watch my Grandsons play and it's a bit like going back in time..Friday nights, winter weather, and hoops..and the best part..popcorn! Yep, good times! Have a great rest of your weekend!
ReplyDeleteHi, YaYa!
DeleteWelcome back to Shady's place, dear friend, and thanks so much for coming on a Saturday. I am thrilled to see you!
You recently showed pictures of your grandson out on the basketball court and it immediately reminded me of the years I played, first in junior high and then on my church's team in the church league. However, I already had this post finished and scheduled long before your post triggered those memories.
I agree it's a good thing moms save things that we as kids might have thrown away. I could have told this story in a post, but seeing the clippings is believing. I was always disappointed that I only sank 10 out of 15 baskets that day. As I recall, I made the first 7 or 8 in a row. A crowd started to gather around to watch me more closely and that's when I choked and started missing. I did the same thing when I was bowling one day. I bowled 7 or 8 strikes in a row to start the game, then realized I was attracting attention, became self conscious and blew what could have been a perfect 300 game.
Thanks again for coming to see the post, dear friend YaYa. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
Bless your mom for savings those news paper clips, my mom did the same ... certificates and medals from my high school sports days … I particularly excelled in black flip high jump, broad jump and long distance running plus I could throw a baseball a mean 45 meters/ 147.64 feet and all without any extra training/ coaching cuz we didn't have the money for that. But dat okay … smiles … says this Alberta cat and her cat Theo.
ReplyDelete… back flip … I hate spelling mistakes … c.
DeleteHi, Alberta cat!
DeleteHow are you, dear friend? Thanks for joining the fun and adding to the hoopla this weekend!
I'm glad you appreciated seeing those old newspaper clippings my mother saved. I'm happy to know your mother saved the certificates and medals you earned through athletic achievements. You must have been a very good athlete when it came to track and field. I performed much better in team sports than track and field events. I could never get my second leg over the bar in the high jump, was okay at the broad jump and didn't have then endurance for long distance running. However I could throw a baseball a fairly long distance and, as a lefty, was a pitcher at times on the baseball team in the age 8 to 12 league. Most of the time I played first base, again because left handed players work well at that position.
Thank you again for coming down, dear friend cat. Please smooch Theo for me and have a wonderful week ahead!
Don't fret about the spelling mistake, dear cat. I welcome corrections because they boost my comment total! :)
DeleteLubbins lubbins lubbins!
Well, Shady...I can see your incentive for doing so well in the tournament! How could you miss? Congratulations on your wins-pretty cool! Basketball is just about my favorite sport, and my son played in junior league for several years.
ReplyDeleteIt is so great to go through old clippings that moms kept for us. I have a few that my mom sent to me a few years back, and I can't believe she had them!
Thank you for sharing your great accomplishment with us, and the secret behind your success! Have a wonderful week, dear Shady!♫
Hi, Suzanne!
DeleteHow are you today, dear friend? Thank you very much for coming on a Sunday!
I admit that it helps to have a basketball goal in your driveway or at the edge of your patio as I did. My dad went to a lot of trouble for me and I will always be grateful. Dad rounded up the raw materials including two heavy duty iron poles and a regulation steel hoop. To create the backboard, dad bought a large sheet of plywood, took it downstairs to his workshop, sawed it to the right size and shape, and painted it light green (a pleasing shade similar to the color of the Shady Dell I.D. cards in the right column). When my backboard went up, I became the envy of the other guys in the neighborhood who visited often to use it. Even a few friends from other neighborhoods came to my house to play on my "court."
It's a fun fact that basketball is one of your favorite sports and that Rusty played. By the way, I won that free throw tournament using the between the legs underhanded style that was once common in the sport but in the early 60s was quickly being replaced by the cooler looking overhanded "set shot" that you see almost 100% of the time today. Therefore, although I won the contest, I didn't look as cool doing it as the other guys who, as I recall, all used the overhand set shot.
Keep those old clippings your mother saved, Suzanne. They come in handy for "show and tell" posts like this one. :)
Thank you again for coming by, dear friend Suzanne. I hope you are feeling well and I wish you a safe and happy week ahead!
Tom,
ReplyDeleteI just love your sense of humor, my friend! LOL I'm sure your parents would've died on spot had these ladies performed on center court. Have you used Adrian on your site before? She looks familiar. Latin mewsic is smokin' hot sounding!
Galaxy Five put on some of that 70s groove with 'Keep It On'. I don't remember them or this song but it's a lot of fun with their sound that took me back in time.
Great post, great fun, and great mewsic! :)
Hi, Cathy!
DeleteThanks for joining the fun as I flash back to the day in 1961 when a friend on my block told me his dad was driving him to a "foul shooting" tournament at our school. My friend asked if I wanted to go along. With nothing better to do, I decided to tag along and test my skill competing against other boys. To my surprise I wound up winning the event in my age bracket.
I'm glad you enjoyed the two videos I posted to help "tell my story." As you noticed, the 8mm movie camera my dad used to film me at the school gymnasium that day was a VERY advanced model capable of producing HD pictures and HQ sound. :) The female Romanian pop singer's name is Aza. Adrian Sina is a well known Romanian singer, songwriter and record producer. He produced Aza's song/video ""Easy, Easy" and has a singing part near the end of the recording.
