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1
00:00:06,571 --> 00:00:09,574
[footsteps echoing]
2
00:00:23,980 --> 00:00:27,331
[door clanging]
3
00:00:27,375 --> 00:00:30,378
[footsteps echoing]
4
00:00:39,865 --> 00:00:42,651
[ball thudding]
5
00:00:51,921 --> 00:00:53,966
[laughing]
6
00:00:56,143 --> 00:00:58,710
- [Kenny] Come on, you guys!
7
00:00:58,754 --> 00:01:00,843
You know I can't bend over.
8
00:01:03,802 --> 00:01:05,891
Basketball was just
about my whole life
9
00:01:05,935 --> 00:01:07,067
when I was growin' up.
10
00:01:08,111 --> 00:01:09,721
I wanted people to like me,
11
00:01:09,765 --> 00:01:11,680
and like any kid
when they're young,
12
00:01:11,723 --> 00:01:13,943
and get a lot of
attention, I suppose.
13
00:01:16,815 --> 00:01:19,079
I've been asked
over and over again,
14
00:01:19,122 --> 00:01:20,993
"Did you start the jump shot?"
15
00:01:22,299 --> 00:01:24,127
I've had sports writers
get pretty upset with me
16
00:01:24,171 --> 00:01:26,086
'cause that's what
they want me to say.
17
00:01:27,739 --> 00:01:29,828
What else could they talk about?
18
00:01:29,872 --> 00:01:32,483
There's nobody today hardlyalive that saw me play.
19
00:01:35,225 --> 00:01:37,880
I've experienced
much in my lifetime.
20
00:01:38,750 --> 00:01:39,751
I've had to let go of things
21
00:01:39,795 --> 00:01:41,797
that were really
important to me.
22
00:01:43,581 --> 00:01:46,845
And I like I say, it'snice to know who you are,
23
00:01:46,889 --> 00:01:49,283
and where you're goin'when you leave this world.
24
00:01:49,326 --> 00:01:53,025
[instrumental music playing]
25
00:01:55,767 --> 00:01:57,639
- [Male] The shot
is the jump shot.
26
00:01:57,682 --> 00:01:58,857
- [Sports Announcer]
It's up to Jenkins
27
00:01:58,901 --> 00:01:59,815
for the championship!
28
00:01:59,858 --> 00:02:01,643
[crowd cheering]
29
00:02:01,686 --> 00:02:03,340
Look at those little champions!
30
00:02:03,384 --> 00:02:05,864
- [Male] The jump shot'sin every part of the game.
31
00:02:05,908 --> 00:02:06,778
- [Sports Announcer] Puts it up.
32
00:02:06,822 --> 00:02:09,825
Yes!
[crowd cheering]
33
00:02:09,868 --> 00:02:12,088
- Nothing has ever
changed a sport
34
00:02:12,132 --> 00:02:14,177
like the jump shot
changed basketball.
35
00:02:14,221 --> 00:02:16,136
- [Sports Announcer]
Smart takes the shot!
36
00:02:16,179 --> 00:02:18,312
- [Male] When you'retalking about the jump shot,
37
00:02:18,355 --> 00:02:20,923
you're talking about the
very fabric of the game.
38
00:02:20,966 --> 00:02:21,837
- [Male] You don't realizethat there was a time
39
00:02:21,880 --> 00:02:23,839
that there was no jump shot.
40
00:02:23,882 --> 00:02:26,972
- [Male] When it was sideshot game, you needed space.
41
00:02:27,016 --> 00:02:28,713
- You had to be wide open,
42
00:02:28,757 --> 00:02:30,672
or you couldn't
get your shot off.
43
00:02:30,715 --> 00:02:31,760
- It's almost like
they were playing
44
00:02:31,803 --> 00:02:33,631
in slow motion defensively.
45
00:02:33,675 --> 00:02:36,330
How you allowed that guyto even get that shot off.
46
00:02:36,373 --> 00:02:38,723
- Basketball is a
game of innovation.
47
00:02:38,767 --> 00:02:40,508
Before you know it,
you've made up something
48
00:02:40,551 --> 00:02:42,162
that nobody has seen before.
49
00:02:42,205 --> 00:02:44,729
- In Kenny Sailors'
case, like Edison,
50
00:02:44,773 --> 00:02:48,037
who would have known what thislittle light bulb could do?
51
00:02:48,080 --> 00:02:49,125
- [Male] There's no question,
52
00:02:49,169 --> 00:02:50,474
it was--
- The uniqueness
53
00:02:50,518 --> 00:02:51,606
was they jumped.
- We're talkin'
54
00:02:51,649 --> 00:02:53,303
probably 65 years later,
55
00:02:53,347 --> 00:02:55,044
that's the shot people
are still taking.
56
00:02:55,087 --> 00:02:57,829
- This shot lasted throughgenerations and generations,
57
00:02:57,873 --> 00:02:59,918
and has made it to theWarriors, to Steph Curry,
58
00:02:59,962 --> 00:03:01,137
the greatest shooter
you'll ever play.
59
00:03:01,181 --> 00:03:02,225
- [Sports Announcer]
Curry switched defense
60
00:03:02,269 --> 00:03:03,487
behind the back!
61
00:03:03,531 --> 00:03:04,880
Fires a three!
- If I can't play
62
00:03:04,923 --> 00:03:06,795
above the rim, so the jumpshot is my only weapon.
63
00:03:06,838 --> 00:03:08,100
[crowd cheering]
- Oh, he puts it in!
64
00:03:08,144 --> 00:03:09,754
- [Male] You can go
anywhere in the world,
65
00:03:09,798 --> 00:03:10,929
and they're shooting
Kenny's shot.
66
00:03:10,973 --> 00:03:12,714
- Where is--
- Kenny Sailors.
67
00:03:12,757 --> 00:03:14,716
- Kenny--- Sailors has few equals.
68
00:03:14,759 --> 00:03:15,804
- [Male] He's an
American original.
69
00:03:15,847 --> 00:03:17,458
- [Male] People just
forgot who he was.
70
00:03:17,501 --> 00:03:19,895
- He disappeared for so long.- Sometimes history gets lost,
71
00:03:21,244 --> 00:03:23,420
and that's what happenedwith Kenny Sailors' story.
72
00:03:23,464 --> 00:03:26,336
History lost his story.
73
00:03:28,947 --> 00:03:31,820
[loud booming]
74
00:03:31,863 --> 00:03:34,257
- Yeah, we're talkin'about the jump shot, right?
75
00:03:34,301 --> 00:03:35,519
- Yeah--
- Or the guy
76
00:03:35,563 --> 00:03:37,042
who found the jump
shot, or somethin'?
77
00:03:37,086 --> 00:03:38,348
- [Interviewer] Do you
know who that guy is?
78
00:03:38,392 --> 00:03:39,219
- No.
79
00:03:40,220 --> 00:03:42,004
- I don't know, 'cause, I mean.
80
00:03:42,047 --> 00:03:43,919
[quirky music playing]
- What do you mean
81
00:03:43,962 --> 00:03:45,442
invented the jump shot?
82
00:03:45,486 --> 00:03:47,792
No one invented the jump shot.
83
00:03:47,836 --> 00:03:49,794
- Wait, there wasn't a
jump shot at one point?
84
00:03:49,838 --> 00:03:51,143
- First of all,
there's skepticism.
85
00:03:51,187 --> 00:03:52,623
[mumbling]
86
00:03:52,667 --> 00:03:53,929
Nah, I did.
87
00:03:53,972 --> 00:03:55,539
- How do you know he was
the first jump shooter?
88
00:03:55,583 --> 00:03:56,932
I mean, that's everybody'sfirst question.
89
00:03:56,975 --> 00:03:58,803
How you gonna call thisguy the first jump shooter?
90
00:03:58,847 --> 00:04:01,850
- Let me see how dumb
or how smart you are.
91
00:04:01,893 --> 00:04:04,635
- I'd never really put
a lot of thought into
92
00:04:04,679 --> 00:04:06,811
who was the first guy
that ever shot one.
93
00:04:06,855 --> 00:04:08,770
- Okay, here's the deal.
94
00:04:08,813 --> 00:04:12,252
Who is the guy that
invented the jump shot?
95
00:04:12,295 --> 00:04:13,818
- About eight
years ago, I guess,
96
00:04:13,862 --> 00:04:17,909
I started looking at, well,who could've done this?
97
00:04:17,953 --> 00:04:20,825
- When I took over theFeatures Department at CBS,
98
00:04:20,869 --> 00:04:24,176
the editor that leftleft me a pile of stories
99
00:04:24,220 --> 00:04:25,700
that he thought would
be worth pursuing,
100
00:04:25,743 --> 00:04:26,918
and I was goin'
through, and I saw
101
00:04:26,962 --> 00:04:28,529
"Kenny Sailors, inventor
of the jump shot".
102
00:04:28,572 --> 00:04:29,791
The first time I
ever heard the name.
103
00:04:29,834 --> 00:04:30,748
- Are you sittin' down?
104
00:04:32,707 --> 00:04:36,188
People think better on theirass than they do on their feet.
105
00:04:36,232 --> 00:04:40,280
- There was a lot of tales andfables about this and that,
106
00:04:40,323 --> 00:04:44,806
but I kept coming to thisstory of Kenny Sailors,
107
00:04:44,849 --> 00:04:49,637
and it just led to Laramie,Wyoming of all places.
108
00:04:51,247 --> 00:04:56,252
[train horn blaring]
[bird squawking]
109
00:04:59,821 --> 00:05:02,302
- You'll have enough wildstories to talk about
110
00:05:03,825 --> 00:05:04,826
when you get back.
111
00:05:08,917 --> 00:05:09,700
- Well, now you're next.
112
00:05:09,744 --> 00:05:10,832
That one guy had to go.
113
00:05:10,875 --> 00:05:11,746
- [Kenny] No, is that right?
114
00:05:11,789 --> 00:05:13,138
- Yeah, he had to go to class.
115
00:05:13,182 --> 00:05:14,270
- [Kenny] Okay, well.
116
00:05:16,794 --> 00:05:19,188
- [Larry] He's 90 goin' on 70.
117
00:05:19,231 --> 00:05:20,537
He just keep on goin'.
118
00:05:20,581 --> 00:05:22,278
[chuckling]
- Right.
119
00:05:22,322 --> 00:05:24,062
Yeah, I'll be up there too much
120
00:05:24,106 --> 00:05:25,020
probably for too long.
- See, well, yeah.
121
00:05:25,063 --> 00:05:27,588
Well, you don't know how long.
122
00:05:27,631 --> 00:05:28,893
- Well, how long could it be
123
00:05:28,937 --> 00:05:30,155
when you--
- Well, you've probably
124
00:05:30,199 --> 00:05:31,505
gone longer than
you thought already.
125
00:05:31,548 --> 00:05:32,810
- Oh, well, [chuckling].
126
00:05:33,724 --> 00:05:34,638
Don't ask me why.
127
00:05:34,682 --> 00:05:35,944
I don't know.
[Larry laughing]
128
00:05:35,987 --> 00:05:38,599
Probably just to harass
barbers like you.
129
00:05:38,642 --> 00:05:40,557
[Larry laughing]
130
00:05:40,601 --> 00:05:42,603
- [Larry] Every time he comesin here somebody knows him.
131
00:05:42,646 --> 00:05:44,779
[clippers buzzing]
- He's pretty popular.
132
00:05:45,997 --> 00:05:48,130
- I'm not popular, that
jump shot's popular.
133
00:05:49,523 --> 00:05:50,785
[groaning]
134
00:05:50,828 --> 00:05:52,787
- That's what people are
really intrigued with,
135
00:05:52,830 --> 00:05:54,005
basketball and the jump shot.
136
00:05:54,049 --> 00:05:56,181
The jump shot, the jump
shot, the jump shot.
137
00:05:56,225 --> 00:05:57,748
His whole life changed
that day he decided
138
00:05:57,792 --> 00:05:59,924
to jump in the air, and
shoot over his brother.
139
00:05:59,968 --> 00:06:03,711
[mellow instrumental
music playing]
140
00:06:03,754 --> 00:06:06,801
- I grew up about seven oreight miles south of Hillsdale,
141
00:06:08,324 --> 00:06:09,586
and Hillsdale, I don't imagine,
142
00:06:09,630 --> 00:06:11,371
had 50 people in the whole town.
143
00:06:12,502 --> 00:06:14,548
But anyway, basketball
was their sport,
144
00:06:14,591 --> 00:06:16,071
because they couldn't
afford football,
145
00:06:16,114 --> 00:06:17,333
or these other sports,
146
00:06:17,377 --> 00:06:19,248
and, certainly,
durin' the Depression.
147
00:06:21,163 --> 00:06:23,818
My brother was a good ballplayer, and a good athlete,
148
00:06:23,861 --> 00:06:26,821
and the coach liked
him there in Hillsdale.
149
00:06:26,864 --> 00:06:28,431
He told him he had a kid brother
150
00:06:28,475 --> 00:06:29,693
who's just learned
to play the game,
151
00:06:29,737 --> 00:06:31,652
and that they'd surelike to have a basketball
152
00:06:31,695 --> 00:06:33,654
he could take out,
and give to him.
153
00:06:33,697 --> 00:06:36,831
[rooster crowing]
154
00:06:36,874 --> 00:06:39,747
And, of course, we didn'thave any place to play,
155
00:06:39,790 --> 00:06:41,270
but he fixed a backboard,
156
00:06:41,313 --> 00:06:44,447
and we fastened it to the oldwooden windmill that we had.
157
00:06:44,491 --> 00:06:45,840
We'd play one-on-one,
158
00:06:45,883 --> 00:06:47,798
and I never could
get a shot off,
159
00:06:47,842 --> 00:06:48,973
and he really enjoyed that,
160
00:06:49,017 --> 00:06:51,323
because he was 6'5
and I was just about,
161
00:06:51,367 --> 00:06:53,848
I don't know, 5'7 probably.
162
00:06:53,891 --> 00:06:55,676
He use to tell me that, "Youbetter find another game".
163
00:06:55,719 --> 00:06:56,851
"This isn't your game."
164
00:06:56,894 --> 00:06:58,722
"It's for big men, tall men."
165
00:06:59,941 --> 00:07:00,811
- But when you
think about the way
166
00:07:00,855 --> 00:07:02,073
the game was played back then,
167
00:07:02,117 --> 00:07:03,466
you kinda think of that
old news reel footage.
168
00:07:03,510 --> 00:07:04,728
It was the kind that
happen, you know,
169
00:07:04,772 --> 00:07:06,164
that paint drying paste.
170
00:07:06,208 --> 00:07:06,991
- No shot clock.
171
00:07:07,035 --> 00:07:09,211
No sense of urgency.
172
00:07:09,254 --> 00:07:12,475
Obviously, it's antiquated,because it's where we started.
173
00:07:12,519 --> 00:07:14,912
- It's athletic, because there'smovement and coordination,
174
00:07:14,956 --> 00:07:17,524
but it feels slower.
175
00:07:17,567 --> 00:07:19,569
It certainly is grounded.
176
00:07:19,613 --> 00:07:20,831
- The standard rule was
177
00:07:20,875 --> 00:07:23,878
you never leave your
feet on defense,
178
00:07:23,921 --> 00:07:25,793
and especially on offense.
179
00:07:25,836 --> 00:07:27,185
It's a whole
different game today.
180
00:07:27,229 --> 00:07:28,796
[chuckling]
181
00:07:28,839 --> 00:07:30,014
- They hardly dribbled theball, passed it around.
182
00:07:30,058 --> 00:07:31,842
The guys shootin' set shots.
183
00:07:31,886 --> 00:07:33,931
- They all shot a
two-handed shot.
184
00:07:33,975 --> 00:07:35,629
Push out here from the chest.
185
00:07:35,672 --> 00:07:37,935
- You know, if you were gonnashoot a two-hand set shot
186
00:07:37,979 --> 00:07:39,807
you had to be wide open.
187
00:07:39,850 --> 00:07:41,809
- I don't know if
set shot off today.
188
00:07:41,852 --> 00:07:44,159
Have to be 50 feet
away from the guy.
189
00:07:44,202 --> 00:07:45,769
- [Kenny] You couldn'thave anybody close to you
190
00:07:45,813 --> 00:07:48,685
who would just put a handup, and block your shot.
191
00:07:48,729 --> 00:07:50,426
- If a shot has
to be constructed
192
00:07:50,470 --> 00:07:53,516
over a period of one,
two, three seconds,
193
00:07:53,560 --> 00:07:55,823
the game is slowed
by definition.
194
00:07:55,866 --> 00:07:57,302
- If you look at some
of these guys now,
195
00:07:57,346 --> 00:07:58,913
like a Westbrook, or somethin',
196
00:07:58,956 --> 00:08:01,045
they way they fly down thecourt, and jump on the gym.
197
00:08:01,785 --> 00:08:03,265
[crowd cheering]
198
00:08:03,308 --> 00:08:05,310
Looks almost like a differentsport than back then.
199
00:08:05,354 --> 00:08:07,704
- It'll tell you, man, if Iwas born like 60 years earlier
200
00:08:07,748 --> 00:08:10,098
I would've been in
the NBA, no doubt.
201
00:08:10,141 --> 00:08:11,099
[exhaling loudly]
202
00:08:11,142 --> 00:08:12,709
- I think I'd be a monster.
203
00:08:12,753 --> 00:08:14,668
- Oh, I would've gotten somebuckets, that's for sure.
204
00:08:14,711 --> 00:08:16,974
- Yeah, I feel like
a little step back,
205
00:08:17,018 --> 00:08:19,368
or a between the legs crossover,
206
00:08:19,411 --> 00:08:21,065
we'd throw somebody
into the first row.
207
00:08:21,109 --> 00:08:23,198
[laughing]
208
00:08:23,241 --> 00:08:26,462
[basketball thudding]
209
00:08:35,515 --> 00:08:36,254
[ball thudding basketball goal]
210
00:08:36,298 --> 00:08:37,168
[basketball thudding]
211
00:08:37,212 --> 00:08:39,214
- High on the board, Sailors.
212
00:08:39,257 --> 00:08:41,695
I just made up my mindthat I was gonna find a way
213
00:08:41,738 --> 00:08:43,523
to shoot the ball over the guy.
214
00:08:43,566 --> 00:08:45,002
My brother, he made up his mind,
215
00:08:45,046 --> 00:08:46,787
"I'm gonna frustrate
that little squirt,
216
00:08:46,830 --> 00:08:48,702
and not even let
him get a shot off".
217
00:08:48,745 --> 00:08:50,138
Somehow, the idea come to me is,
218
00:08:50,181 --> 00:08:53,445
well, if I jump up, and
I knew I could jump,
219
00:08:53,489 --> 00:08:56,318
if I jump up high enough outof my dribble, like this,
220
00:08:56,361 --> 00:08:57,928
I dribbled up,
[ball thudding]
221
00:08:57,972 --> 00:09:01,497
and from here, right on thedribble, I jumped straight up,
222
00:09:01,541 --> 00:09:03,934
and bring the ball up
right over my head,
223
00:09:03,978 --> 00:09:06,763
and I let it go, and
the thing went in,
224
00:09:07,982 --> 00:09:10,201
and I was just as surprised,or more than he was,
225
00:09:10,245 --> 00:09:12,421
and the ball went in the basket.
226
00:09:12,464 --> 00:09:13,683
His feet was on the ground.
