JPS
06-14-2006, 09:37 AM
For those who don't know, the Adolph Rupp Trophy is awarded to the outstanding collegiate men's basketball player as voted on by the Associated Press. I did some searching of newspaperarchive.com and found some interesting comments.
First in a story on December 13, 1977 (a few days after Rupp died) in the Burlington (NC) Daily Times.
http://www.collegebasketballarchive.com/Viewer.aspx?img=44920376
New York - The old man, his fading life flashing before him, leaned forward and looked away, trying to mask his emotions.
Adolph Rupp, college basketball's winningest coach, was being destroyed by opponents with no respect for his cunning - cancer and diabetes. He only had a few months left, and he knew it. Now, his concern was his legacy.
"Son, more than anything, I want that trophy to be what I'm remembered for. Every year, I want them to know that the award for the best player in the country is named after me."
Rupp was talking about the trophy named for him, which each year is awarded to the Associated Press college basketball player of the year. He permitted his name to be connected with the award only after an expensive, bronze trophy had been purchased and after he was assured every effort would be made to create basketball's equivalnet to football's Heisman Trophy.
Two years ago, Rupp went to a banquet at Indiana University, a hated rival during his 42 years as coach at the University of Kentucky, to present his trophy to Scott May. The audience was not interested in being reminded of the times Rupp teams had defeated the Hoosiers, but Rupp reminded them anyway.
Then, he added, "A few years ago a group of people decided they wanted college baketball to have its own Heisman Trophy. Of course, they named it for me." He meant it.
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Second, another similar story, which was published the same day in the Long Beach Press Telegram. FWIW, this story was written by Ken Rappoport who wrote at least one book on Univresity of North Carolina basketball history.
http://www.collegebasketballarchive.com/Viewer.aspx?img=44815657
That night, he wore distinguished blue, cutting an impressive figure. He was one of those substantial men who commanded the attention of a room without seeming to try.
When Rupp moved, everyone watched. When he spoke, everyone listened.
It was an obvious exertion, though, on his part to do both in his condition. The man was dying of cancer, and everyone in the room knew it.
"In my condition, you know, I don't get around too well any more," said Rupp. "I guess you've heard about my illness."
There was a disquieting pause.
This was last March, when the well-known basketball coach visited New York City to present a trophy in his name to The Associated Press Player of the Year in college basketball. Rupp was giving the newly-christened prize to UCLA's Marques Johnson but in reality was the center of attention himself.
"Have you seen the trophy?" Rupp asked a visitor, puffing out his chest and pointing to a copper-colored piece standing in the corner of the crowded hotel room. "They're going to have to have four guys carry it back for Marques. It's too heavy for any one man."
Someone in the room said out of Rupp's earshot: "We wanted him to see the trophy this year, especially. It's important, you know, that he see it now ... very important. It means so much to him."
.........
It was a basketball banquet and his audience savored Rupp's words. After thirty minutes, one of his companions said, "I think maybe Adolph is getting too tired to talk any more."
It was a signal to say goodbye.
Roughly eight months after that interview, Rupp died in a Lexington hospital. On Saturday night, when the slow torture of cancer finally was over for him, an interviewer recalled some of his last words.
"It was all very satisfying you know," Rupp had said of his career. "There was something wonderful in it."
Then, the gesture of goodbye.
"Thank you for listening to me," he said, waving his arm as he waited for his companions to help him get undressed.
"No," his interviewer replied on the way out the door. "Thank you. Than you, Coach."
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The following article gives a photo of Rupp presenting the trophy to Marques Johnson in March, 1977. (shown below)
http://www.collegebasketballarchive.com/Viewer.aspx?img=50917468
------------------------------------------------
Finally, below is an article discussing Michael Jordan receiving the Rupp trophy in 1984, with an interesting quote from Dean Smith.
http://www.collegebasketballarchive.com/Viewer.aspx?img=33703215
Smith, presenting the award, said what sets Jordan apart from other players is that "he's a fierce competitor. Coach Rupp would have enjoyed coaching Michael Jordan, as I have...To come into his junior year with the pressure that accompanied him, being projected as the Player of the Year, I think it's amazing that he went on to achieve it."
Below is a listing of the Adolph F. Rupp Trophy award winners.
1972 - Bill Walton, UCLA
1973 - Bill Walton, UCLA
1974 - Bill Walton, UCLA
1975 - David Thompson, NC State
1976 - Scott May, Indiana
1977 - Marques Johnson, UCLA
1978 - Butch Lee, Marquette
1979 - Larry Bird, Indiana State
1980 - Mark Aguirre, DePaul
1981 - Ralph Sampson, Virginia
1982 - Ralph Sampson, Virginia
1983 - Ralph Sampson, Virginia
1984 - Michael Jordan, North Carolina
1985 - Patrick Ewing, Georgetown
1986 - Walter Berry, St. John's
1987 - David Robinson, Navy
1988 - Hersey Hawkins, Bradley
1989 - Sean Elliott, Arizona
1990 - Lionel Simmons, La Salle
1991 - Shaquille O'Neal, LSU
1992 - Christian Laettner, Duke
1993 - Calbert Cheaney, Indiana
1994 - Glenn Robinson, Purdue
1995 - Joe Smith, Maryland
1996 - Marcus Camby, UMass
1997 - Tim Duncan, Wake Forest
1998 - Antawn Jamison, North Carolina
1999 - Elton Brand, Duke
2000 - Kenyon Martin, Cincinnati
2001 - Shane Battier, Duke
2002 - Jason (Jay) Williams, Duke
2003 - David West, Xavier
2004 - Jameer Nelson, Saint Joseph's
2005 - J. J. Redick, Duke
2006 - J. J. Redick, Duke
First in a story on December 13, 1977 (a few days after Rupp died) in the Burlington (NC) Daily Times.
http://www.collegebasketballarchive.com/Viewer.aspx?img=44920376
New York - The old man, his fading life flashing before him, leaned forward and looked away, trying to mask his emotions.