The Sixers' tribute song "Keep It On" by the group Galaxy Five was a club hit throughout Central and Southeastern PA during the 76ers championship season which culminated in a series win over the Lakers in the spring of 1983.
I'm glad you enjoyed the mewsic and humor, Cathy. Thanks again for coming and have a tunetastic week, dear friend!
Hi Kareem— I mean Shady!
ReplyDeleteI had to think for a minute, WAIT! It’s January , not April!!!
But seriously, I want to congratulate you 50+ years later! Along with your parents, you must have been so proud! I think I remember reading about your success in the York Daily Record and Dispatch!
The first pic of you under the net is VERY cool! Who took it and how?
Keep us laughing, Shady!
Toni Deroche
Hi, Toni!
DeleteThanks so much for coming by, dear friend!
If you read the fine print, you would know that I played for the Sixers, not the Lakers, and went by the name Moses Malone, not Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. :)
WHAT??? You remember reading these articles when they appeared in the local newspapers in the summer of 1961? You most have been a brilliant baby to be able to read at the age of one! :)
My dad took that picture. A lifelong shutterbug, dad read many books on photography. He was especially fond of unusual and creative camera angles. That day dad propped an extension ladder against the back side of the goal, climbed to the top of the backboard and pointed the camera down through the net. The result was one of the best, most imaginative pictures he ever took.
You don't seem to remember the Sixers fight song "Keep It On," a hit in York, Harrisburg and Lancaster clubs in 1983.
To the Spectrum everyone
'cause the Sixers have begun
to get hot... HOT!
The most exciting part of the song is at the 40 sec. mark where the actual announcer for Sixers home games at the Spectrum introduces the Sixers starters. I hung out in dance halls in the tri-city area and remember the record being played often as Sixers fever spread around the region near the end of that championship season in 1983. Wiki helps us recall the following details: << The Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 0. 76ers center Moses Malone was named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP). In the final game, Julius Erving (aka Dr. J) made a three-point play with 59 seconds remaining (and the Sixers held on), crushing the Lakers in a four-game sweep and ending the last NBA Finals to end before June. >>
Do you remember when Dr. J was also known as Dr. Chapstick?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HC8mRivgkbc
Thanks again for joining the fun, dear friend Toni, and have a wonderful week!
Look at you All- Star!!! LOL Those clippings are awesome. As mentioned before, my mom has zero things saved from my childhood because they got burned in a fire. sucks! I did get to dance in Macy's which you know and the Orange Bowl halftime and my little town paper did a story on me. I'll have to find it because I know I kept a copy. So fun on your Hoopla!!
ReplyDeleteHi, Holli!
DeleteThanks for coming over, dear friend! I hope you are feeling better. Believe it or not, my head cold lingers on. I've had it two weeks now!
Yessum, I remember you telling me that your mother lost all those priceless keepsakes from your youth in a fire. That's a terrible shame. It's cool to know your town newspaper ran an article about you in connection with your dance performances in those major events. If you find a copy, please post it. I for one would find it very interesting.
I'm glad you enjoyed getting caught up in the hoopla at Shady's Place, dear friend Holli. Thanks again for coming and enjoy the rest of your week!
Nice job on the hoops! You were quite the star! I liked basketball, too, and played for a while. But I was short, so I was better at stealing the ball than getting it into the hoop.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your videos. I kept trying to figure out how they got the singer up on the hoop. I think it was a special post that was mechanically operated and actually not very high off of the ground.
Enjoy your week, my friend!
Hi, Sherry!
DeleteThanks so much for dropping in, dear friend!
I'm pleased to know you shared my love of basketball. I always wanted to be taller so that I could dunk the ball, a very impressive move on the court then and now. However, I ended up at 6-feet - one inch, and that was not quite tall enough to make dunking possible (unless I used a springboard, which I did at the school gymnasium just for fun). The best I could do was touch the bottom of the rim without any assistance. I remember begging my parents to allow me to have surgery to add bone sections to my legs to get me into the 6-5 to 6-9 range, but they nixed the idea. :) Although you were on the short side, a good ball handler and play maker is an important member of the team, and I am sure you were valued.
That is a unique Romanian music video isn't it? You are trying to figure out how they got the cute pop singer up on the hoop. I imagine the boys on the team just wanted to figure out how they could get her back down. :)
Thanks again, dear friend Sherry. I wish you a great week as well!
Some sexy-looking girls at York Township Elementary. But then I'm told girls do mature faster than boys.
ReplyDeleteUnless they were teachers. Spanish teachers.
Hi, Kirk!
DeleteThanks for popping in, good buddy! I'm happy to see you.
You are correct, sir. There were some early bloomers on my elementary school's cheering squad. It's a good thing my dad's 8 mm camera had an HD setting. :)
next...
Oh, and congratulations on winning. Still have the trophies?
ReplyDeleteThanks, good buddy! I remember the trophy I took home that day, but I have no idea what became of it.
DeleteI also thank you for the separate comment to help run up my total. :)
New post coming tomorrow morning, Kirk. Thanks again for joining the fun and enjoy the rest of your week!