227
00:09:13,727 --> 00:09:15,163
He hadn't even left the floor.
228
00:09:15,206 --> 00:09:16,512
Boy, that spooked him.
229
00:09:16,556 --> 00:09:19,167
He said, "That's a
good shot, Kenny".
230
00:09:19,210 --> 00:09:21,604
"You have to get
better at that."
231
00:09:21,648 --> 00:09:23,780
Well, I started workin'
on it from that time on.
232
00:09:23,824 --> 00:09:24,694
[engine roaring]
233
00:09:24,738 --> 00:09:27,044
[upbeat jive music playing]
234
00:09:27,088 --> 00:09:29,220
Mom wanted Bud to go to college.
235
00:09:29,264 --> 00:09:33,355
She sold the farm, and we boughtthat home here in Laramie.
236
00:09:33,398 --> 00:09:36,184
I graduated high school
in the spring of '39.
237
00:09:36,227 --> 00:09:38,926
Entered the university
to play basketball.
238
00:09:40,188 --> 00:09:42,930
- The University of
Wyoming hired Ev Shelton
239
00:09:42,973 --> 00:09:45,541
to coach the
basketball at Wyoming.
240
00:09:45,585 --> 00:09:47,064
- He was a remarkable guy.
241
00:09:47,108 --> 00:09:48,718
Charming beyond belief.
242
00:09:48,762 --> 00:09:52,156
On the floor he elicited
the greatest respect.
243
00:09:52,200 --> 00:09:53,201
- He'd didn't curse me.
244
00:09:53,244 --> 00:09:54,898
Come up to you, and say,
245
00:09:55,856 --> 00:09:57,248
"Did you hear what I said?",
246
00:09:57,292 --> 00:09:59,773
and leave little
knobs in your head.
247
00:09:59,816 --> 00:10:01,775
- He didn't have to shout at ya.
248
00:10:01,818 --> 00:10:03,820
He just had to look at ya.
249
00:10:03,864 --> 00:10:05,605
- When he came, he said to us,
250
00:10:05,648 --> 00:10:08,346
"Now, I've won nationalchampionships in AAU ball".
251
00:10:08,390 --> 00:10:11,088
He said, "I wanna win acollege national championship".
252
00:10:11,132 --> 00:10:12,612
He told us right off.
253
00:10:12,655 --> 00:10:15,179
- Kenny and his fellow
teammates were freshmen,
254
00:10:15,223 --> 00:10:18,269
and freshmen were not
eligible in those days.
255
00:10:18,313 --> 00:10:19,662
- He didn't think too much of us
256
00:10:19,706 --> 00:10:22,665
yellow punk Wyoming freshmen.
257
00:10:22,709 --> 00:10:26,016
Nearly every one of us, LewRoney, Volker, and Shadow Ray,
258
00:10:26,060 --> 00:10:28,018
and myself, and Collins,
259
00:10:28,062 --> 00:10:30,978
and Weir, of course, he'sthe big man from Green River,
260
00:10:31,021 --> 00:10:32,675
we were all all-state
players, you know?
261
00:10:32,719 --> 00:10:35,591
So we did have a prettyhigh opinion of ourselves.
262
00:10:36,897 --> 00:10:38,115
He says, "We're gonna geta team here at Wyoming".
263
00:10:38,159 --> 00:10:40,030
"It's gonna win a
national championship."
264
00:10:40,074 --> 00:10:41,118
"And I don't know
if you're the boys
265
00:10:41,162 --> 00:10:42,772
that's gonna do that, or not."
266
00:10:42,816 --> 00:10:44,339
- [Male] That year,
the varsity squad
267
00:10:44,382 --> 00:10:46,820
was lead by junior
star, Willie Rothman,
268
00:10:46,863 --> 00:10:49,561
and future sports
broadcaster, Curt Gowdy.
269
00:10:49,605 --> 00:10:51,433
- The freshmen
scrimmaged the varsity,
270
00:10:51,476 --> 00:10:53,870
but Kenny and Jim Weir,
they let it be known
271
00:10:53,914 --> 00:10:55,872
that they thought
they were better.
272
00:10:55,916 --> 00:10:56,830
- [Kenny] We thought
we didn't have
273
00:10:56,873 --> 00:10:58,527
any trouble scorin' on 'em.
274
00:10:58,570 --> 00:11:00,137
We got to braggin'
and teasin' 'em
275
00:11:00,181 --> 00:11:03,488
until the point that Sheltongot kinda fed up with it.
276
00:11:03,532 --> 00:11:05,752
So Shelton one day
come in, and announced,
277
00:11:05,795 --> 00:11:09,190
he says, "I'm gonna arrange agame for you cocky freshmen".
278
00:11:09,233 --> 00:11:12,062
- Shelton went and scheduleda game, and sold tickets,
279
00:11:12,106 --> 00:11:14,543
and I think Shelton'sidea was he was gonna put
280
00:11:14,586 --> 00:11:16,719
Jim Weir and Kenny
Sailors in their place.
281
00:11:16,763 --> 00:11:18,895
- [Kenny] We played
'em, and we beat 'em.
282
00:11:18,939 --> 00:11:20,549
[crowd cheering]
283
00:11:20,592 --> 00:11:22,464
- Kenny Sailors and hisfreshmen beat the varsity,
284
00:11:22,507 --> 00:11:23,770
and beat 'em pretty well.
285
00:11:23,813 --> 00:11:25,206
- [Kenny] They only had the 31.
286
00:11:25,249 --> 00:11:27,730
Weir and I had a
combination between us,
287
00:11:27,774 --> 00:11:29,906
the same number of pointsthat the varsity had.
288
00:11:29,950 --> 00:11:31,734
- He was the governor out there.
289
00:11:31,778 --> 00:11:33,344
He controlled the ballgame.
290
00:11:33,388 --> 00:11:35,216
- [Kenny] Shelton didn'tsay much right at the time.
291
00:11:35,259 --> 00:11:36,870
I think he was about
half embarrassed,
292
00:11:36,913 --> 00:11:39,220
as was the varsity team.
293
00:11:39,263 --> 00:11:41,570
He didn't expect to lose
that game, I'm sure,
294
00:11:41,613 --> 00:11:43,790
or he'd a never played it.
295
00:11:45,661 --> 00:11:48,795
- For all of us growing
up in the 1940s,
296
00:11:48,838 --> 00:11:52,842
we all wanted to play ballat the University of Wyoming.
297
00:11:54,322 --> 00:11:56,846
- [Male] Our dad would
take us to games.
298
00:11:56,890 --> 00:11:58,369
- We would go into
the dressing room,
299
00:11:58,413 --> 00:12:02,547
and meet all these guys, MiloKomenich, Weir, and Volker.
300
00:12:02,591 --> 00:12:04,245
- [Male] They werewonderful guys, and Kenny,
301
00:12:04,288 --> 00:12:07,117
that was the one youalways kind of focused on.
302
00:12:10,381 --> 00:12:11,861
- [Kenny] When
people have asked me
303
00:12:11,905 --> 00:12:13,907
why I didn't date thegirls, I said, "Well, I do".
304
00:12:13,950 --> 00:12:16,866
"I have a steady, and she'sabout that big around."
305
00:12:16,910 --> 00:12:18,302
"I go with her all the time."
306
00:12:19,826 --> 00:12:21,697
I wanted to be a good
basketball player,
307
00:12:21,741 --> 00:12:23,960
and girls just didn't
fit into that for me.
308
00:12:25,309 --> 00:12:27,137
A friend of mine, Stan Hathaway,
309
00:12:27,181 --> 00:12:30,967
he was workin' for his boardover in the Kappa house.
310
00:12:31,011 --> 00:12:32,621
One time he came over at
the union, and he said,
311
00:12:32,664 --> 00:12:34,536
"Kenny", he says, "You'rereally missin' it".
312
00:12:34,579 --> 00:12:36,277
"We got the prettiest
girls on the campus
313
00:12:36,320 --> 00:12:37,800
over there in the Kappa house,
314
00:12:37,844 --> 00:12:41,499
especially one girl that wehave over there's from Casper."
315
00:12:41,543 --> 00:12:43,893
Her name was Marilynne Corbin.
316
00:12:43,937 --> 00:12:45,590
- [Male] She was a
cheerleader for the
317
00:12:45,634 --> 00:12:47,331
football and the
basketball team,
318
00:12:47,375 --> 00:12:48,855
and she was the drum majorette,
319
00:12:48,898 --> 00:12:52,728
and threw the baton up in theair at the head of the band.
320
00:12:52,772 --> 00:12:54,077
- [Kenny] Anyway,
he came in one day
321
00:12:54,121 --> 00:12:56,776
with these four beautiful girls,
322
00:12:56,819 --> 00:12:59,474
and I was sittin' theretalkin' with Stan mostly,
323
00:12:59,517 --> 00:13:02,129
'cause I was too embarrassedto talk to the girls,
324
00:13:02,172 --> 00:13:03,826
and right there in front
of 'em, all of 'em,
325
00:13:03,870 --> 00:13:05,175
he said, "Kenny", he said,
326
00:13:05,219 --> 00:13:07,612
"Do you know our Phi Deltdance is this weekend?"
327
00:13:08,613 --> 00:13:10,790
I said, "I don't dance, Stan".
328
00:13:10,833 --> 00:13:12,226
"You know that."
329
00:13:12,269 --> 00:13:14,489
I'd forgot all about it, ordidn't even know about it.
330
00:13:14,532 --> 00:13:16,012
Yeah, and he said,
331
00:13:16,056 --> 00:13:18,275
"You know, that's somethin'you oughta take Marilynne to".
332
00:13:18,319 --> 00:13:20,756
Right there in front of her.
333
00:13:21,888 --> 00:13:24,281
She pipes up, he
coached her, no doubt,
334
00:13:24,325 --> 00:13:26,414
she says, "Well, I don'tcare about dancin' anyway".
335
00:13:26,457 --> 00:13:29,852
"We'll just go have somefun, if you wanna take me."
336
00:13:29,896 --> 00:13:32,681
[chuckling]
337
00:13:32,724 --> 00:13:34,857
- [Interviewer] Did you guysgo on dates in the outdoors?
338
00:13:34,901 --> 00:13:36,163
- [Kenny] Yeah, we sure
did, didn't we, Bokie?
339
00:13:36,206 --> 00:13:37,686
- Go on picnics.
340
00:13:37,729 --> 00:13:39,122
- [Marilynne]
341
00:13:43,605 --> 00:13:44,432
[laughing]
342
00:13:44,475 --> 00:13:45,694
- That sounds romantic.
343
00:13:47,043 --> 00:13:48,305
- We started goin' together,
344
00:13:48,349 --> 00:13:50,742
and went steady the
rest of the year,
345
00:13:50,786 --> 00:13:52,744
and then that summer
we were married.
346
00:13:54,746 --> 00:13:55,791
- She was funny.
347
00:13:55,835 --> 00:13:56,748
She had a sense
of humor, she did.
348
00:13:56,792 --> 00:13:58,402
She had a great Tarzan yell,
349
00:13:58,446 --> 00:14:00,840
and I guess, and thoughtit would've been real fun
350
00:14:00,883 --> 00:14:04,060
to know her when she was20, and I grew up with her,
351
00:14:04,104 --> 00:14:05,714
'cause she was a lot of fun.
352
00:14:05,757 --> 00:14:08,586
- [Kenny] She was a beautifulwoman, for one thing,
353
00:14:08,630 --> 00:14:12,460
but her beauty was a lotdeeper than just on her skin.
354
00:14:12,503 --> 00:14:14,897
- They had a really
loving relationship,
355
00:14:14,941 --> 00:14:16,856
and he and she complimentedeach other really well.
356
00:14:16,899 --> 00:14:18,858
Grandma was definitely
very independent,
357
00:14:18,901 --> 00:14:20,903
and she was her own woman,
358
00:14:20,947 --> 00:14:24,776
and I feel like that's whygrandpa loved her so much.
359
00:14:24,820 --> 00:14:26,691
- [Kenny] She just had
a wonderful personality,
360
00:14:26,735 --> 00:14:28,824
and, of course, her
values, and her thinking
361
00:14:28,868 --> 00:14:31,566
was just what a
husband really wanted.
362
00:14:31,609 --> 00:14:35,831
[instrumental jazz
music playing]
363
00:14:35,875 --> 00:14:40,401
- In those days, the coachcould not talk with the team
364
00:14:40,444 --> 00:14:41,793
during the game at all.
365
00:14:41,837 --> 00:14:43,012
Nobody was allowed
to interfere with
366
00:14:43,056 --> 00:14:44,927
a play of the game
even during timeouts.
367
00:14:44,971 --> 00:14:48,148
So guess who told
the team what to do?
368
00:14:48,191 --> 00:14:50,715
The captain on the
floor, that was Kenny.
369
00:14:51,934 --> 00:14:52,804
- [Male] Everybody
became confident
370
00:14:52,848 --> 00:14:54,154
in what they did through Kenny,
371
00:14:54,197 --> 00:14:56,243
because they knew they had a guy
372
00:14:56,286 --> 00:14:58,593
who could elevate
them as a team.
373
00:14:58,636 --> 00:14:59,768
- A lot of people ask, "Didn'tyou play with Kenny Sailors?"
374
00:14:59,811 --> 00:15:02,466
I said, "Yeah, I sure did".
375
00:15:02,510 --> 00:15:03,598
"Describe him."
376
00:15:04,425 --> 00:15:05,817
"A rattlesnake."
377
00:15:05,861 --> 00:15:07,732
- As mild and as
gentle as he is,
378
00:15:07,776 --> 00:15:10,779
when it comes to competition,he'd tear your throat out.
379
00:15:10,822 --> 00:15:11,998
- [Male] That's what he was,
380
00:15:12,041 --> 00:15:13,173
the quickest guy I
ever saw on the court
381
00:15:13,216 --> 00:15:14,478
with his hand and his feet.
382
00:15:14,522 --> 00:15:15,827
- [Male] Ken would
fake a drawing,
383
00:15:15,871 --> 00:15:18,308
and step back, and be in the air
384
00:15:18,352 --> 00:15:21,311
by the time the defensivemen would get to him.
385
00:15:25,489 --> 00:15:28,884
- When I watched Kenny Sailors,it actually blew me away.
386
00:15:28,928 --> 00:15:31,713
- If you saw Kenny Sailorsplay, you saw the jump shot.
387
00:15:31,756 --> 00:15:35,238
- [Sports Announcer] Ken Sailorsof Wyoming sinks this one.
388
00:15:35,282 --> 00:15:37,806
- [Male] He was
ahead of his time.
389
00:15:37,849 --> 00:15:39,460
- The first time I
ever saw a guy do that.
390
00:15:39,503 --> 00:15:42,942
Kenny shot one in, and onhis way up, he was great.
391
00:15:42,985 --> 00:15:45,988
- [Male] No one shot thatup until then like he did.
392
00:15:47,555 --> 00:15:49,644
- I would pay money to seewhoever's defending Kenny
393
00:15:49,687 --> 00:15:51,733
that first time he roseup, and shot a jump shot,
394
00:15:51,776 --> 00:15:54,779
just to see like thesnapshot of that guy's face.
395
00:15:54,823 --> 00:15:57,478
As he's like comin' down
in transition, rises up,
396
00:15:57,521 --> 00:16:00,176
and the guy's like,
what is goin' on?
397
00:16:00,220 --> 00:16:02,048
This has gotta be atravel or somethin', like.
398
00:16:02,091 --> 00:16:03,963
- Ev Shelton had no idea
what to do with that.
399
00:16:04,006 --> 00:16:05,790
There were no coaches that were
400
00:16:05,834 --> 00:16:08,619
teaching that skillset,
or fundamental,
401
00:16:08,663 --> 00:16:10,708
but he had enough sense
to let him shoot it.
402
00:16:10,752 --> 00:16:13,624
- That speaks to
the selflessness of
the coach, to me,
403
00:16:13,668 --> 00:16:15,626
and it allowed Kenny to thrive,
404
00:16:15,670 --> 00:16:18,194
and it was goin' against
the grain of the time,
405
00:16:18,238 --> 00:16:19,848
but that's really
406
00:16:19,891 --> 00:16:22,851
one of the hallmarks of anyoutstanding coach, in my mind.
407
00:16:22,894 --> 00:16:24,940
- [Kenny] Shelton had
an advanced offense
408
00:16:24,984 --> 00:16:26,898
for those days in basketball.
409
00:16:26,942 --> 00:16:28,335
- It was called
the Shelton Weave,
410
00:16:28,378 --> 00:16:31,599
which put him in the NationalBasketball Hall of Fame.
411
00:16:31,642 --> 00:16:32,904
- [Male] The main
thing about it was
412
00:16:32,948 --> 00:16:35,864
he knew how to set insideand outside screens.
413
00:16:35,907 --> 00:16:37,909
- [Male] It would
pull the big men out,
414
00:16:37,953 --> 00:16:40,825
and they weren't use to
playing on the outside.
415
00:16:40,869 --> 00:16:43,872
- [Male] Finally,
somebody would be open.
416
00:16:43,915 --> 00:16:45,569
- Once they startedplaying well and winning,
417
00:16:45,613 --> 00:16:46,962
then nobody wanted to play 'em,
418
00:16:47,006 --> 00:16:49,921
'cause what do you have towin if you beat Wyoming?
419
00:16:49,965 --> 00:16:52,707
- Wyoming is not an
easy place to get to,
420
00:16:52,750 --> 00:16:55,536
especially when thebasketballs start bouncing
421
00:16:55,579 --> 00:16:56,972
from November to March.
422
00:16:58,104 --> 00:16:59,757
- [Kenny] I think they
have always feared
423
00:16:59,801 --> 00:17:01,542
coming up to play in Wyoming.
424
00:17:02,804 --> 00:17:04,849
- The University of Wyomingis sitting at altitude
425
00:17:04,893 --> 00:17:07,635
of whatever feet, and all youcan do is get winded and lose.
426
00:17:07,678 --> 00:17:09,289
- And we made a big
sign up, you know,
427
00:17:09,332 --> 00:17:11,726
"How you breathin'
with 7,000 feet?"
428
00:17:11,769 --> 00:17:13,032
[mumbling]
429
00:17:13,075 --> 00:17:14,729
- You playin' one team,
they had an oxygen tank,
430
00:17:14,772 --> 00:17:15,904
and masks on the sideline.
431
00:17:15,947 --> 00:17:17,906
I said "Are you kiddin' me?"
432
00:17:17,949 --> 00:17:20,169
- Shelton said, "They won'tcome here to 7,000 feet".
433
00:17:20,213 --> 00:17:22,345
"We've tried to get teamsall over the nation."
434
00:17:22,389 --> 00:17:23,868
"They won't come up
here to place us."
435
00:17:23,912 --> 00:17:24,956
"They're scared of us."
436
00:17:25,000 --> 00:17:27,133
So he said, "We're
gonna go to them".
437
00:17:27,176 --> 00:17:28,003
- All aboard!
438
00:17:28,047 --> 00:17:29,831
[train whistle blowing]
439
00:17:29,874 --> 00:17:32,094
- [Male] Everett Sheltondid something in those days
440
00:17:32,138 --> 00:17:33,574
teams wouldn't do anymore.
441
00:17:33,617 --> 00:17:34,923
He took his team on the road.