Adolph Rupp, college basketball's winningest coach, was being destroyed by opponents with no respect for his cunning - cancer and diabetes. He only had a few months left, and he knew it. Now, his concern was his legacy.
"Son, more than anything, I want that trophy to be what I'm remembered for. Every year, I want them to know that the award for the best player in the country is named after me."
Rupp was talking about the trophy named for him, which each year is awarded to the Associated Press college basketball player of the year. He permitted his name to be connected with the award only after an expensive, bronze trophy had been purchased and after he was assured every effort would be made to create basketball's equivalnet to football's Heisman Trophy.
Two years ago, Rupp went to a banquet at Indiana University, a hated rival during his 42 years as coach at the University of Kentucky, to present his trophy to Scott May. The audience was not interested in being reminded of the times Rupp teams had defeated the Hoosiers, but Rupp reminded them anyway.
Then, he added, "A few years ago a group of people decided they wanted college baketball to have its own Heisman Trophy. Of course, they named it for me." He meant it.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Second, another similar story, which was published the same day in the Long Beach Press Telegram. FWIW, this story was written by Ken Rappoport who wrote at least one book on Univresity of North Carolina basketball history.
http://www.collegebasketballarchive.com/Viewer.aspx?img=44815657
That night, he wore distinguished blue, cutting an impressive figure. He was one of those substantial men who commanded the attention of a room without seeming to try.
When Rupp moved, everyone watched. When he spoke, everyone listened.
It was an obvious exertion, though, on his part to do both in his condition. The man was dying of cancer, and everyone in the room knew it.
"In my condition, you know, I don't get around too well any more," said Rupp. "I guess you've heard about my illness."
There was a disquieting pause.
This was last March, when the well-known basketball coach visited New York City to present a trophy in his name to The Associated Press Player of the Year in college basketball. Rupp was giving the newly-christened prize to UCLA's Marques Johnson but in reality was the center of attention himself.
"Have you seen the trophy?" Rupp asked a visitor, puffing out his chest and pointing to a copper-colored piece standing in the corner of the crowded hotel room. "They're going to have to have four guys carry it back for Marques. It's too heavy for any one man."
Someone in the room said out of Rupp's earshot: "We wanted him to see the trophy this year, especially. It's important, you know, that he see it now ... very important. It means so much to him."
.........
It was a basketball banquet and his audience savored Rupp's words. After thirty minutes, one of his companions said, "I think maybe Adolph is getting too tired to talk any more."
It was a signal to say goodbye.
Roughly eight months after that interview, Rupp died in a Lexington hospital. On Saturday night, when the slow torture of cancer finally was over for him, an interviewer recalled some of his last words.
"It was all very satisfying you know," Rupp had said of his career. "There was something wonderful in it."
Then, the gesture of goodbye.
"Thank you for listening to me," he said, waving his arm as he waited for his companions to help him get undressed.
"No," his interviewer replied on the way out the door. "Thank you. Than you, Coach."
-------------------------------------------------
The following article gives a photo of Rupp presenting the trophy to Marques Johnson in March, 1977. (shown below)
http://www.collegebasketballarchive.com/Viewer.aspx?img=50917468
------------------------------------------------
Finally, below is an article discussing Michael Jordan receiving the Rupp trophy in 1984, with an interesting quote from Dean Smith.
http://www.collegebasketballarchive.com/Viewer.aspx?img=33703215
Smith, presenting the award, said what sets Jordan apart from other players is that "he's a fierce competitor. Coach Rupp would have enjoyed coaching Michael Jordan, as I have...To come into his junior year with the pressure that accompanied him, being projected as the Player of the Year, I think it's amazing that he went on to achieve it."
Below is a listing of the Adolph F. Rupp Trophy award winners.
1972 - Bill Walton, UCLA
1973 - Bill Walton, UCLA
1974 - Bill Walton, UCLA
1975 - David Thompson, NC State
1976 - Scott May, Indiana
1977 - Marques Johnson, UCLA
1978 - Butch Lee, Marquette
1979 - Larry Bird, Indiana State
1980 - Mark Aguirre, DePaul
1981 - Ralph Sampson, Virginia
1982 - Ralph Sampson, Virginia
1983 - Ralph Sampson, Virginia
1984 - Michael Jordan, North Carolina
1985 - Patrick Ewing, Georgetown
1986 - Walter Berry, St. John's
1987 - David Robinson, Navy
1988 - Hersey Hawkins, Bradley
1989 - Sean Elliott, Arizona
1990 - Lionel Simmons, La Salle
1991 - Shaquille O'Neal, LSU
1992 - Christian Laettner, Duke
1993 - Calbert Cheaney, Indiana
1994 - Glenn Robinson, Purdue
1995 - Joe Smith, Maryland
1996 - Marcus Camby, UMass
1997 - Tim Duncan, Wake Forest
1998 - Antawn Jamison, North Carolina
1999 - Elton Brand, Duke
2000 - Kenyon Martin, Cincinnati
2001 - Shane Battier, Duke
2002 - Jason (Jay) Williams, Duke
2003 - David West, Xavier
2004 - Jameer Nelson, Saint Joseph's
2005 - J. J. Redick, Duke
2006 - J. J. Redick, Duke