442
00:17:35,793 --> 00:17:36,751
- Coaches who are coaching for
443
00:17:36,794 --> 00:17:38,927
their livelihood are gonna say,
444
00:17:38,970 --> 00:17:40,581
"I'd rather go 18 and three
445
00:17:40,624 --> 00:17:42,496
against the guys
around the block",
446
00:17:42,539 --> 00:17:45,107
but he was coaching to wina national championship.
447
00:17:45,151 --> 00:17:46,978
- I'd never been on a
train before in my life.
448
00:17:47,022 --> 00:17:48,806
Never been out of
the state of Wyoming.
449
00:17:48,850 --> 00:17:50,156
None of us kids had.
450
00:17:50,199 --> 00:17:52,071
We were just a bunch ofcountry kids, most of us.
451
00:17:53,246 --> 00:17:54,551
- [Male] Ev Shelton
wanted to go where
452
00:17:54,595 --> 00:17:56,075
they could get the
best competition.
453
00:17:56,118 --> 00:17:57,815
[horn blaring]
454
00:17:57,859 --> 00:17:59,165
- [Male] They did a
whistle stop tour,
455
00:17:59,208 --> 00:18:00,731
and they'd stop the
train along the way,
456
00:18:00,775 --> 00:18:02,733
and play games againstanyone that would play 'em.
457
00:18:02,777 --> 00:18:03,995
- That's what we did.
458
00:18:04,039 --> 00:18:05,562
We'd go all up and
down that East Coast.
459
00:18:05,606 --> 00:18:08,130
We played all over thecountry anybody we could play.
460
00:18:08,174 --> 00:18:10,306
[upbeat jive music playing]
461
00:18:10,350 --> 00:18:14,310
- [Male] The 1942/43season, it really ranks with
462
00:18:14,354 --> 00:18:17,052
one of the great
seasons of all time.
463
00:18:17,096 --> 00:18:18,706
- They not only
took the challenge,
464
00:18:18,749 --> 00:18:22,188
they went out and beat teamafter team away from home,
465
00:18:22,231 --> 00:18:24,842
gaining even more
respect nationally.
466
00:18:24,886 --> 00:18:28,324
- [Male] Their road
record was unbelievable.
467
00:18:28,368 --> 00:18:29,717
- [Male] They played 33 games.
468
00:18:29,760 --> 00:18:30,892
They won 31.
469
00:18:30,935 --> 00:18:32,807
And their only two
losses were on the road.
470
00:18:32,850 --> 00:18:33,982
- [Male] They were dominant,
471
00:18:34,025 --> 00:18:35,723
and they were
dominant with a flair.
472
00:18:35,766 --> 00:18:37,768
- Shelton, he finally
got to the point
473
00:18:37,812 --> 00:18:40,206
where he'd say to us, "Now,boys, you're good enough,
474
00:18:40,249 --> 00:18:41,424
you can beat anybody".
475
00:18:41,468 --> 00:18:42,904
"There isn't anybody
can beat you."
476
00:18:42,947 --> 00:18:45,036
- [Male] Going undefeatedin conference play
477
00:18:45,080 --> 00:18:47,430
put them into the
NCA Tournament.
478
00:18:47,474 --> 00:18:49,737
- [Male] Wyoming playedOklahoma first, and then Texas,
479
00:18:49,780 --> 00:18:52,957
in order to advance to thefinals in Madison Square Garden.
480
00:18:53,001 --> 00:18:55,177
- [Male] You didn't getto Madison Square Garden,
481
00:18:55,221 --> 00:18:58,180
you didn't get filmed, andyou didn't get photographed.
482
00:18:58,224 --> 00:19:01,270
- It's the mecca of sports.
483
00:19:01,314 --> 00:19:03,272
Everything has happened there.
484
00:19:03,316 --> 00:19:04,752
- If you played at the Garden,
485
00:19:04,795 --> 00:19:06,710
can't get any higher than that.
486
00:19:08,103 --> 00:19:11,411
- For a team like Wyomingto come into New York City
487
00:19:11,454 --> 00:19:13,804
in the spotlight on the
biggest basketball stage
488
00:19:13,848 --> 00:19:17,068
in the country is reallya remarkable achievement.
489
00:19:17,112 --> 00:19:19,201
- When they traveled
to New York,
490
00:19:19,245 --> 00:19:22,639
they may as well have beengoing to another planet.
491
00:19:22,683 --> 00:19:24,075
- They turn all the lights off,
492
00:19:24,119 --> 00:19:25,903
and we come runnin'
out one at a time
493
00:19:25,947 --> 00:19:27,209
with the spotlight on us,
494
00:19:27,253 --> 00:19:28,906
and they'd announce
our names, you know?
495
00:19:28,950 --> 00:19:31,605
Whoo, that was a big dealfor a country boy like me.
496
00:19:31,648 --> 00:19:33,084
[laughing]
497
00:19:33,128 --> 00:19:34,260
- [Sports Announcer] Thisgame developed into a thriller
498
00:19:34,303 --> 00:19:35,870
from the very first play.
499
00:19:35,913 --> 00:19:38,133
The best planned has playedin New York this season.
500
00:19:38,177 --> 00:19:39,917
- Georgetown was tough.
501
00:19:39,961 --> 00:19:41,310
I mean, they were
a good ball club.
502
00:19:41,354 --> 00:19:42,877
We didn't beat 'em by that much.
503
00:19:44,879 --> 00:19:47,708
- [Male] Kenny, he got onthat big stage, and performed.
504
00:19:47,751 --> 00:19:50,885
- Kenny Sailors was the
most outstanding player
505
00:19:50,928 --> 00:19:52,800
of the NCAA Tournament.
506
00:19:52,843 --> 00:19:54,932
That's a resume that
not very many people
507
00:19:54,976 --> 00:19:57,718
across basketball historycan really speak to.
508
00:19:57,761 --> 00:20:01,330
[upbeat jive music playing]
509
00:20:02,984 --> 00:20:05,595
- [Male] They really
captured the attention
510
00:20:05,639 --> 00:20:07,293
of New York and
the New York media,
511
00:20:07,336 --> 00:20:09,686
which at that time, meantcapturing the attention
512
00:20:09,730 --> 00:20:11,210
of the college basketball world.
513
00:20:12,080 --> 00:20:16,171
[intense dramatic music playing]
514
00:20:17,651 --> 00:20:21,176
- [Kenny] The NCA in 1943wasn't the biggest tournament.
515
00:20:21,220 --> 00:20:25,833
- The NCAA didn't havethat appeal, like the NIT.
516
00:20:25,876 --> 00:20:30,098
The NIT was big, the biggestnational tournament there was.
517
00:20:30,141 --> 00:20:31,708
- [Sports Announcer] TheNational Invitation Tournament
518
00:20:31,752 --> 00:20:34,755
brings the nation's top fiveto Madison Square Garden.
519
00:20:34,798 --> 00:20:37,714
Teams meet in knock-down,drag-out fights to the finish.
520
00:20:37,758 --> 00:20:39,716
- [Kenny] After we won the NCAA,
521
00:20:39,760 --> 00:20:41,283
the New York papers were still
522
00:20:41,327 --> 00:20:43,459
making a big issue
over the fact that
523
00:20:43,503 --> 00:20:46,897
we were just a small, countryschool, and been lucky.
524
00:20:48,290 --> 00:20:50,727
- [Male] The night before theNCA Championship was played,
525
00:20:50,771 --> 00:20:54,209
St. John's won the NationalInvitational Tournament.
526
00:20:54,253 --> 00:20:56,864
- [Male] St. John's
didn't just win the NIT,
527
00:20:56,907 --> 00:20:58,518
they steamrolled teams.
528
00:20:58,561 --> 00:21:00,171
This was a great team.
529
00:21:00,215 --> 00:21:01,782
- [Male] I can still
remember the team.
530
00:21:01,825 --> 00:21:06,395
Boykoff, Gotkin, "Fuzzy" Levane,Baxster, and Al Moschetti.
531
00:21:07,875 --> 00:21:10,791
- You had the NCA championand the NIT champion
532
00:21:10,834 --> 00:21:13,141
in town at the same time.
533
00:21:13,184 --> 00:21:15,448
Ned Irish, I am
sure, was thinking,
534
00:21:15,491 --> 00:21:17,798
"How do I get these
teams together?"
535
00:21:17,841 --> 00:21:19,103
- They'd never done that before.
536
00:21:19,147 --> 00:21:22,193
They'd never had the NCAAand the NIT play off.
537
00:21:25,284 --> 00:21:27,373
- [Male] Even then,
with the imagination
538
00:21:27,416 --> 00:21:29,026
that Wyoming had captured,
539
00:21:29,070 --> 00:21:30,506
there was still
this notion there,
540
00:21:30,550 --> 00:21:33,161
"Well, that's nice", butnobody gave them a real chance.
541
00:21:34,815 --> 00:21:36,817
- [Sports Announcer]
The basketball
season's grand finale,
542
00:21:36,860 --> 00:21:39,254
given greater
significance tonight at
Madison Square Garden,
543
00:21:39,298 --> 00:21:41,256
and a killer-diller game it is.
544
00:21:41,300 --> 00:21:42,518
What hangs on this ballgame
545
00:21:42,562 --> 00:21:44,912
amounts to a national
basketball crown.
546
00:21:44,955 --> 00:21:46,870
- It was the Superbowl
of college basketball.
547
00:21:46,914 --> 00:21:48,742
That's what the
Red Cross game was.
548
00:21:48,785 --> 00:21:51,484
- They called it "the world'samateur championship".
549
00:21:51,527 --> 00:21:52,441
[laughing]
550
00:21:52,485 --> 00:21:53,703
- [Sports Announcer] Both teams,
551
00:21:53,747 --> 00:21:55,226
the kingpins of their
respected moves.
552
00:21:55,270 --> 00:21:57,577
St. John's rapid fire scoringhere in the past few minutes
553
00:21:57,620 --> 00:21:59,622
has tied up the game.
554
00:21:59,666 --> 00:22:02,190
From tip off to wind
up, it's touch and go.
555
00:22:02,233 --> 00:22:03,757
Wyoming scores.
556
00:22:03,800 --> 00:22:06,063
Seconds later, St.John's Redmen retaliated.
557
00:22:06,107 --> 00:22:08,283
Boykoff gave us a field goal.
558
00:22:08,327 --> 00:22:10,894
- With a few seconds leftto go in regulation time,
559
00:22:10,938 --> 00:22:12,853
St. John's tied the game,
560
00:22:12,896 --> 00:22:15,769
and Kenny took anin-bounds pass, laid it in
561
00:22:15,812 --> 00:22:16,857
for what appeared to be
562
00:22:16,900 --> 00:22:18,815
the winning basket
in regulation time.
563
00:22:18,859 --> 00:22:20,382
But that became controversial,
564
00:22:20,426 --> 00:22:23,864
because the referee said, "St.John's had called a timeout".
565
00:22:23,907 --> 00:22:25,735
- [Kenny] I don't think theyhad a right to call a timeout.
566
00:22:25,779 --> 00:22:26,997
How could you?
567
00:22:27,041 --> 00:22:28,477
When you make a basket,
568
00:22:28,521 --> 00:22:30,697
the ball actually belongsto the other team.
569
00:22:30,740 --> 00:22:32,742
- [Male] Madison Square
Garden was going crazy.
570
00:22:32,786 --> 00:22:34,918
They said it was
bedlam in there.
571
00:22:34,962 --> 00:22:36,920
- [Kenny] The crowd was thinkin'just like I was thinkin',
572
00:22:36,964 --> 00:22:39,009
"They can't do that".
573
00:22:39,053 --> 00:22:40,141
- [Sports Announcer] The
game now in deadlock,
574
00:22:40,184 --> 00:22:41,925
goes into five minutes overtime.
575
00:22:43,449 --> 00:22:46,887
Slick, smart, and speedythese shifty sharpshooters.
576
00:22:46,930 --> 00:22:48,410
A looping pass down court.
577
00:22:48,454 --> 00:22:50,673
Moschetti, St. John's,takes a shot at the board,
578
00:22:50,717 --> 00:22:51,892
and the Redmen score.
579
00:22:53,154 --> 00:22:54,808
Never once tonight
are these two quintets
580
00:22:54,851 --> 00:22:56,592
more than four points apart.
581
00:22:56,636 --> 00:22:58,855
A nip and tuck back
from start to finish.
582
00:23:00,161 --> 00:23:02,337
Five minutes overtime
almost run out.
583
00:23:04,383 --> 00:23:06,297
Three seconds left to play.
584
00:23:06,341 --> 00:23:08,735
[intense dramatic music playing]
585
00:23:08,778 --> 00:23:11,738
[crowd cheering]
[scoreboard buzzing]
586
00:23:11,781 --> 00:23:12,956
- This is the trophy
587
00:23:13,000 --> 00:23:14,393
that they didn't expect
to come to Wyoming.
588
00:23:14,436 --> 00:23:16,351
It was supposed to stayin Madison Square Garden.
589
00:23:16,395 --> 00:23:17,439
They had to ship it to us.
590
00:23:17,483 --> 00:23:18,875
We couldn't bring it home.
591
00:23:18,919 --> 00:23:20,921
- [Sports Announcer] The
final count 52 to 47,
592
00:23:20,964 --> 00:23:23,576
and Wyoming's Cowboys are theundisputed kings of the court.
593
00:23:23,619 --> 00:23:25,665
- It's pretty
powerful, isn't it?
594
00:23:25,708 --> 00:23:27,884
For a bunch of country
kids from Wyoming.
595
00:23:27,928 --> 00:23:29,451
None of us had been
out of the state
596
00:23:29,495 --> 00:23:31,453
before we went back to play.
597
00:23:31,497 --> 00:23:33,847
[laughing]
598
00:23:34,717 --> 00:23:36,371
- In 1943, a group of Cowboys
599
00:23:36,415 --> 00:23:37,851
went into Madison Square Garden,
600
00:23:37,894 --> 00:23:39,679
and won a national championship.
601
00:23:39,722 --> 00:23:41,855
- They had carried
our Cowboy banner,
602
00:23:41,898 --> 00:23:43,465
and showed 'em who
ate the cabbage,
603
00:23:43,509 --> 00:23:45,511
as the old man use to say.
604
00:23:45,554 --> 00:23:48,470
- It fueled a sense
of Wyoming's identity.
605
00:23:48,514 --> 00:23:52,474
It was in the blood and
bone of Wyomingites.
606
00:23:52,518 --> 00:23:55,999
Yeah, we too can
compete with anybody.
607
00:23:56,043 --> 00:23:59,873
[intense dramatic music playing]
608
00:23:59,916 --> 00:24:01,048
- [Male] Little old Wyoming was
609
00:24:01,091 --> 00:24:02,615
the best team in the country,
610
00:24:02,658 --> 00:24:04,312
and nobody can
ever say otherwise,
611
00:24:04,355 --> 00:24:06,793
and Kenny was the
head of the snake.
612
00:24:06,836 --> 00:24:09,448
- I mean, that's
a monumental task.
613
00:24:09,491 --> 00:24:12,799
When you think about
what Wyoming did in
beating St. John's,
614
00:24:12,842 --> 00:24:16,933
it would be like a DivisionII or Division III team
615
00:24:16,977 --> 00:24:19,153
being able to navigate
March Madness,
616
00:24:19,196 --> 00:24:21,547
and win the national
championship.
617
00:24:21,590 --> 00:24:24,811
- [Male] There's no doubt,that for these guys to do that,
618
00:24:24,854 --> 00:24:27,117
it was such a shining moment,
619
00:24:27,161 --> 00:24:29,859
but this was a team
that had no tomorrow,
620
00:24:31,339 --> 00:24:32,601
because they were
all goin' to war.
621
00:24:32,645 --> 00:24:35,735
[explosions booming]
622
00:24:38,781 --> 00:24:41,958
[gunshots ringing]
623
00:24:44,004 --> 00:24:47,529
- We are mustering
all our resources,
624
00:24:47,573 --> 00:24:50,793
manhood, and
industry, and wealth,
625
00:24:52,012 --> 00:24:54,275
to make our nation
strong in defense.
626
00:24:55,537 --> 00:24:59,541
For recent history
proves all too clearly,
627
00:24:59,585 --> 00:25:03,632
I am sorry to say,
that only the strong
628
00:25:03,676 --> 00:25:08,768
may continue to live in
freedom, and in peace.
629
00:25:08,811 --> 00:25:10,030
- There was a war goin' on.
630
00:25:11,553 --> 00:25:12,815
I knew they weren't gonnakeep me here in this country.
631
00:25:12,859 --> 00:25:14,556
I was gonna be gone.
632
00:25:14,600 --> 00:25:18,386
- [Male] His college career wasinterrupted by World War II.
633
00:25:18,429 --> 00:25:22,259
- [Male] Two weeks later, thewhole team was on active duty.
634
00:25:22,303 --> 00:25:23,565
- [Male] Kenny was one of the
635
00:25:23,609 --> 00:25:25,262
best known basketball
players in America.
636
00:25:25,306 --> 00:25:29,702
AU All-American, CollegeAll-American, national champion.
637
00:25:29,745 --> 00:25:31,399
He had everything going for him,
638
00:25:31,442 --> 00:25:33,749
in terms of basketball stardom.
639
00:25:33,793 --> 00:25:35,403
- [Male] I'm sure all
those achievements
640
00:25:35,446 --> 00:25:38,885
were exciting for him, butif you speak with Kenny
641
00:25:38,928 --> 00:25:42,105
about his departure frombasketball, he'll tell you
642
00:25:42,149 --> 00:25:44,455
he had more important
things on his mind.
643
00:25:45,631 --> 00:25:46,980
- [Interviewer]
Looking back at it,
644
00:25:47,023 --> 00:25:50,636
if a guy is named the MVPof the tournament in 1943,
645
00:25:50,679 --> 00:25:53,377
such a big deal, is
it almost a shame
646
00:25:53,421 --> 00:25:54,814
that you really
didn't get to revel
647
00:25:54,857 --> 00:25:56,467
- Yeah.
- in excitement of that?
648
00:25:56,511 --> 00:25:58,469
- Yeah, well, I
was gone, you know?
649
00:25:58,513 --> 00:25:59,732
In the Marines.
650
00:25:59,775 --> 00:26:01,516
And basketball was
important, and gosh,
651
00:26:01,560 --> 00:26:03,518
we were proud of the
fact we did what we did,
652
00:26:03,562 --> 00:26:06,390
but I was thinkin'
about leavin' my family,
653
00:26:06,434 --> 00:26:07,827
and I was gonna be married,
654
00:26:07,870 --> 00:26:09,611
and I was trying to convince her
655
00:26:09,655 --> 00:26:10,830
we shouldn't get
married before I,
656
00:26:10,873 --> 00:26:12,919
until I come back
from the Marine Corps,
657
00:26:12,962 --> 00:26:14,921
'cause to be honest with ya,I didn't expect to come back.
658
00:26:14,964 --> 00:26:16,139
Hell, that's the truth.
659
00:26:17,663 --> 00:26:19,926
- Marilynne was pregnantwhen Kenny was shipped out.
660
00:26:21,841 --> 00:26:25,453
In those days, widowsfrequently remained widows.
661
00:26:25,496 --> 00:26:26,933
Out of loyalty to
their marriage vows
662
00:26:26,976 --> 00:26:28,717
they would never marry again.
663
00:26:29,849 --> 00:26:31,154
But it was Marilynne who said,
664
00:26:31,198 --> 00:26:34,114
"Nope, we're gonna get
married", so they did.
665
00:26:34,157 --> 00:26:35,855
She defied all the
best advice, and said,
666
00:26:35,898 --> 00:26:37,117
"I wanna marry you".
667
00:26:37,160 --> 00:26:39,336
So that showed also
how much she loved him.
668
00:26:40,903 --> 00:26:45,647
Kenny was given command of 40Marines on this troop carrier.
669
00:26:45,691 --> 00:26:47,388
- [Kenny] Our job
was ship security,
670
00:26:47,431 --> 00:26:49,390
and we had to go into
the island sometimes,
671
00:26:49,433 --> 00:26:51,697
and they'd have tent campsset up with the wounded,
672
00:26:51,740 --> 00:26:54,787
and we'd have to go in andcarry 'em aboard this ship.
673
00:26:54,830 --> 00:26:56,789
I had so many buddiesthat I'd lost in the war,
674
00:26:56,832 --> 00:26:59,269
and in fact, if they didn'tget shot up or killed,
675
00:26:59,313 --> 00:27:01,141
they had malaria.
676
00:27:01,184 --> 00:27:04,666
[plane engine buzzing]
677
00:27:04,710 --> 00:27:06,233
- [Bill] I think the
Marines recognized
678
00:27:06,276 --> 00:27:08,670
leadership skills in him
from a very early time,
679
00:27:08,714 --> 00:27:10,672
and when he was
ready to muster out,
680
00:27:10,716 --> 00:27:12,674
he was a Captain at that point.
681
00:27:12,718 --> 00:27:16,199
- You joined the MarineCorp, and two years later,
682
00:27:16,243 --> 00:27:19,638
the war is over with,
and you're a Captain.
683
00:27:19,681 --> 00:27:22,249
You've done a lot of
things to get there.
684
00:27:22,292 --> 00:27:24,468
- Once you've been a Marine,you're always a Marine,
685
00:27:24,512 --> 00:27:25,861
and you respect the Marines,
686
00:27:25,905 --> 00:27:29,473
because you know what
it stands for, yeah.
687
00:27:29,517 --> 00:27:33,695
[crowd cheering]
[horn tooting]
688
00:27:33,739 --> 00:27:35,305
- [Sports Announcer]
For Wyoming, at forward,
689
00:27:35,349 --> 00:27:38,744
a 6'5 junior from
San Antonio, Texas,
690
00:27:38,787 --> 00:27:41,921
number 34, Fennis Dembo.
691
00:27:41,964 --> 00:27:44,924
- I know when I'm in the
presence of greatness.
692
00:27:44,967 --> 00:27:46,055
They say that's Kenny Sailors.
693
00:27:46,099 --> 00:27:48,144
I said, "Ah, I know who he is".
694
00:27:48,188 --> 00:27:49,755
"I know what he represents."
695
00:27:51,974 --> 00:27:54,803
What you're doin' as a kidthat's 18, 19-years-old,
696
00:27:54,847 --> 00:27:57,763
you're readin' about allthese great people, right?
697
00:27:57,806 --> 00:27:59,286
You were tryin' to
be better than 'em.
698
00:27:59,329 --> 00:28:00,940
[crowd cheering]
699
00:28:00,983 --> 00:28:02,550
- [Sports Announcer]
Saved his best game
700
00:28:02,593 --> 00:28:03,725
for the most importantgame thus far of the year.
701
00:28:03,769 --> 00:28:06,162
[crowd cheering]
702
00:28:06,206 --> 00:28:09,209
- How many basketballplayers we can think about
703
00:28:09,252 --> 00:28:12,038
actually did something toforever change the game?
704
00:28:12,081 --> 00:28:12,865
Forever?
705
00:28:15,041 --> 00:28:17,826
- While I was in the PacificI never saw a basketball.
706
00:28:17,870 --> 00:28:20,742
We never could get
any news on it either.
707
00:28:20,786 --> 00:28:22,570
We didn't get much of anything.
708
00:28:22,613 --> 00:28:27,096
When I came back, why, theconference had a special ruling.
709
00:28:27,140 --> 00:28:28,837
For us old boys who
had been in the war
710
00:28:28,881 --> 00:28:30,709
could come back and
play, and we did.
711
00:28:30,752 --> 00:28:32,232
- [Male] When Kenny
came back to the states
712
00:28:32,275 --> 00:28:33,799
at the end of the war,
713
00:28:33,842 --> 00:28:37,846
it gave him a chance toreally work on the jump shot,
714
00:28:37,890 --> 00:28:41,763
and really concentrate on itsflaws and its opportunities.
715
00:28:41,807 --> 00:28:43,025
- It took years.
716
00:28:43,069 --> 00:28:45,201
It didn't happen overnightto get my jump shot.
717
00:28:45,245 --> 00:28:47,247
That didn't happen right away.
718
00:28:47,290 --> 00:28:49,336
- The biggest technical problem
719
00:28:49,379 --> 00:28:51,991
was the idea of
jumping straight up.
720
00:28:52,034 --> 00:28:54,210
- It took me longer todevelop that than anything,
721
00:28:54,254 --> 00:28:56,517
'cause I'm dribblin'
fast sometimes,
722
00:28:56,560 --> 00:28:59,259
and you have to plant, and jump.
723
00:28:59,302 --> 00:29:00,782
- So a lot of times,
Ken would jump,
724
00:29:00,826 --> 00:29:02,915
and he would drift
into the player,
725
00:29:02,958 --> 00:29:04,612
and he would be
called for the foul.
726
00:29:04,655 --> 00:29:06,135
- And they soon
learned, you know,
727
00:29:06,179 --> 00:29:08,747
to get that offense foul tostay put, and let him hit ya.
728
00:29:09,965 --> 00:29:12,098
Coaches had me pegged
all over the country,
729
00:29:13,099 --> 00:29:14,796
so I had to develop a technique
730
00:29:14,840 --> 00:29:17,277
where I actually stopped
my forward motion,
731
00:29:17,320 --> 00:29:18,539
and went straight up.
732
00:29:19,758 --> 00:29:21,716
- [Male] In January,
1946, Kenny came back to
733
00:29:21,760 --> 00:29:24,066
Madison Square Garden
and played LIU,
734
00:29:25,633 --> 00:29:28,810
and on that night, Kenny's jumpshot would become legendary.
735
00:29:28,854 --> 00:29:31,465
[booming]
736
00:29:31,508 --> 00:29:33,902
- Oh God, almighty.
[booming]
737
00:29:33,946 --> 00:29:34,773
Wow!
738
00:29:36,296 --> 00:29:37,297
He's up there.
739
00:29:38,559 --> 00:29:39,516
- [Tim] Well, first
of all, he's really
740
00:29:39,560 --> 00:29:40,604
gettin' off the ground.
- Yeah.
741
00:29:40,648 --> 00:29:41,780
- That's got some serious hops.
742
00:29:41,823 --> 00:29:42,911
So not only was he jumping,
743
00:29:42,955 --> 00:29:44,217
he was really getting
off the floor,
744
00:29:44,260 --> 00:29:45,653
so he must have really
looked like a freak.
745
00:29:45,696 --> 00:29:46,872
- Man, he up.
746
00:29:46,915 --> 00:29:48,656
[stuttering]
747
00:29:48,699 --> 00:29:50,310
He was a white guy, man,
gettin' up that high
748
00:29:50,353 --> 00:29:52,268
off the floor on the jump shot?
749
00:29:52,312 --> 00:29:53,574
Give me a break.
750
00:29:53,617 --> 00:29:56,838
- Now, that's a piece
of art right there.
751
00:29:56,882 --> 00:29:57,926
It's beautiful.
752
00:29:59,188 --> 00:30:01,800
- [Male] His off-hand
is lightly on the ball,
753
00:30:01,843 --> 00:30:03,845
elbow looks pointed
straight at, you know,
754
00:30:03,889 --> 00:30:05,847
that directs the shot.
755
00:30:05,891 --> 00:30:08,110
- He's taken the
ball straight up.
756
00:30:08,154 --> 00:30:13,159
His eyes are focused, not onthe ball, but on a bucket.
757
00:30:15,291 --> 00:30:18,729
- That is a perfect
image of how I feel
758
00:30:18,773 --> 00:30:20,470
every time I shoot a jump shot.
759
00:30:21,776 --> 00:30:23,647
- [Male] I think there areeight guys in that picture,
760
00:30:23,691 --> 00:30:26,607
and there are 14
feet on the ground,
761
00:30:26,650 --> 00:30:28,087
and there are two
feet off the ground,
762
00:30:28,130 --> 00:30:29,740
but it's not a gimmick.
763
00:30:29,784 --> 00:30:31,699
- [Male] The other defenders,they're kind of looking at,
764
00:30:31,742 --> 00:30:33,962
like they're watching a
different sport almost.
765
00:30:34,006 --> 00:30:37,574
- [Male] The guy defendingKenny is in an athletic stance,
766
00:30:37,618 --> 00:30:40,273
but it never occurred
to him to jump.
767
00:30:40,316 --> 00:30:43,624
- That show you how groundedthe game was at that time,
768
00:30:43,667 --> 00:30:45,104
and where he was takin' it.
769
00:30:46,670 --> 00:30:48,020
To flight.
770
00:30:48,063 --> 00:30:50,413
- Think of the defender,a guy jumps up in the air.
771
00:30:50,457 --> 00:30:51,762
- That's pretty cool.
772
00:30:51,806 --> 00:30:52,807
A visionary, man.
773
00:30:52,851 --> 00:30:53,895
Way ahead of his time.
774
00:30:54,940 --> 00:30:56,115
- I've never seen
this photo before,
775
00:30:56,158 --> 00:30:57,986
but it's absolutely phenomenal.
776
00:30:59,640 --> 00:31:01,163
Every kid should see this.
777
00:31:01,207 --> 00:31:03,078
- I was expecting it to
be somewhat different.
778
00:31:03,122 --> 00:31:06,603
Like, sure it was a jump shotof its time, but it's evolved.
779
00:31:06,647 --> 00:31:07,909
It hasn't evolved.
780
00:31:07,953 --> 00:31:09,737
Kenny nailed it in the '40s.
781
00:31:09,780 --> 00:31:12,871
- I mean, it really looks likea Russel Westbrook photo now,
782
00:31:12,914 --> 00:31:16,875
the way he elevates, andstops on a dime on the break.
783
00:31:16,918 --> 00:31:18,267
I mean, that's amazing.
784
00:31:18,311 --> 00:31:20,748
- That is as good a form
785
00:31:20,791 --> 00:31:22,881
as I've ever seen
with the jump shot.
786
00:31:22,924 --> 00:31:26,406
I mean, that is an
unbelievable picture.
787
00:31:26,449 --> 00:31:28,408
I want a copy of it.
788
00:31:28,451 --> 00:31:30,410
[basketball thudding]
[low chattering]
789
00:31:30,453 --> 00:31:31,759
[ball swooshing in net]
790
00:31:31,802 --> 00:31:33,065
[laughing]
791
00:31:33,108 --> 00:31:34,936
[speaking faintly]
792
00:31:34,980 --> 00:31:38,113
[shoes squeaking on floor]
793
00:31:38,157 --> 00:31:39,898
- I'm a Millennial,
so I just thought
794
00:31:39,941 --> 00:31:41,116
the jump shot just appeared.
795
00:31:41,160 --> 00:31:43,205
It was just a part of the game.
796
00:31:43,249 --> 00:31:47,644
[somber instrumental
music playing]
797
00:31:49,690 --> 00:31:52,606
It's important, 'cause I knowthe work that goes into this.
798
00:31:52,649 --> 00:31:55,217
It's hard to make it tothe top of your profession,
799
00:31:55,261 --> 00:31:56,653
or to the top of anything.
800
00:31:57,916 --> 00:32:00,440
Pioneers, they don'tusually get a lot of credit,
801
00:32:00,483 --> 00:32:03,051
because not a lot of
people tend to go back,
802
00:32:03,095 --> 00:32:05,967
and go through the journey ofbasketball when they should.
803
00:32:06,011 --> 00:32:07,490
And I think stories like this
804
00:32:07,534 --> 00:32:09,144
is gonna have people startin' to
805
00:32:09,188 --> 00:32:11,320
just puttin' the
pieces together.
806
00:32:11,364 --> 00:32:14,149
That shot is what the
game is centered around.
807
00:32:14,193 --> 00:32:15,803
You know, it's
around the jump shot,
808
00:32:15,846 --> 00:32:17,761
and I just want
people to know, man,
809
00:32:17,805 --> 00:32:19,328
where this stuff comes from,
810
00:32:19,372 --> 00:32:21,635
'cause it's not the guys yousee on the NBA court right now.
811
00:32:21,678 --> 00:32:23,550
We didn't create this stuff.
812
00:32:23,593 --> 00:32:25,291
If you love the game so much,
813
00:32:25,334 --> 00:32:26,683
you will wanna see
where it comes from,
814
00:32:26,727 --> 00:32:28,729
and where it's goin',
and Kenny is a guy
815
00:32:28,772 --> 00:32:31,862
that stuck that
flag in the ground,
816
00:32:31,906 --> 00:32:34,865
and let it be known that thisgame is gonna be here forever,
817
00:32:34,909 --> 00:32:38,739
and I can't thank
him enough for that.
818
00:32:38,782 --> 00:32:42,482
[somber instrumental
music playing]
819
00:32:42,525 --> 00:32:45,964
[basketball thudding]
820
00:32:46,007 --> 00:32:47,182
[basketball goal clanking]
821
00:32:47,226 --> 00:32:50,838
[ball thudding]
- My old shoulders,
822
00:32:50,881 --> 00:32:54,407
boy, I couldn't shoot
a three-point shot for
823
00:32:54,450 --> 00:32:55,930
love or money.
824
00:32:55,974 --> 00:32:58,889
Mostly, it was my speed andmy quickness with the dribble
825
00:32:58,933 --> 00:33:02,502
is what got me by
my man, I guess.
826
00:33:02,545 --> 00:33:04,199
I dribbled up to him, like this,
827
00:33:04,243 --> 00:33:06,636
and then I give
the ball this here.
828
00:33:06,680 --> 00:33:08,334
I can't keep a balance even.
829
00:33:08,377 --> 00:33:10,553
I give the ball this
kind of a motion.
830
00:33:10,597 --> 00:33:13,861
He gets a rockin', and he'sdown here rockin' with me,
831
00:33:13,904 --> 00:33:17,604
I jump, I jump and
shoot the ball.
832
00:33:17,647 --> 00:33:18,909
It's evidently a
pretty good shot.
833
00:33:18,953 --> 00:33:20,389
There's a lot of guys
shootin' it today.
834
00:33:20,433 --> 00:33:22,087
I oughta sue the NBA
835
00:33:23,697 --> 00:33:25,916
for usin' my shot without megettin' anything out of it.
836
00:33:25,960 --> 00:33:27,396
Shouldn't they?
837
00:33:27,440 --> 00:33:29,355
If I good lawyer, I'd do that.
838
00:33:30,225 --> 00:33:32,836
Sue 'em all for 5,000.
839
00:33:33,750 --> 00:33:35,883
[laughing]
840
00:33:35,926 --> 00:33:37,798
I could make a little
money, could I?
841
00:33:37,841 --> 00:33:39,321
Yeah.
842
00:33:39,365 --> 00:33:41,715
Gosh, I was nearly 27-years-oldwhen I went into the NBA.
843
00:33:41,758 --> 00:33:44,283
You know, these kids are goin'in today when they're 19.
844
00:33:44,326 --> 00:33:45,936
[laughing]
845
00:33:45,980 --> 00:33:47,808
You know, they make millions.
846
00:33:47,851 --> 00:33:48,722
I didn't make nothing.
847
00:33:48,765 --> 00:33:49,940
Man, they really paid me.
848
00:33:49,984 --> 00:33:53,683
I made 75 hundred
dollars for the season.
849
00:33:53,727 --> 00:33:56,121
That was big money
in those days.
850
00:33:56,164 --> 00:33:58,558
The NBA started up in 1946.
851
00:33:58,601 --> 00:34:00,821
- The NBA was in
its infancy then.
852
00:34:00,864 --> 00:34:03,998
There were eight
teams in the NBA.
853
00:34:04,042 --> 00:34:07,219
- [Male] This game has nothad that long of a history.
854
00:34:07,262 --> 00:34:08,437
- [Male] Pro-basketball,
at the time,
855
00:34:08,481 --> 00:34:11,092
was hardly in the public
conscience at all.
856
00:34:11,136 --> 00:34:13,181
Baseball, football,
boxing dominated.
857
00:34:13,225 --> 00:34:15,096
They were a lot bigger
than basketball.
858
00:34:15,140 --> 00:34:17,794
- The pros didn't have
much oomph behind 'em,
859
00:34:17,838 --> 00:34:21,276
because it was smallcities against big cities,
860
00:34:21,320 --> 00:34:24,062
and there was littleemotional rooting interest.
861
00:34:24,105 --> 00:34:26,629
- Honestly, I coached
a high school game
862
00:34:26,673 --> 00:34:28,414
in Madison Square Garden,
863
00:34:28,457 --> 00:34:30,720
and we had more people
than the the pros.
864
00:34:30,764 --> 00:34:33,245
- These franchises
would go for a while,
865
00:34:33,288 --> 00:34:35,551
and they'd fold
like a card table.
866
00:34:35,595 --> 00:34:36,857
- [Male] There's
a handful of teams
867
00:34:36,900 --> 00:34:38,206
with a handful of players,
868
00:34:38,250 --> 00:34:40,556
and there's a
complete randomness
869
00:34:40,600 --> 00:34:43,690
to whether you're in a goodsituation, or a bad situation.
870
00:34:43,733 --> 00:34:47,128
In Kenny's case, he reallywas in several bad situations.
871
00:34:47,172 --> 00:34:48,695
- [Male] Kenny was moved
around quite a bit,
872
00:34:48,738 --> 00:34:50,740
and it wasn't because
he was a poor player.
873
00:34:50,784 --> 00:34:52,916
It was because at least
three of those teams,
874
00:34:52,960 --> 00:34:54,831
I can think of,
collapsed financially.
875
00:34:54,875 --> 00:34:55,745
They went out of business.
876
00:34:55,789 --> 00:34:56,790
They were disbanded.
877
00:34:56,833 --> 00:34:58,052
Players were thrown
into a lottery,
878
00:34:58,096 --> 00:34:59,749
and picked by other teams.
879
00:34:59,793 --> 00:35:01,099
- Not knowin' where
you're gonna live,
880
00:35:01,142 --> 00:35:03,884
not knowin' when thepaycheck was gonna come in,
881
00:35:03,927 --> 00:35:06,147
just changin' scenery over,and over, and over again,
882
00:35:06,191 --> 00:35:07,801
yeah, that'd be tough, man.
883
00:35:07,844 --> 00:35:09,281
- It's hard to
imagine the barriers
884
00:35:09,324 --> 00:35:10,499
these guys had to get through
885
00:35:10,543 --> 00:35:12,284
just so people
could see them play.
886
00:35:12,327 --> 00:35:13,763
- It's just crazy
to think about it.
887
00:35:13,807 --> 00:35:15,809
I'm definitely blessed to beplayin' the game right now,
888
00:35:15,852 --> 00:35:17,463
but you have a huge
amount of respect
889
00:35:17,506 --> 00:35:19,291
for the people that
have propelled the game
890
00:35:19,334 --> 00:35:20,248
to make it what it is.
891
00:35:20,292 --> 00:35:21,554
- We get on planes,
892
00:35:21,597 --> 00:35:23,556
and play on ESPN and
TNT like it's nothin',
893
00:35:23,599 --> 00:35:26,602
but these guys, like theypaved the way for us.
894
00:35:26,646 --> 00:35:30,302
- Every major bit of progress
895
00:35:30,345 --> 00:35:31,825
in the history of most sports
896
00:35:31,868 --> 00:35:35,350
is going to be looked
at as threatening.
897
00:35:35,394 --> 00:35:40,007
If you look at George Mikan,Bob Pettit, Bill Russell,
898
00:35:40,050 --> 00:35:43,532
Wilt Chamberlain,
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar,
899
00:35:43,576 --> 00:35:46,753
rules were made
to slow them down.
900
00:35:46,796 --> 00:35:48,668
There was this fear
that they were gonna
901
00:35:48,711 --> 00:35:52,367
take over the game, and skewthe competitive advantage,
902
00:35:52,411 --> 00:35:56,284
and there's no doubt thatthe jump shot fits into that.
903
00:35:56,328 --> 00:35:58,199
- Jimmy Breslin, the
famous, you know,
904
00:35:58,243 --> 00:35:59,505
Pulitzer Prize
winning columnist,
905
00:35:59,548 --> 00:36:01,985
he was just a sports
writer back then,
906
00:36:02,029 --> 00:36:03,422
and he wrote this long column
907
00:36:03,465 --> 00:36:06,468
on how the jump shot
had ruined basketball,
908
00:36:06,512 --> 00:36:08,427
because you have one guywho can just take the ball,
909
00:36:08,470 --> 00:36:10,255
either shoot right
away off the pass,
910
00:36:10,298 --> 00:36:11,952
or take a couple dribbles,
911
00:36:11,995 --> 00:36:13,910
and just take his
guy, and rise up.
912
00:36:13,954 --> 00:36:17,958
- Old school coaches, firstof all, didn't believe in it,
913
00:36:18,001 --> 00:36:20,787
and then once people
started to have success,
914
00:36:20,830 --> 00:36:22,789
the idea that this
is not basketball.
915
00:36:22,832 --> 00:36:26,836
[ball thudding]
[shoes squeaking]
916
00:36:26,880 --> 00:36:29,796
- This first coach I had,"Dutch" Dehnert was his name,
917
00:36:29,839 --> 00:36:31,711
he had the coaching
job there at Cleveland
918
00:36:31,754 --> 00:36:33,278
my first year in the NBA.
919
00:36:34,496 --> 00:36:36,411
A couple days before
the season got underway,
920
00:36:36,455 --> 00:36:39,240
I was shootin' jump shotsoff of my buddy there.
921
00:36:39,284 --> 00:36:42,722
[intense music playing]
922
00:36:43,723 --> 00:36:44,898
Dutch came up.
923
00:36:44,941 --> 00:36:46,116
He said to me,
"Sailors", he said,
924
00:36:46,160 --> 00:36:48,989
"Where'd you get that
leap and one-hander?"
925
00:36:49,032 --> 00:36:50,338
I said, "I don't know, Dutch".
926
00:36:50,382 --> 00:36:51,861
I said, "I had that
quite a while".
927
00:36:51,905 --> 00:36:55,648
I said, "That's what
keeps me in the game".
928
00:36:55,691 --> 00:36:58,825
"You just never go in thisleague with a shot like that."
929
00:36:58,868 --> 00:36:59,956
He meant it.
930
00:37:00,000 --> 00:37:01,741
I didn't play much
to start with at all.
931
00:37:01,784 --> 00:37:03,699
He says, "I'll show
you how to shoot
932
00:37:03,743 --> 00:37:06,789
a good two-handed set shot",and he says, "That dribble",
933
00:37:06,833 --> 00:37:08,878
he says, "We don't
dribble in this league".
934
00:37:08,922 --> 00:37:10,880
He says, "We pass the
ball up the court".
935
00:37:12,230 --> 00:37:15,624
And I said, "Well,
now that you take
936
00:37:15,668 --> 00:37:16,973
my jump shot and
my dribble away,
937
00:37:17,017 --> 00:37:18,627
you might as well sell
me, get rid of me".
938
00:37:18,671 --> 00:37:20,673
"I aint gonna help you any."
939
00:37:20,716 --> 00:37:21,717
- You know what
your strengths are.
940
00:37:21,761 --> 00:37:22,936
You know what you do well.
941
00:37:22,979 --> 00:37:24,372
You know who you are
as a basketball player,
942
00:37:24,416 --> 00:37:27,070
and somebody's telling youyou can't do those things,
943
00:37:27,114 --> 00:37:29,290
if I walked into practice,and my coach told me
944
00:37:29,334 --> 00:37:30,639
I couldn't shoot a three,
945
00:37:30,683 --> 00:37:32,859
or I couldn't shoot from
this spot on the floor,
946
00:37:34,382 --> 00:37:37,342
I don't know if I
would be in the league,
947
00:37:37,385 --> 00:37:38,691
that's for sure.
948
00:37:38,734 --> 00:37:40,083
- This is the way they
did it in those days.
949
00:37:40,127 --> 00:37:42,129
They sent Dutch on
the road scoutin'.
950
00:37:42,172 --> 00:37:43,739
[chuckling]
951
00:37:43,783 --> 00:37:45,306
You know, I don't know whatold Dutch could scout for,
952
00:37:45,350 --> 00:37:47,830
but when we started
to do much better,
953
00:37:47,874 --> 00:37:50,964
the general manager, hestarted me right off the bat,
954
00:37:51,007 --> 00:37:52,270
and I was the point guard.
955
00:37:52,313 --> 00:37:53,096
I brought the ball up.
956
00:37:53,140 --> 00:37:54,359
I dribbled it up.
957
00:37:54,402 --> 00:37:56,143
I didn't pass it to anybody.
958
00:37:56,186 --> 00:37:58,711
And he said the same thingmy old college coach said,
959
00:37:58,754 --> 00:38:00,843
"Give the ball to Sailors,and get away from him".
960
00:38:00,887 --> 00:38:02,802
"Get up court."
961
00:38:02,845 --> 00:38:04,804
- [Male] People knew thatKenny was the ball player,
962
00:38:04,847 --> 00:38:07,850
and I think he brought
in a lot of crowds too.
963
00:38:07,894 --> 00:38:11,332
- [Male] If you look at hisstatistics, his points per game,
964
00:38:11,376 --> 00:38:13,421
and the number of
times he ranked in
965
00:38:13,465 --> 00:38:15,858
the top 10 in
various categories,
966
00:38:15,902 --> 00:38:17,773
he had a verydistinguished pro career,
967
00:38:17,817 --> 00:38:19,732
but he never played
for a winning team.
968
00:38:21,429 --> 00:38:22,909
- What gets lost sometimes,
969
00:38:22,952 --> 00:38:24,302
is when people are so brilliant
970
00:38:24,345 --> 00:38:26,086
at something like a jump shot,
971
00:38:26,129 --> 00:38:28,654
they're overshadowed
by their own greatness,
972
00:38:28,697 --> 00:38:30,786
and I didn't know that Kenny was
973
00:38:30,830 --> 00:38:32,222
such a brilliant ball handler.
974
00:38:32,266 --> 00:38:36,575
- My dribble, I used it realeffectively in my scoring.
975
00:38:36,618 --> 00:38:38,794
By just dribbling up to a man,
976
00:38:38,838 --> 00:38:41,144
and just usin' a change
of pace, and then boo,
977
00:38:41,188 --> 00:38:42,842
take off just like that.
978
00:38:42,885 --> 00:38:46,062
- Okay, Kenny, break
'em down, then.
979
00:38:46,106 --> 00:38:48,238
With a crossover.
980
00:38:48,282 --> 00:38:49,805
Impressive.
981
00:38:49,849 --> 00:38:51,590
Especially watching histeammates shoot afterwards,
982
00:38:51,633 --> 00:38:53,548
and they're just standin' there.
983
00:38:53,592 --> 00:38:55,376
- I don't know who
invented the floater,
984
00:38:55,420 --> 00:38:56,943
[chuckling]
985
00:38:56,986 --> 00:38:58,597
but Kenny's got it down too.
986
00:38:58,640 --> 00:39:00,338
- Big thing the jump
shot did for me,
987
00:39:00,381 --> 00:39:03,602
is it give me that opportunityto drive to the basket.
988
00:39:03,645 --> 00:39:05,952
- If everybody collapsed,he could pass it.
989
00:39:05,995 --> 00:39:09,738
If everybody stayed, hecould just rise up and shoot.
990
00:39:09,782 --> 00:39:11,436
- You go back and readsome of these old articles,
991
00:39:11,479 --> 00:39:13,699
and you read about his
wizardry as a passer,
992
00:39:13,742 --> 00:39:16,397
he was the most adroit dribblerin the basketball annals.
993
00:39:16,441 --> 00:39:18,878
You hear all the, you know,the stately talk of the day.
994
00:39:18,921 --> 00:39:23,361
[upbeat instrumental
music playing]
995
00:39:24,536 --> 00:39:26,102
- I'd shake the ball, like this.
996
00:39:26,146 --> 00:39:27,669
I can't do it anymore.
997
00:39:27,713 --> 00:39:30,368
But I'd do it real fastthis way, and then that way,
998
00:39:30,411 --> 00:39:34,502
and he'd usually go thatway, and I'd go this way.
999
00:39:34,546 --> 00:39:36,852
- That's a move that stillworks today, actually.
1000
00:39:38,071 --> 00:39:39,986
- [Sports Announcer]
A little Curry flurry.
1001
00:39:40,029 --> 00:39:41,161
- [Curry] Yeah, I call
it the windshield wiper
1002
00:39:41,204 --> 00:39:42,423
with one hand, right there.
1003
00:39:42,467 --> 00:39:44,686
- But it's just a matter
of shakin' the ball.
1004
00:39:44,730 --> 00:39:45,861
- They didn't know
what to do with that.
1005
00:39:45,905 --> 00:39:47,428
- If you talk to Kenny,
1006
00:39:47,472 --> 00:39:49,822
he's more proud of
being a good defender
1007
00:39:49,865 --> 00:39:51,780
than he is about his jump shot.
1008
00:39:51,824 --> 00:39:54,653
- My trick in playingdefense was to get down low.
1009
00:39:54,696 --> 00:39:56,089
If you put your head,
1010
00:39:56,132 --> 00:39:58,265
you'd hit his bellybuttonright here on your forehead.
1011
00:39:58,308 --> 00:40:00,833
That's the way you play
defense, down in here.
1012
00:40:00,876 --> 00:40:02,835
The faster the man
is, and you know
1013
00:40:02,878 --> 00:40:04,793
the more room you
have to give him.
1014
00:40:04,837 --> 00:40:07,448
If he's not quick andfast, get right up in here.
1015
00:40:07,492 --> 00:40:10,582
- I bet he was movin',
and drivin' it,
1016
00:40:10,625 --> 00:40:12,192
shootin' off the dribble.
1017
00:40:12,235 --> 00:40:14,499
In some ways, he wasplayin' a different game.
1018
00:40:14,542 --> 00:40:15,891
[laughing]
1019
00:40:15,935 --> 00:40:17,458
- As soon as he
touched the ball,
1020
00:40:17,502 --> 00:40:19,808
your eyes gravitate tojust how different it looks
1021
00:40:19,852 --> 00:40:20,766
when he's dribblin' the ball,
1022
00:40:20,809 --> 00:40:22,681
and his creativity on the floor,
1023
00:40:22,724 --> 00:40:24,683
which I hope that
that's how people
1024
00:40:24,726 --> 00:40:26,162
see me when I'm out there.
1025
00:40:29,775 --> 00:40:31,864
- [Larry] So he doesn'treally take credit for it.
1026
00:40:31,907 --> 00:40:33,169
He really doesn't it.
1027
00:40:33,213 --> 00:40:34,475
- Well, who would know
who's the first kid
1028
00:40:34,519 --> 00:40:35,955
- Well--- that jumped in the air,
1029
00:40:35,998 --> 00:40:37,347
and shot a basketball?
1030
00:40:37,391 --> 00:40:38,827
- [Larry] Just take
it, and run with it.
1031
00:40:38,871 --> 00:40:42,265
- It's the only thing
I've done in my life
1032
00:40:42,309 --> 00:40:44,920
that people are interested in.
1033
00:40:44,964 --> 00:40:45,878
They don't know that that--- You're still doin' it,
1034
00:40:45,921 --> 00:40:47,096
and you're not even playin'.
1035
00:40:47,140 --> 00:40:48,663
You're still goin'.
- Most of 'em
1036
00:40:48,707 --> 00:40:50,012
don't even know that I'vebeen in the guidin' outfitin',
1037
00:40:50,056 --> 00:40:51,840
for over 50 years.
- Yeah.
1038
00:40:51,884 --> 00:40:52,928
- 50 years.
- Was it over 50?
1039
00:40:52,972 --> 00:40:53,929
- Right.
- I thought it was 30?
1040
00:40:53,973 --> 00:40:56,149
- 35 in Alaska.
- Wow.
1041
00:40:56,192 --> 00:40:59,500
- Or that I was a coach,
a high school coach.
1042
00:40:59,544 --> 00:41:00,980
A lot of thing I've done
1043
00:41:01,023 --> 00:41:04,244
that's probably more importantthan that stupid jump shot.
1044
00:41:05,593 --> 00:41:08,466
As I've gotten older,
the Lord has shown me
1045
00:41:08,509 --> 00:41:10,816
that there's far more
things more important
1046
00:41:10,859 --> 00:41:12,731
than just sports or basketball.
1047
00:41:14,907 --> 00:41:17,387
When I married my wife,
the doctors told me
1048
00:41:17,431 --> 00:41:20,129
that I'd be fortunate
if she lived to be 50.
1049
00:41:21,348 --> 00:41:23,089
She had to go to the
doctor pretty regular
1050
00:41:23,132 --> 00:41:25,831
with that asthma and emphysema.
1051
00:41:27,180 --> 00:41:29,661
And I said, "Doc, what kindof a lifestyle can we live
1052
00:41:29,704 --> 00:41:32,315
that will prolong her
life?", and he said,
1053
00:41:32,359 --> 00:41:34,579
"If you can stay out
into the country,
1054
00:41:34,622 --> 00:41:35,928
and stay out of the cities,
1055
00:41:35,971 --> 00:41:38,539
it would be really
beneficial to her".
1056
00:41:38,583 --> 00:41:41,716
That's why when I gotretirement, pfft, I'm gone.
1057
00:41:41,760 --> 00:41:43,849
- Kenny left basketball.
1058
00:41:43,892 --> 00:41:46,547
He could've gotten
into broadcasting,
1059
00:41:46,591 --> 00:41:47,940
maybe doing a
column in the paper,
1060
00:41:47,983 --> 00:41:49,898
but he wasn't looking
for honors in a sense.
1061
00:41:49,942 --> 00:41:50,856
It was his way of life.
1062
00:41:50,899 --> 00:41:52,379
He wanted to play pro-basketball
1063
00:41:52,422 --> 00:41:53,772
long enough to get a
pension, and then quit,
1064
00:41:53,815 --> 00:41:56,252
and go out in the sticks.
1065
00:41:56,296 --> 00:42:00,648
[somber instrumental
music playing]
1066
00:42:07,873 --> 00:42:10,528
- Alaska was a place
that held a fascination
1067
00:42:10,571 --> 00:42:13,052
for my wife and I clearback before we were married.
1068
00:42:14,575 --> 00:42:17,535
Bigger mountains, biggerrivers, bigger everything.
1069
00:42:18,666 --> 00:42:20,712
Marilynne and I
loved that experience
1070
00:42:20,755 --> 00:42:22,888
of experimenting
with the unknown.
1071
00:42:23,932 --> 00:42:26,239
We lived 20 miles out
of just a small town,
1072
00:42:26,282 --> 00:42:29,721
15 hundred people, at the footof the Wrangell Mountains,
1073
00:42:29,764 --> 00:42:32,767
and we lived up there 35 years.
1074
00:42:32,811 --> 00:42:34,726
♪ Way up north
♪ Up to the
1075
00:42:34,769 --> 00:42:36,031
♪ Last stop
- We didn't have
1076
00:42:36,075 --> 00:42:38,512
to buy anything, just
go out over the country,
1077
00:42:38,556 --> 00:42:40,688
wherever it looks
nice, and homestead.
1078
00:42:40,732 --> 00:42:43,169
Set your corners up, and
live on it for a year,
1079
00:42:43,212 --> 00:42:43,996
and it's yours.
1080
00:42:45,606 --> 00:42:47,782
- Kenny was an outdoors manwho like to hunt, and fish,
1081
00:42:47,826 --> 00:42:49,915
and be in the mountains,
and ride horses.
1082
00:42:49,958 --> 00:42:52,831
To this day, he has some
spurs and cowboy hats
1083
00:42:52,874 --> 00:42:54,876
that must be 100 years old.
1084
00:42:54,920 --> 00:42:57,662
- These chaps are a part ofthe business I grew up in.
1085
00:42:57,705 --> 00:42:59,054
Cowboy's hat.
1086
00:42:59,098 --> 00:43:01,143
This is not quite as oldas me, but it's pretty old.
1087
00:43:01,187 --> 00:43:03,189
Most cowboys are pretty
proud of their hats.
1088
00:43:03,232 --> 00:43:04,799
- [Male] I've told him this.
1089
00:43:04,843 --> 00:43:07,323
I said, "You know, Kenny, youcould've been born in 1821,
1090
00:43:07,367 --> 00:43:09,761
and been a man on
the Western Frontier,
1091
00:43:09,804 --> 00:43:11,632
leading wagon trains
on the Oregon Trail,
1092
00:43:11,676 --> 00:43:13,547
because you would never
have turned back".
1093
00:43:13,591 --> 00:43:15,070
♪ Across the majestic
- We got into
1094
00:43:15,114 --> 00:43:16,376
the big game hunting,
1095
00:43:16,419 --> 00:43:18,683
which ended up being one
of our major business.
1096
00:43:18,726 --> 00:43:20,815
- It was really great
workin' with Kenny.
1097
00:43:20,859 --> 00:43:23,470
We had a really goodrelationship from the start.
1098
00:43:23,513 --> 00:43:26,604
We did mostly sheep huntin',and then some moose hunts.
1099
00:43:26,647 --> 00:43:30,216
Moose, they're so darn big,the way Kenny operated,
1100
00:43:30,259 --> 00:43:31,696
he'd put 'em on
the horse's backs,
1101
00:43:31,739 --> 00:43:34,524
and he could pack 'em a
lot further than we can.
1102
00:43:35,874 --> 00:43:38,833
- We had to drive over 100miles to the end of a road
1103
00:43:38,877 --> 00:43:41,140
with the horses, and thenride into the mountains
1104
00:43:41,183 --> 00:43:43,316
to get to the hunting camp.
1105
00:43:43,359 --> 00:43:44,534
Being in the
mountains is amazing.
1106
00:43:44,578 --> 00:43:45,884
That's one of my
favorite things.
1107
00:43:45,927 --> 00:43:48,103
But riding horses for 12
hours in the mountains,
1108
00:43:48,147 --> 00:43:50,932
not so much when you're likeeight or nine-years-old.
1109
00:43:50,976 --> 00:43:52,281
[laughing]
1110
00:43:52,325 --> 00:43:54,066
- [Male] Word got
around pretty fast
1111
00:43:54,109 --> 00:43:55,763
that he'd been in the NBA.
1112
00:43:57,069 --> 00:43:58,723
I don't think he
bragged about it,
1113
00:43:58,766 --> 00:44:00,550
but it was somethin'
that came up.
1114
00:44:00,594 --> 00:44:01,900
- We were in awe,
1115
00:44:01,943 --> 00:44:04,903
because he had played
with the Boston Celtics.
1116
00:44:04,946 --> 00:44:06,426
- We just couldn't believe
1117
00:44:06,469 --> 00:44:09,690
that somebody thattalented and accomplished
1118
00:44:09,734 --> 00:44:12,301
could come to this
little, podunk place
1119
00:44:12,345 --> 00:44:13,694
in the middle of nowhere.
1120
00:44:15,217 --> 00:44:17,176
- [Kenny] Hunting season
started in August,
1121
00:44:17,219 --> 00:44:19,613
so by October, I'm all through,
1122
00:44:19,657 --> 00:44:21,180
and it worked out perfect for me
1123
00:44:21,223 --> 00:44:23,051
coachin' and teachin'
in the schools.
1124
00:44:24,574 --> 00:44:27,316
- Kenny was my basketballcoach, my track coach,
1125
00:44:27,360 --> 00:44:29,667
my football coach,
my wresting coach.
1126
00:44:29,710 --> 00:44:31,799
He pretty much filled
the coaching spot
1127
00:44:31,843 --> 00:44:33,105
for everything we had.
1128
00:44:34,367 --> 00:44:36,717
- [Female] Before Kenny
arrived, there was no
1129
00:44:36,761 --> 00:44:40,634
scholastic basketballparticipation for the girls.
1130
00:44:41,548 --> 00:44:43,332
It was just PE classes,
1131
00:44:43,376 --> 00:44:46,205
and possibly
intermural scrimmages.
1132
00:44:46,248 --> 00:44:47,902
- There was no girls basketball.
1133
00:44:47,946 --> 00:44:49,817
I didn't like that,
because I had a daughter
1134
00:44:49,861 --> 00:44:51,819
that was a good athlete,and I thought it was wrong
1135
00:44:51,863 --> 00:44:53,560
for it not to have
a girls program.
1136
00:44:54,779 --> 00:44:56,476
- [Female] At that
time, the girls couldn't
1137
00:44:56,519 --> 00:44:57,869
cross over the half line,
1138
00:44:57,912 --> 00:45:00,219
except for the rovingguards, and roaming forwards.
1139
00:45:00,262 --> 00:45:02,482
- And it was the old Iowagame they use to call it,
1140
00:45:02,525 --> 00:45:03,744
the half-court game.
1141
00:45:03,788 --> 00:45:06,312
They played six
people to a team,
1142
00:45:06,355 --> 00:45:08,401
and only three of them
could cross half-court.
1143
00:45:08,444 --> 00:45:10,664
- [Nancy] The reason
women played six on six
1144
00:45:10,708 --> 00:45:13,058
is because they didn'twant us to get exhausted.
1145
00:45:13,101 --> 00:45:14,755
- [Lew] Girls wereconsidered to be so frail
1146
00:45:14,799 --> 00:45:16,670
they couldn't run up
and down the court.
1147
00:45:16,714 --> 00:45:18,063
- They thought if
we could just run
1148
00:45:18,106 --> 00:45:20,065
half-court here and
a half-court there
1149
00:45:20,108 --> 00:45:22,763
it wouldn't be too
physically taxing on us.
1150
00:45:23,721 --> 00:45:24,809
It's crazy.
1151
00:45:24,852 --> 00:45:26,419
- He grew up with a
really strong woman,
1152
00:45:26,462 --> 00:45:28,421
so in his mind, women are tough,
1153
00:45:28,464 --> 00:45:30,771
so why can't they run
up and down the court?
1154
00:45:30,815 --> 00:45:32,381
- So I worked to get
girls basketball goin',
1155
00:45:32,425 --> 00:45:35,080
and I use to travel aroundwith one of the gals,
1156
00:45:35,123 --> 00:45:37,430
and we'd go hold clinics
all over the state,
1157
00:45:37,473 --> 00:45:38,779
and try to convince 'em
1158
00:45:38,823 --> 00:45:40,433
that they needed a girlsprogram in their schools,
1159
00:45:40,476 --> 00:45:42,827
Just as important
as it is for boys.
1160
00:45:42,870 --> 00:45:45,090
- Up to that point,organized girls basketball
1161
00:45:45,133 --> 00:45:47,092
was played just in the
private school system,
1162
00:45:47,135 --> 00:45:48,615
and he was
instrumental in getting
1163
00:45:48,658 --> 00:45:49,877
that state tournament started.
1164
00:45:49,921 --> 00:45:52,401
And by 1970, there were
teams all over Alaska
1165
00:45:52,445 --> 00:45:54,795
playing in the girls
basketball tournament,
1166
00:45:54,839 --> 00:45:56,754
and his team was in
the thick of things.
1167
00:45:56,797 --> 00:45:58,756
- He put Glennallen on the map.
1168
00:45:58,799 --> 00:46:01,759
- [Male] He had somehellacious good girls teams.
1169
00:46:01,802 --> 00:46:03,325
- [Female] Anybody
who had a team,
1170
00:46:03,369 --> 00:46:05,763
and was willing to
play us, we would play.
1171
00:46:05,806 --> 00:46:07,329
- The other thing
that Kenny did,
1172
00:46:07,373 --> 00:46:09,767
he gave Native girls achance to play basketball.
1173
00:46:11,203 --> 00:46:13,727
- The first team I coachedthere in Glennallen,
1174
00:46:13,771 --> 00:46:17,731
I think they were all
Athabascans or Eskimos,
1175
00:46:17,775 --> 00:46:20,778
all the girls,
except two or three.
1176
00:46:20,821 --> 00:46:23,563
- They were generallydeemed too little to play.
1177
00:46:23,606 --> 00:46:25,391
They weren't as tall instature as the white girls,
1178
00:46:25,434 --> 00:46:27,262
the Anglo girls, if you will.
1179
00:46:27,306 --> 00:46:30,091
But that was okay with Kenny,because he could teach them.
1180
00:46:30,135 --> 00:46:32,354
- He taught us by demonstration.
1181
00:46:32,398 --> 00:46:34,313
We'd see how he did
it, and we'd copy,
1182
00:46:34,356 --> 00:46:36,358
and them, you know,
whoa, we can do things
1183
00:46:36,402 --> 00:46:38,317
we never dreamed
we'd be able to do.
1184
00:46:38,360 --> 00:46:40,841
- Believe it or not, Itaught 'em the same offense
1185
00:46:40,885 --> 00:46:42,451
that I played in college.
1186
00:46:42,495 --> 00:46:43,931
My old college coach says,
1187
00:46:43,975 --> 00:46:45,803
"You guys that are gonna coachin high school", he said,
1188
00:46:45,846 --> 00:46:47,543
"Don't try to teach this
to high school kids".
1189
00:46:47,587 --> 00:46:49,589
"It'll take 'em,
they'd be seniors
1190
00:46:49,632 --> 00:46:50,982
before they could ever
learn how to do it."
1191
00:46:51,025 --> 00:46:53,201
It didn't my girls that long.
1192
00:46:53,245 --> 00:46:55,116
They picked it up in a hurry.
1193
00:46:55,160 --> 00:46:56,422
- He was very proud of 'em,
1194
00:46:56,465 --> 00:46:58,772
because they did what
he taught 'em to do,
1195
00:46:58,816 --> 00:47:00,861
and that was, forget
about being ladies
1196
00:47:00,905 --> 00:47:02,732
when you're on the
basketball court.
1197
00:47:02,776 --> 00:47:06,736
Once they overcame that,
he had a winnin' team.
1198
00:47:06,780 --> 00:47:07,912
- That's huge for women.
1199
00:47:07,955 --> 00:47:09,870
That's huge, especially
when you were told
1200
00:47:09,914 --> 00:47:10,915
you're not supposed
to be aggressive,
1201
00:47:10,958 --> 00:47:12,090
or you're not supposed to sweat,
1202
00:47:12,133 --> 00:47:13,395
or you're not supposed to be
1203
00:47:13,439 --> 00:47:15,136
out there playin',
bein' physical.
1204
00:47:15,180 --> 00:47:16,746
- I'll brag a little here now.
1205
00:47:16,790 --> 00:47:19,706
My girls won three
state championships,
1206
00:47:19,749 --> 00:47:22,796
and we came in second oncein a seven year period.
1207
00:47:22,840 --> 00:47:24,319
- [Male] They won
68 straight games,
1208
00:47:24,363 --> 00:47:26,756
and became a powerhouse,
this little Glennallen.
1209
00:47:26,800 --> 00:47:30,412
- [Female] He organizedbasketball, and made it big
1210
00:47:30,456 --> 00:47:31,849
in the state of Alaska.
1211
00:47:34,547 --> 00:47:36,810
- He just constantly
used the sport
1212
00:47:36,854 --> 00:47:38,203
to influence people's lives.
1213
00:47:38,246 --> 00:47:41,728
- I don't think there's alife that he didn't touch
1214
00:47:41,771 --> 00:47:44,252
up in the Glennallen area.
1215
00:47:44,296 --> 00:47:47,560
- I was really a lousy
basketball player,
1216
00:47:47,603 --> 00:47:48,909
[laughing]
1217
00:47:48,953 --> 00:47:52,347
but he encouraged me to play.
1218
00:47:52,391 --> 00:47:55,916
- [Female] He gave us purpose,passion, personal confidence
1219
00:47:55,960 --> 00:47:57,744
to become a lot of
different things
1220
00:47:57,787 --> 00:48:00,181
that would never have
happened otherwise.
1221
00:48:00,225 --> 00:48:01,835
- I think he saw something in me
1222
00:48:01,879 --> 00:48:04,664
that he wanted to develop.
1223
00:48:04,707 --> 00:48:05,970
- That was a big part for him.
1224
00:48:06,013 --> 00:48:07,536
It's not necessarily
winning championships,
1225
00:48:07,580 --> 00:48:10,931
but developing kids who
would have the mentality
1226
00:48:10,975 --> 00:48:12,106
to take what they learned,
1227
00:48:12,150 --> 00:48:14,413
and apply it to other
areas of their life.
1228
00:48:14,456 --> 00:48:16,502
- In order for him to
go empower them to say,
1229
00:48:16,545 --> 00:48:19,026
"Look, this game right
here is amazing".
1230
00:48:19,070 --> 00:48:21,028
"It builds team work,
character, chemistry."
1231
00:48:21,072 --> 00:48:23,813
"It builds all that stuff thatyou need in the real world,
1232
00:48:23,857 --> 00:48:25,903
and empower women
at the same time."
1233
00:48:26,904 --> 00:48:29,602
I mean, that's all
you're really want man.
1234
00:48:30,995 --> 00:48:32,083
- [Female] He's the best thing
1235
00:48:32,126 --> 00:48:33,823
that could've happened
to Glennallen.
1236
00:48:35,651 --> 00:48:38,741
- For 35 years, Kenny
lived in Alaska,
1237
00:48:38,785 --> 00:48:40,265
and at least half of that time
1238
00:48:40,308 --> 00:48:43,703
was spent teaching and coachingat the high school level.
1239
00:48:43,746 --> 00:48:45,444
He retired at age 70.
1240
00:48:45,487 --> 00:48:48,838
And throughout all the, youknow, his exciting adventures,
1241
00:48:48,882 --> 00:48:50,797
Grandma stayed by his side.
1242
00:48:50,840 --> 00:48:55,236
[somber instrumental
music playing]
1243
00:48:57,499 --> 00:48:58,805
- That's my girl.
1244
00:49:00,633 --> 00:49:05,551
60 years of my life I
spent with that girl.
1245
00:49:09,511 --> 00:49:11,426
My wife and I had a
wonderful marriage,
1246
00:49:11,470 --> 00:49:12,950
and it lasted a long time.
1247
00:49:14,081 --> 00:49:15,822
We've enjoyed livin'
with each other.
1248
00:49:15,865 --> 00:49:17,911
We enjoyed our family.
1249
00:49:17,955 --> 00:49:20,087
I don't know how itcould've been any better.
1250
00:49:21,393 --> 00:49:23,699
She contacted dementia,
1251
00:49:23,743 --> 00:49:28,226
and gradually you lose yourmemory of things way back.
1252
00:49:28,269 --> 00:49:32,708
[somber instrumental
music playing]
1253
00:49:35,363 --> 00:49:37,800
One time at night, woke
up in the winter time,
1254
00:49:37,844 --> 00:49:39,933
and I looked over,
and she wasn't in bed.
1255
00:49:42,240 --> 00:49:43,893
So I went and looked
in the bathroom,
1256
00:49:43,937 --> 00:49:46,026
and out in the kitchenwhere sometimes she gets up,
1257
00:49:46,070 --> 00:49:48,681
and goes and gets
a cup of coffee,
1258
00:49:48,724 --> 00:49:50,596
and then, no sign of her.
1259
00:49:51,858 --> 00:49:53,947
So I went outside,
1260
00:49:53,991 --> 00:49:55,688
and I went around thecorner of our lodge there,
1261
00:49:55,731 --> 00:49:57,342
and there she stood.
1262
00:49:57,385 --> 00:50:02,390
[somber instrumental
music playing]
1263
00:50:03,609 --> 00:50:04,914
The northern lights,
oh, they were beautiful,
1264
00:50:04,958 --> 00:50:07,743
right down around her, andme, and everybody else.
1265
00:50:09,310 --> 00:50:11,399
It was about 30
degrees below outside,
1266
00:50:12,879 --> 00:50:15,708
and she was just standin' therewith her night clothes on,
1267
00:50:15,751 --> 00:50:17,884
and she did have hercloak on, thank goodness.
1268
00:50:19,364 --> 00:50:21,322
When I told the doctors aboutit, that's when they said,
1269
00:50:21,366 --> 00:50:22,845
"Kenny, you better
begin thinkin' about
1270
00:50:22,889 --> 00:50:24,064
gettin' out of this climate,
1271
00:50:24,108 --> 00:50:25,892
because you'll walk
out one of these nights
1272
00:50:25,935 --> 00:50:29,026
when it's 40 or 50 below, andshe won't last very long".
1273
00:50:30,897 --> 00:50:31,941
- I think she realized
1274
00:50:31,985 --> 00:50:33,726
that she needed to
stay healthy for him
1275
00:50:33,769 --> 00:50:34,814
'cause they were a team.
1276
00:50:36,033 --> 00:50:37,382
A lot of decisions that
he made in his life
1277
00:50:37,425 --> 00:50:39,906
were because he wanted
to be there for her,
1278
00:50:39,949 --> 00:50:41,821
and, you know, as
she got sicker,
1279
00:50:41,864 --> 00:50:45,390
just being there as much ashe possibly could for Grandma
1280
00:50:46,826 --> 00:50:47,870
until she was gone, so.
1281
00:50:49,872 --> 00:50:52,005
- It's tough, but the
Lord gives you strength
1282
00:50:52,049 --> 00:50:54,312
that you don't even know
where it comes from.
1283
00:50:55,226 --> 00:50:56,575
He just gives you the strength
1284
00:50:56,618 --> 00:50:58,794
to go through most
anything, mm-hmm.
1285
00:50:58,838 --> 00:51:02,798
[somber instrumental
music playing]
1286
00:51:02,842 --> 00:51:05,497
- He doesn't understand why
1287
00:51:05,540 --> 00:51:07,716
he's still gettin'
around, and stuff,
1288
00:51:07,760 --> 00:51:10,806
other than the Lord has
things for him to do.
1289
00:51:10,850 --> 00:51:13,635
[intense booming]
1290
00:51:14,767 --> 00:51:16,247
- [Male] When you
think in terms of Kenny
1291
00:51:16,290 --> 00:51:19,206
essentially dropping out ofthe basketball world in 1951,
1292
00:51:19,250 --> 00:51:22,166
and coming back almost
in the 21st century,
1293
00:51:22,209 --> 00:51:24,559
it's almost like these peoplewho will wake out of a coma,
1294
00:51:24,603 --> 00:51:27,258
and have to learn how to usea computer, and a cellphone.
1295
00:51:27,301 --> 00:51:31,827
That one-hand modern day jumpshot has changed the game,
1296
00:51:31,871 --> 00:51:36,310
that which maybe a computerhas changed our generation.
1297
00:51:36,354 --> 00:51:38,399
- [Male] You could almostgo decade by decade,
1298
00:51:38,443 --> 00:51:40,749
and the game is
almost unrecognizable
1299
00:51:40,793 --> 00:51:42,403
to the previous decade.
1300
00:51:42,447 --> 00:51:43,752
That being said,
1301
00:51:43,796 --> 00:51:45,754
there are elements that
give it some continuity.
1302
00:51:45,798 --> 00:51:47,887
The jump shot certainly
contributed to that.
1303
00:51:47,930 --> 00:51:49,541
- [Male] It's a
whole different game
1304
00:51:49,584 --> 00:51:52,892
than Dr. Naismith originallyenvisioned in his mind.
1305
00:51:52,935 --> 00:51:54,241
- [Male] The interesting
thing about basketball
1306
00:51:54,285 --> 00:51:55,677
is it's always evolving.
1307
00:51:55,721 --> 00:51:58,115
All the greats of the
game can do thing today
1308
00:51:58,158 --> 00:52:01,118
that nobody ever thought
that players could do.
1309
00:52:01,161 --> 00:52:02,771
- [Male] With thethree-point lines moving to
1310
00:52:02,815 --> 00:52:04,556
a perimeter oriented game,
1311
00:52:04,599 --> 00:52:06,819
and whether people
know it or not,
1312
00:52:06,862 --> 00:52:08,603
you can anywhere in the world,
1313
00:52:08,647 --> 00:52:09,865
and watch people
play basketball,
1314
00:52:09,909 --> 00:52:11,737
and they're shooting
Kenny's shot.
1315
00:52:11,780 --> 00:52:12,868
[crowd cheering]
1316
00:52:12,912 --> 00:52:15,480
[cheering drowns out announcer]
1317
00:52:15,523 --> 00:52:18,309
- [Sports Announcer] I'm gettinga little excited right now.
1318
00:52:18,352 --> 00:52:21,050
In Laramie they may be
dancing in the streets.
1319
00:52:21,094 --> 00:52:23,575
- [Kenny] In 1987,
our basketball team
1320
00:52:23,618 --> 00:52:25,925
beat a highly rated UCLA team
1321
00:52:25,968 --> 00:52:28,145
to advance to the Sweet 16.
1322
00:52:28,188 --> 00:52:29,711
- [Sports Announcer]
Wyoming delivered.
1323
00:52:29,755 --> 00:52:32,149
[horn blaring]
[crowd cheering]
1324
00:52:32,192 --> 00:52:35,152
- A couple years ago, theuniversity put a team into the
1325
00:52:35,195 --> 00:52:36,849
Wyoming Sports Hall of Fame.
1326
00:52:38,503 --> 00:52:40,461
One morning I came
down for breakfast,
1327
00:52:40,505 --> 00:52:42,071
and I saw Kenny Sailors there,
1328
00:52:42,115 --> 00:52:44,335
so I sat down and ate
breakfast with him,
1329
00:52:44,378 --> 00:52:47,729
and to my shock, I find outthat he wasn't recognized
1330
00:52:47,773 --> 00:52:49,340
in the Naismith Hall of Fame.
1331
00:52:50,732 --> 00:52:52,081
I just thought he was in,
1332
00:52:52,125 --> 00:52:53,866
and then when I
found out he wasn't,
1333
00:52:53,909 --> 00:52:56,042
from that moment on, Ijust kinda made up my mind
1334
00:52:56,085 --> 00:52:58,566
that I'm going to put
every effort I can
1335
00:52:58,610 --> 00:53:02,831
into seein' if we can't getKenny put into the Hall of Fame,
1336
00:53:02,875 --> 00:53:04,181
because he belongs there.
1337
00:53:04,224 --> 00:53:07,096
I mean, this is a
righteous project.
1338
00:53:09,795 --> 00:53:12,928
[crowd cheering]
1339
00:53:12,972 --> 00:53:15,017
[intense dramatic music playing]
1340
00:53:15,061 --> 00:53:17,368
- [Male] The Naismith MemorialBasketball Hall of Fame
1341
00:53:17,411 --> 00:53:21,720
is one of the more confusedinstitutions of its stature.
1342
00:53:21,763 --> 00:53:23,896
- They operate a
little differently.
1343
00:53:23,939 --> 00:53:26,768
They are not like the
standard Hall of Fame.
1344
00:53:26,812 --> 00:53:28,770
- [Male] When it comes timeto vote for Cooperstown
1345
00:53:28,814 --> 00:53:30,816
every media outlet
in the country
1346
00:53:30,859 --> 00:53:33,514
is discussing who
belongs in and why,
1347
00:53:33,558 --> 00:53:34,776
and everybody knows the rules.
1348
00:53:34,820 --> 00:53:37,692
75% of the vote
from active members
1349
00:53:37,736 --> 00:53:40,260
of the Baseball Writers'
Association of America
1350
00:53:40,304 --> 00:53:41,696
gets you into Cooperstown,
1351
00:53:41,740 --> 00:53:43,481
and that vote is gonna bepublished in the morning,
1352
00:53:43,524 --> 00:53:45,222
and many guys reveal their vote.
1353
00:53:45,265 --> 00:53:47,136
- With the Naismith Hall of Fame
1354
00:53:47,180 --> 00:53:51,271
it's a secret process
with a secret committee.
1355
00:53:51,315 --> 00:53:54,100
- [Male] Nobody's quite surehow you do or don't get in
1356
00:53:54,143 --> 00:53:56,363
to the Naismith
Memorial Hall of Fame.
1357
00:53:57,321 --> 00:53:58,670
- There are people who say that,
1358
00:53:58,713 --> 00:54:00,715
"Kenny Sailors is the
best basketball player
1359
00:54:00,759 --> 00:54:02,369
they ever saw play".
1360
00:54:02,413 --> 00:54:04,676
If you ever need
a bigger testament
1361
00:54:04,719 --> 00:54:07,896
that this was one of thegreat basketball players ever,
1362
00:54:07,940 --> 00:54:10,290
at the 1990 Final
Four in Denver,
1363
00:54:10,334 --> 00:54:12,771
they recognized the
players of the decade
1364
00:54:12,814 --> 00:54:15,339
for the first 50 years
of NCAA Tournament.
1365
00:54:15,382 --> 00:54:20,300
For the 1980s, PatrickEwing, '70's, Magic Johnson,
1366
00:54:20,344 --> 00:54:24,522
'60s, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar,'50s, Bill Russell.
1367
00:54:24,565 --> 00:54:26,698
Kenny got it for the 1940s.
1368
00:54:26,741 --> 00:54:28,047
Not bad company.
1369
00:54:29,309 --> 00:54:30,702
- I know it's a hard
job to induct people
1370
00:54:30,745 --> 00:54:32,878
into the Hall of Fame,
and the criteria,
1371
00:54:32,921 --> 00:54:35,359
you know, you've gotta lookat so many different things.
1372
00:54:35,402 --> 00:54:36,708
I understand that,
1373
00:54:36,751 --> 00:54:38,231
but if you really want
to do your job right,
1374
00:54:38,275 --> 00:54:39,145
you would do your homework,
1375
00:54:39,188 --> 00:54:40,320
you would do your research,
1376
00:54:40,364 --> 00:54:42,670
and you would realize
that he belongs.
1377
00:54:42,714 --> 00:54:44,629
- I am confident in saying,
1378
00:54:44,672 --> 00:54:48,197
"There is no largeromission from a major sport
1379
00:54:48,241 --> 00:54:50,896
Hall of Fame than
Kenny Sailors".
1380
00:54:50,939 --> 00:54:53,812
The only thing you can tell me
1381
00:54:53,855 --> 00:54:57,076
about why Kenny Sailorsshouldn't be in the Hall of Fame
1382
00:54:57,119 --> 00:54:59,818
is because Kenny
Sailors is not famous.
1383
00:54:59,861 --> 00:55:01,123
[coughing]
1384
00:55:01,167 --> 00:55:02,429
- [Interviewer] [mumbling]Were you sayin',
1385
00:55:02,473 --> 00:55:03,952
talkin' about once you
had some endorsements,
1386
00:55:03,996 --> 00:55:05,606
but the club got the money?
1387
00:55:05,650 --> 00:55:07,608
- And what were you selling?
1388
00:55:07,652 --> 00:55:08,870
- [Kenny]
1389
00:55:13,179 --> 00:55:15,007
- Prune juice, huh?
1390
00:55:15,050 --> 00:55:18,924
That's supposed to
be for digestion?
1391
00:55:18,967 --> 00:55:20,186
- Oh, prune juice.
1392
00:55:20,229 --> 00:55:23,232
[laughing]
1393
00:55:23,276 --> 00:55:26,061
That was the Gatorade backin the day, prune juice?
1394
00:55:26,105 --> 00:55:27,367
Ew.
1395
00:55:27,411 --> 00:55:29,369
- "Nature's great
energy builder."
1396
00:55:29,413 --> 00:55:30,718
I gotta try that, actually.
1397
00:55:30,762 --> 00:55:31,763
- That's pretty good.
1398
00:55:31,806 --> 00:55:33,068
He's got a good smile.
1399
00:55:33,112 --> 00:55:34,766
He's repin' it, I like that.
1400
00:55:34,809 --> 00:55:36,420
- You know, I'm almost
40, at this point,
1401
00:55:36,463 --> 00:55:38,552
I'll try anything, so I
might have them give me
1402
00:55:38,596 --> 00:55:40,293
the Bennetts Prune Juice.
1403
00:55:40,337 --> 00:55:43,035
- I don't know if you cando that nowadays, but hey,
1404
00:55:43,078 --> 00:55:44,602
if it weren't for prune juice,
1405
00:55:44,645 --> 00:55:46,517
there probably wouldn't
have been a Gatorade.
1406
00:55:48,910 --> 00:55:50,303
- Yeah, we've talked
about this a lot,
1407
00:55:50,347 --> 00:55:51,696
and others have
contributed ideas
1408
00:55:51,739 --> 00:55:53,654
as to why Kenny's not
in the Hall of Fame.
1409
00:55:53,698 --> 00:55:56,091
It's a whole series
of events, I think,
1410
00:55:56,135 --> 00:55:58,703
but essentially, that he
disappeared for so long.
1411
00:55:58,746 --> 00:56:01,793
- [Male] It is as simple asout of sight, out of mind.
1412
00:56:01,836 --> 00:56:03,882
Kenny went away,
and all of a sudden,
1413
00:56:03,925 --> 00:56:06,232
his name became,"Remember Kenny Sailors?"
1414
00:56:06,275 --> 00:56:07,799
- [Male] The trail got lost
1415
00:56:07,842 --> 00:56:10,715
after he'd spent anotherlife time in another world.
1416
00:56:13,326 --> 00:56:14,283
- And, of course,
the question of
1417
00:56:14,327 --> 00:56:15,763
who invented the
modern jump shot
1418
00:56:15,807 --> 00:56:17,417
seemed to be almost irrelevant,
1419
00:56:17,461 --> 00:56:20,246
because everybody thoughtthat it's always existed,
1420
00:56:20,289 --> 00:56:21,203
so who cares?
1421
00:56:22,683 --> 00:56:24,511
- Every time we
did talk about it,
1422
00:56:24,555 --> 00:56:25,425
there were those that said,
1423
00:56:25,469 --> 00:56:27,906
"Well, he didn't invent it".
1424
00:56:27,949 --> 00:56:28,863
"These guys invented it."
1425
00:56:28,907 --> 00:56:30,865
- I mean, Luisetti.
1426
00:56:30,909 --> 00:56:32,389
- [Male] To a lot of people,
1427
00:56:32,432 --> 00:56:34,042
the jump shot wascredited to Hank Luisetti.
1428
00:56:34,086 --> 00:56:35,566
- I called Hank Luisetti.
1429
00:56:35,609 --> 00:56:37,829
He said, "I didn't
have a jump shot".
1430
00:56:37,872 --> 00:56:40,614
"I had a running one-hander."
1431
00:56:40,658 --> 00:56:41,746
- [Male] There's a debate over
1432
00:56:41,789 --> 00:56:43,008
the inventor of the jump shot,
1433
00:56:43,051 --> 00:56:45,010
because you have so
many definitions of it.
1434
00:56:45,053 --> 00:56:47,316
- When you start talking aboutthis, everybody's got a name.
1435
00:56:47,360 --> 00:56:48,448
- John Miller Cooper.
1436
00:56:48,492 --> 00:56:50,015
- John Miller Cooper.
1437
00:56:50,058 --> 00:56:53,105
- So the story with John Cooperwas that he was in the post,
1438
00:56:53,148 --> 00:56:54,672
and someone threw him a pass
1439
00:56:54,715 --> 00:56:56,064
that he kinda had
to jump up to get,
1440
00:56:56,108 --> 00:56:58,937
and he just turned at thesame time, and shot it.
1441
00:56:58,980 --> 00:57:01,853
- You know, you talk aboutguys like Belus Smawley.
1442
00:57:01,896 --> 00:57:03,158
- I've covered Belus, so I know.
1443
00:57:03,202 --> 00:57:05,552
He was a two-handed
shot off this way,
1444
00:57:05,596 --> 00:57:07,206
kinda off to the side.
1445
00:57:07,249 --> 00:57:08,816
- It's one of those things,
1446
00:57:08,860 --> 00:57:11,297
that it's like ingrainedin our basketball culture,
1447
00:57:11,340 --> 00:57:14,518
your jump shot is
like your hand print.
1448
00:57:14,561 --> 00:57:16,737
- [Male] Even Joe Fulks, whowas a teammate of Kenny's,
1449
00:57:16,781 --> 00:57:17,869
had an unusual shot.
1450
00:57:17,912 --> 00:57:19,087
- [Sports Announcer]
A real pro-veteran,
1451
00:57:19,131 --> 00:57:20,915
"Jumpin' Joe Fulks".
- It was over his head,
1452
00:57:20,959 --> 00:57:24,832
the ball was up here, bothhands, he'd get a little height.
1453
00:57:24,876 --> 00:57:27,748
And boy, oh boy, how he
could shoot that thing.
1454
00:57:27,792 --> 00:57:31,099
- There might be 100 guys outthere that shot a jump shot
1455
00:57:31,143 --> 00:57:32,797
if you wanna count
leavin' the floor,
1456
00:57:32,840 --> 00:57:35,756
and throwin' the ball towardthe bucket a jump shot.
1457
00:57:35,800 --> 00:57:37,671
- The Hall of Fame
recognized Glenn Roberts
1458
00:57:37,715 --> 00:57:39,978
as the founder of the jump shot,
1459
00:57:40,021 --> 00:57:42,981
and they found him on
very sparse evidence.
1460
00:57:43,024 --> 00:57:45,853
- Who knows for sure, buthe was a guy in the '30s,
1461
00:57:45,897 --> 00:57:49,248
you know, had the shot,and put up great numbers.
1462
00:57:49,291 --> 00:57:50,423
- [Male] Clearly, Glenn Roberts
1463
00:57:50,467 --> 00:57:51,990
had a shot that was different
1464
00:57:52,033 --> 00:57:53,818
that involved
leaving the ground.
1465
00:57:53,861 --> 00:57:55,863
- But again, is it definitive?
1466
00:57:55,907 --> 00:57:57,430
No.
1467
00:57:57,474 --> 00:58:01,303
- People can legitimatelycontest a jump shot,
1468
00:58:01,347 --> 00:58:02,653
but not "the jump shot".
1469
00:58:05,351 --> 00:58:08,310
[footsteps thudding]
1470
00:58:08,354 --> 00:58:11,705
- The real thing that separatesKenny from everyone else,
1471
00:58:11,749 --> 00:58:13,446
if you're talking
about a jump shot,
1472
00:58:13,490 --> 00:58:15,796
is Kenny gave it its
coming out party.
1473
00:58:17,929 --> 00:58:18,973
- Kids in their community
1474
00:58:19,017 --> 00:58:20,801
started tryin' to
imitate that shot
1475
00:58:20,845 --> 00:58:23,151
as soon as they saw
it in "Life Magazine".
1476
00:58:24,892 --> 00:58:27,591
I had people tell me,
even ballplayers tell me
1477
00:58:27,634 --> 00:58:30,985
that that's the first pictureI ever saw of a jump shot.
1478
00:58:31,029 --> 00:58:32,770
- We've talked about
what it meant to be
1479
00:58:32,813 --> 00:58:36,643
on the main stage of MadisonSquare Garden in 1943.
1480
00:58:36,687 --> 00:58:40,821
"Life Magazine" was every bitas impactful, if not more.
1481
00:58:42,214 --> 00:58:44,695
- So here's this "Life
Magazine" picture,
1482
00:58:44,738 --> 00:58:47,698
read by and looked
at by kids like me
1483
00:58:47,741 --> 00:58:50,918
all over the country, saying,"What is happening here?"
1484
00:58:50,962 --> 00:58:52,790
- "Life Magazine"
was such a dominant
1485
00:58:52,833 --> 00:58:55,357
publication at the
time that, you know,
1486
00:58:55,401 --> 00:58:57,664
millions of people
see this shot,
1487
00:58:57,708 --> 00:59:00,449
and they realize thatsomeone has done something
1488
00:59:00,493 --> 00:59:01,886
that they don't normally see.
1489
00:59:01,929 --> 00:59:04,366
- [Male] Today, guys aretrained to go straight up,
1490
00:59:04,410 --> 00:59:06,151
but there was nobodytelling him how to do it,
1491
00:59:06,194 --> 00:59:07,718
because nobody had done it.
1492
00:59:07,761 --> 00:59:10,764
- [Male] Kids saw it, and thenthey went and tried to do it.
1493
00:59:12,287 --> 00:59:13,724
- [Male] Well, I used myjump shot everywhere I went.
1494
00:59:13,767 --> 00:59:16,814
In fact, when I played
with Providence,
1495
00:59:16,857 --> 00:59:19,077
they required me to goaround to the high school,
1496
00:59:19,120 --> 00:59:22,384
and hold clinics on how toshoot the jump shot, yeah.
1497
00:59:22,428 --> 00:59:24,822
I kinda enjoyed that, so.
1498
00:59:24,865 --> 00:59:26,824
- You could use it as anargument to prove time travel.
1499
00:59:26,867 --> 00:59:31,916
I mean, it looks like thisguy from last night's NBA game
1500
00:59:31,959 --> 00:59:33,657
was plopped down into the era
1501
00:59:33,700 --> 00:59:36,355
of black leather shoes
and tight shorts.
1502
00:59:36,398 --> 00:59:38,400
This was the shot
that changed the game,
1503
00:59:38,444 --> 00:59:40,838
but nobody realized,
when he came down
1504
00:59:40,881 --> 00:59:42,666
the world was
gonna be different.
1505
00:59:42,709 --> 00:59:44,319
[car engines roaring]
1506
00:59:44,363 --> 00:59:45,407
- [Larry] Here, let
me clean you off here.
1507
00:59:45,451 --> 00:59:46,583
- I got it.
1508
00:59:46,626 --> 00:59:48,367
[banging]
1509
00:59:48,410 --> 00:59:50,761
Keep it just like it
is in the front, Larry.
1510
00:59:50,804 --> 00:59:53,024
- It's just amazing to me
1511
00:59:53,067 --> 00:59:55,896
that with all the
evidence we've piled up
1512
00:59:55,940 --> 00:59:57,811
in the last 10 years, you know,
1513
00:59:57,855 --> 01:00:00,466
and he still denies culpability.
1514
01:00:00,509 --> 01:00:02,555
- And who knows,
back in the 1800s,
1515
01:00:02,599 --> 01:00:05,689
some kid out in PodunkHigh could jump in the air,
1516
01:00:05,732 --> 01:00:07,865
and throw the ball, couldn't he?
1517
01:00:07,908 --> 01:00:10,041
It's a jump shot if his
feet leaves the floor.
1518
01:00:11,216 --> 01:00:12,652
- [Male] He's not the
type of individual
1519
01:00:12,696 --> 01:00:14,611
who's going to speak against
1520
01:00:14,654 --> 01:00:16,482
the accomplishments
of other people.
1521
01:00:16,525 --> 01:00:19,790
When I spoke to Kenny,he was careful to confine
1522
01:00:19,833 --> 01:00:22,314
absolutes to what he knew.
1523
01:00:22,357 --> 01:00:23,794
- [Male] Kenny won't tellyou that he's the first.
1524
01:00:23,837 --> 01:00:25,273
You know, he's too
humble for that.
1525
01:00:25,317 --> 01:00:26,884
- [Male] But he's
happy to tell ya
1526
01:00:26,927 --> 01:00:29,103
that this is what otherplayers in my era thought.
1527
01:00:29,147 --> 01:00:31,671
- Ray Meyer from DePaul, hesaid it the best, I think.
1528
01:00:31,715 --> 01:00:33,499
"Sailors may not have
been the first player
1529
01:00:33,542 --> 01:00:34,979
to jump in the air,
and shoot the ball,
1530
01:00:35,022 --> 01:00:37,677
but he developed the shotthat's being used today."
1531
01:00:37,721 --> 01:00:42,377
[dramatic instrumental
music playing]
1532
01:00:46,338 --> 01:00:47,687
- In case he hasn't seen it,
1533
01:00:47,731 --> 01:00:51,343
I'm gonna bring him a copyof the nomination packet
1534
01:00:51,386 --> 01:00:54,476
for the Naismith Hall ofFame, and he may have seen it.
1535
01:00:54,520 --> 01:00:57,218
I'm not sure, but I'm
just bringing one along.
1536
01:00:57,262 --> 01:00:59,699
The nomination packet we
have for Kenny Sailors
1537
01:00:59,743 --> 01:01:01,788
is a knock your
socks off package.
1538
01:01:04,182 --> 01:01:05,313
[knocking]
1539
01:01:05,357 --> 01:01:06,314
- Come in, Jim!
1540
01:01:07,664 --> 01:01:08,926
- Where's my buddy?
1541
01:01:08,969 --> 01:01:10,754
[laughing]
There he is.
1542
01:01:11,711 --> 01:01:12,886
- [Kenny] How you doin'?
1543
01:01:12,930 --> 01:01:14,322
- Kenny was fortunate
when he came back
1544
01:01:14,366 --> 01:01:16,673
that there were somepeople in his inner circle
1545
01:01:16,716 --> 01:01:17,978
who cared about his legacy.
1546
01:01:18,022 --> 01:01:20,328
- Have you seen the packetfor the Hall of Fame?
1547
01:01:20,372 --> 01:01:21,721
Have you seen one of those?- No,
1548
01:01:21,765 --> 01:01:22,940
I haven't seen it.
1549
01:01:22,983 --> 01:01:25,899
"Developer of the
modern jump shot."
1550
01:01:25,943 --> 01:01:27,945
Yeah, that's pretty accurate.
1551
01:01:27,988 --> 01:01:31,557
That looks like the--
- This is Utah State
1552
01:01:31,600 --> 01:01:33,080
in Hells Half Acre.
1553
01:01:33,124 --> 01:01:35,735
Now, there's your
"Life Magazine" shot.
1554
01:01:35,779 --> 01:01:36,649
- Yeah.
1555
01:01:36,693 --> 01:01:37,824
And that crazy jump shot,
1556
01:01:37,868 --> 01:01:39,696
it's really got me into trouble.
1557
01:01:40,958 --> 01:01:43,743
It's bigger than Ithought it would ever be.
1558
01:01:43,787 --> 01:01:47,051
I never give a thought backwhen I was first developin' it
1559
01:01:47,094 --> 01:01:49,444
that it would develop intosomethin' like it is today.
1560
01:01:49,488 --> 01:01:51,316
- The sport of basketball'sseen many names
1561
01:01:51,359 --> 01:01:52,709
shape its rich history,
1562
01:01:52,752 --> 01:01:54,754
but there's one name
that escapes memory.
1563
01:01:54,798 --> 01:01:55,799
- Not only is Kenny Sailors
1564
01:01:55,842 --> 01:01:57,148
one of the great
players of all time,
1565
01:01:57,191 --> 01:01:58,279
he's the guy who first
thought of the idea
1566
01:01:58,323 --> 01:01:59,933
of shooting a jump shot.
1567
01:01:59,977 --> 01:02:04,285
- As aplayer/pioneer/contributor,Sailors has few equals.
1568
01:02:05,809 --> 01:02:07,158
- For where would basketballbe without Kenny Sailors,
1569
01:02:07,201 --> 01:02:09,769
and what is known
today as the jump shot?
1570
01:02:09,813 --> 01:02:12,859
- [Male] We've had CBS comeout, and do a feature on him.
1571
01:02:12,903 --> 01:02:16,254
- [Male] The University ofWyoming has done a tremendous
1572
01:02:16,297 --> 01:02:20,345
service to unearth thisstory in the last 10 years.
1573
01:02:21,520 --> 01:02:22,782
- [Male] It's not
about Kenny, to him,
1574
01:02:22,826 --> 01:02:24,828
but he does it to raise the bar
1575
01:02:24,871 --> 01:02:26,177
for the University of Wyoming,
1576
01:02:26,220 --> 01:02:28,701
and raise the bar
for his teammates.
1577
01:02:28,745 --> 01:02:29,615
- [Male] The "New
York Daily News"
1578
01:02:29,658 --> 01:02:31,704
did a feature on him last year.
1579
01:02:31,748 --> 01:02:34,446
- Kenny Sailors is not
just a Wyoming treasure,
1580
01:02:34,489 --> 01:02:35,926
but he's a treasure
for the game.
1581
01:02:35,969 --> 01:02:40,669
- He led Wyoming to the
1943 NCAA Championships.
1582
01:02:40,713 --> 01:02:41,714
They did beat Georgetown.
1583
01:02:41,758 --> 01:02:42,802
Patrick did not
play in that game.
1584
01:02:42,846 --> 01:02:44,325
He's not quite that old.
1585
01:02:44,369 --> 01:02:46,806
- Sailors belongs in theNaismith Memorial Hall of Fame.
1586
01:02:46,850 --> 01:02:48,329
I mean, you've got the guy
1587
01:02:48,373 --> 01:02:50,114
who invented the 24-secondshot clock in the Hall of Fame.
1588
01:02:50,157 --> 01:02:52,116
You can't get the guy whoinvented the jump shot
1589
01:02:52,159 --> 01:02:53,073
in the Hall of Fame?
1590
01:02:53,117 --> 01:02:55,162
[upbeat rock music playing]
1591
01:02:55,206 --> 01:02:57,382
- [Male] He was involved
in an ESPN special,
1592
01:02:57,425 --> 01:03:00,515
narrating for the 75thanniversary of the Final Four.
1593
01:03:00,559 --> 01:03:02,822
- Who better a person
to narrate a story
1594
01:03:02,866 --> 01:03:04,824
about the history of
the NCA Tournament
1595
01:03:04,868 --> 01:03:07,174
than the man who
invented the jump shot?
1596
01:03:07,218 --> 01:03:08,436
- [Announcer] Please
give a round of applause
1597
01:03:08,480 --> 01:03:11,396
for Kenny Sailors.
[audience applauding]
1598
01:03:11,439 --> 01:03:12,701
- You know, since
I've been here,
1599
01:03:12,745 --> 01:03:14,834
I've been asked by
quite a few people,
1600
01:03:14,878 --> 01:03:17,097
you know, if I'm
happy to be here.
1601
01:03:18,316 --> 01:03:21,710
And, you know, at
92-years of age
1602
01:03:21,754 --> 01:03:22,886
you're happy to be anywhere.
1603
01:03:22,929 --> 01:03:24,844
[laughing]
1604
01:03:24,888 --> 01:03:27,847
[people chattering]
1605
01:03:29,457 --> 01:03:31,895
- [Male] I always marveledat how he'd come up here,
1606
01:03:31,938 --> 01:03:35,376
he's 92-years-old, and
he'd walk the arena
1607
01:03:35,420 --> 01:03:39,511
as if he was a, I don'tknow, 60 or 70-year-old guy.
1608
01:03:39,554 --> 01:03:40,904
- [Male] Kenny's
always in the outdoors,
1609
01:03:40,947 --> 01:03:42,731
and he's always
playin' basketball,
1610
01:03:42,775 --> 01:03:44,733
and he always stayed in shape.
1611
01:03:44,777 --> 01:03:45,822
- [Male] And he could
go out and shoot
1612
01:03:45,865 --> 01:03:47,562
left-handed,
right-handed on a court,
1613
01:03:47,606 --> 01:03:49,260
put up layups,
little hook shots.
1614
01:03:49,303 --> 01:03:52,872
- He was dribblin' thebasketball between his legs.
1615
01:03:52,916 --> 01:03:55,875
For God sake, I can't
even find my leg.
1616
01:03:55,919 --> 01:03:58,486
- He can yo-yo up
and down crosswise,
1617
01:03:58,530 --> 01:04:00,880
and he could still do
all this stuff today.
1618
01:04:00,924 --> 01:04:04,753
You won't see many
90-plus-year-olds
being able to do that.
1619
01:04:04,797 --> 01:04:05,711
[laughing]
1620
01:04:05,754 --> 01:04:07,582
- That was my jump shot.
1621
01:04:07,626 --> 01:04:10,020
- You take away all the
business, all the media,
1622
01:04:10,063 --> 01:04:11,978
all the hype around the game,
1623
01:04:12,022 --> 01:04:16,113
and you wanna see purelove, look at Kenny Sailors.
1624
01:04:16,156 --> 01:04:18,724
[crowd cheering]
[announcer shouting]
1625
01:04:18,767 --> 01:04:22,728
- Kenny is still around, andeverybody sees him at games.
1626
01:04:22,771 --> 01:04:24,773
People like to be around him.
1627
01:04:24,817 --> 01:04:27,689
Children, they wanna
get his autograph.
1628
01:04:27,733 --> 01:04:30,388
- Was goin' to Wyomingpractices at 80-years-old,
1629
01:04:30,431 --> 01:04:32,390
like, I know I probably,
1630
01:04:32,433 --> 01:04:33,870
if I've been playin'
the game for that long,
1631
01:04:33,913 --> 01:04:35,393
I'm not going to
a random practice
1632
01:04:35,436 --> 01:04:37,264
on a Tuesday and Wednesdayjust to check it out.
1633
01:04:37,308 --> 01:04:38,918
That's just love for the game.
1634
01:04:40,528 --> 01:04:42,879
- [Kenny] I practiced a littlebit, [speaking faintly].
1635
01:04:43,705 --> 01:04:45,272
- Ready?
- Ready.
1636
01:04:45,316 --> 01:04:46,447
- You'd look at him and say,
1637
01:04:46,491 --> 01:04:48,710
"I think Kenny
Sailors could go on",
1638
01:04:48,754 --> 01:04:51,713
who's know how long hecould go on, in the 100s.
1639
01:04:51,757 --> 01:04:53,237
- I know I'm an old man,
1640
01:04:53,280 --> 01:04:56,544
and I know I can't dotoday what I did when I was
1641
01:04:57,763 --> 01:05:01,027
even in my 70s, even
come close to it.
1642
01:05:01,071 --> 01:05:04,161
Yeah, I was still guidin'some when I was in my 70s.
1643
01:05:04,204 --> 01:05:06,119
Yeah, and I could
climb that mountain
1644
01:05:06,163 --> 01:05:07,729
after that white
sheep, and stuff,
1645
01:05:07,773 --> 01:05:09,862
but that was still, you know,
1646
01:05:09,906 --> 01:05:10,863
I shouldn't have been, probably,
1647
01:05:10,907 --> 01:05:12,517
because it is dangerous.
1648
01:05:12,560 --> 01:05:15,085
And I can still talk withpeople pretty well, so.
1649
01:05:15,128 --> 01:05:18,392
And I can still do the thingsthat someone my age can do.
1650
01:05:18,436 --> 01:05:21,004
It's the physical things
that I can't do, yeah,
1651
01:05:21,047 --> 01:05:22,788
and I don't even wanna try.
1652
01:05:24,442 --> 01:05:26,270
I wanna stay as healthy as I can
1653
01:05:26,313 --> 01:05:28,315
up until the time
I get out of here.
1654
01:05:28,359 --> 01:05:30,448
I don't wanna have to
go into a nursing home,
1655
01:05:30,491 --> 01:05:32,885
or spend a long time
in the hospital,
1656
01:05:32,929 --> 01:05:34,843
or somethin', you know?
1657
01:05:34,887 --> 01:05:36,933
I don't want people
to have the trouble
1658
01:05:36,976 --> 01:05:38,804
of tryin' to take care
of me when I get older.
1659
01:05:38,847 --> 01:05:40,110
There's the whole thing.
1660
01:05:40,153 --> 01:05:42,068
[somber instrumental
music playing]
1661
01:05:42,112 --> 01:05:44,853
[birds chirping]
1662
01:05:52,078 --> 01:05:52,905
Yeah.
1663
01:05:54,820 --> 01:05:55,603
Okay.
1664
01:05:59,781 --> 01:06:01,392
Okay, I got her.
1665
01:06:04,917 --> 01:06:07,398
- [Male] Well, Kenny'sslowed down a little bit,
1666
01:06:07,441 --> 01:06:09,878
and remarkably
so, will tell you.
1667
01:06:12,055 --> 01:06:13,882
He doesn't like getting
out quite as much
1668
01:06:13,926 --> 01:06:16,668
just 'cause it's harderfor him to stand and walk
1669
01:06:16,711 --> 01:06:18,061
for extended periods of time.
1670
01:06:21,847 --> 01:06:24,110
- What's amazing for a
man who's been so proud
1671
01:06:24,154 --> 01:06:26,330
of what he could do
for so long on his own,
1672
01:06:26,373 --> 01:06:28,375
he's accepted these thingswith a lot of grace,
1673
01:06:28,419 --> 01:06:29,942
and that's not easy.
1674
01:06:29,986 --> 01:06:31,074
- [Kenny] Well, hi, Betty.
1675
01:06:32,205 --> 01:06:33,511
- [Kelly] He focuses
on the positive,
1676
01:06:33,554 --> 01:06:35,252
and I think that's why
he's the person he is,
1677
01:06:35,295 --> 01:06:37,994
and the person he hasbeen for quite some time.
1678
01:06:38,037 --> 01:06:39,212
- Sat over here.
1679
01:06:39,256 --> 01:06:41,171
- He still feels like
he has a purpose,
1680
01:06:41,214 --> 01:06:44,304
that's what keeps him goin',and makes him most fulfilled.
1681
01:06:44,348 --> 01:06:45,697
- I tried to get him to
1682
01:06:45,740 --> 01:06:47,046
pay attention to me.
- There you go.
1683
01:06:47,090 --> 01:06:48,047
- You never did.
1684
01:06:48,091 --> 01:06:49,396
- She's lyin'.
1685
01:06:49,440 --> 01:06:51,529
You know, it was just
the other way around.
1686
01:06:51,572 --> 01:06:52,791
- Yeah, ha.- She wouldn't look at me.
1687
01:06:52,834 --> 01:06:54,314
- Ha ha ha.
- Yeah, she wouldn't
1688
01:06:54,358 --> 01:06:56,664
have anything to do with me.- Yeah.
1689
01:06:56,708 --> 01:06:59,145
- Here, I thought you were thegreatest girl in high school.
1690
01:06:59,189 --> 01:07:00,451
- Oh, baloney.
1691
01:07:00,494 --> 01:07:01,974
[laughing]
1692
01:07:02,018 --> 01:07:03,758
- Kenny's always had
a good sense of humor.
1693
01:07:03,802 --> 01:07:07,066
He is not too proud toaccept kidding about himself.
1694
01:07:07,110 --> 01:07:08,372
- Be careful with that hat.
1695
01:07:08,415 --> 01:07:10,200
I mean, I don't want
you to get it dirty.
1696
01:07:10,243 --> 01:07:12,463
- [Bill] I don't wanna geta disease from this hat.
1697
01:07:12,506 --> 01:07:14,987
That's a stinky, smelly, old hat
1698
01:07:15,031 --> 01:07:16,293
- Oh, come on, Bill.
- that should be
1699
01:07:16,336 --> 01:07:18,164
probably buried
outside with a skunk.
1700
01:07:18,208 --> 01:07:22,821
- Ha, yeah, that hat's
got a lot of prestige,
1701
01:07:22,864 --> 01:07:24,301
and I'll tell ya,
1702
01:07:24,344 --> 01:07:25,954
well, you can tell
by lookin' at it.
1703
01:07:25,998 --> 01:07:27,782
- Well, it looks like alot of interesting things
1704
01:07:27,826 --> 01:07:29,132
have happened to this
hat, probably a lot
1705
01:07:29,175 --> 01:07:30,698
more than sweat.
- Well, the horse
1706
01:07:30,742 --> 01:07:33,049
drank water out of it,
and ate oats out of it,
1707
01:07:33,092 --> 01:07:36,443
and we did all sorts of
things with that hat.
1708
01:07:36,487 --> 01:07:38,271
- What else did you--
- I drank out of it.
1709
01:07:38,315 --> 01:07:40,926
But you can tell by lookin'at it, it's had a few years.
1710
01:07:40,969 --> 01:07:42,275
- So can I put this on your head
1711
01:07:42,319 --> 01:07:43,929
just to see what it
looks like today?
1712
01:07:43,972 --> 01:07:48,107
I think it's good for him,and for me, to test his wit.
1713
01:07:48,760 --> 01:07:50,283
Keeps him sharp.
1714
01:07:50,327 --> 01:07:53,504
He's gotta have comebacks,and he can dish it right back.
1715
01:07:53,547 --> 01:07:56,550
- I treat this hat with
a lot of respect, Bill.
1716
01:07:56,594 --> 01:07:57,682
- [Bill] It doesn't deserve any.
1717
01:07:57,725 --> 01:07:59,858
[laughing]
1718
01:07:59,901 --> 01:08:01,120
[shoes squeaking
[balls thudding]
1719
01:08:01,164 --> 01:08:05,951
[players chattering
incoherently]
1720
01:08:05,994 --> 01:08:08,388
- [Larry] Anytime
Kenny's in the building,
1721
01:08:08,432 --> 01:08:11,217
I wanna make sure heunderstands the love's there.
1722
01:08:11,261 --> 01:08:12,436
- Hi, Coach.
1723
01:08:12,479 --> 01:08:14,002
Excuse me for not gettin' up.
1724
01:08:14,046 --> 01:08:15,308
- You don't have to get up.
1725
01:08:15,352 --> 01:08:16,918
I'm supposed to get
up for the old man.
1726
01:08:16,962 --> 01:08:18,442
You're not supposed toget up for the young man.
1727
01:08:18,485 --> 01:08:19,225
- Okay.
1728
01:08:19,269 --> 01:08:20,052
- How you doin'?
1729
01:08:20,096 --> 01:08:20,966
- He wanders our halls.
1730
01:08:21,009 --> 01:08:22,489
He comes to our games.
1731
01:08:22,533 --> 01:08:23,925
He hugs our kids when we lose.
1732
01:08:23,969 --> 01:08:25,492
He hugs our kids when we win.
1733
01:08:25,536 --> 01:08:28,321
We're fortunate that he'sbeen part of our experience.
1734
01:08:29,714 --> 01:08:31,194
- Three-up, guys.
1735
01:08:31,237 --> 01:08:34,588
- Sometimes what you give getsthrown back to you tenfold,
1736
01:08:34,632 --> 01:08:35,850
and that's the dream, I think,
1737
01:08:35,894 --> 01:08:37,852
all of us have
for Kenny Sailors.
1738
01:08:37,896 --> 01:08:38,853
- [Kenny] You bet.
1739
01:08:38,897 --> 01:08:40,072
- [Male] He's
already put his name
1740
01:08:40,116 --> 01:08:41,247
amongst the greatest
college players,
1741
01:08:41,291 --> 01:08:43,336
he and the College
Basketball Hall of Fame,
1742
01:08:43,380 --> 01:08:44,555
but it would be
great for him to be
1743
01:08:44,598 --> 01:08:45,860
in the Naismith Hall of Fame,
1744
01:08:45,904 --> 01:08:47,558
and have his name
with all those great
1745
01:08:47,601 --> 01:08:49,821
college and
professional players.
1746
01:08:49,864 --> 01:08:51,562
- [Male] Everyone
who knows his story
1747
01:08:51,605 --> 01:08:53,259
would love to see
this happen for him
1748
01:08:53,303 --> 01:08:55,000
when he can appreciate
it, when he can live it,
1749
01:08:55,043 --> 01:08:56,610
when he can know
that he went down
1750
01:08:56,654 --> 01:08:58,046
with the greatest
basketball players ever,
1751
01:08:58,090 --> 01:08:58,960
and he'll be there forever.
1752
01:08:59,004 --> 01:09:00,614
He deserves to know that.
1753
01:09:01,920 --> 01:09:03,878
- [Male] The sooner the
election, the better.
1754
01:09:03,922 --> 01:09:06,359
- It's a borrowed
time situation.
1755
01:09:06,403 --> 01:09:08,405
It would be great right now.
1756
01:09:08,448 --> 01:09:12,887
[upbeat music playing]- Please welcome your host
1757
01:09:12,931 --> 01:09:14,324
for the NBA All-Star
1758
01:09:14,367 --> 01:09:17,457
Naismith Memorial Hall
of Fame announcement--
1759
01:09:17,501 --> 01:09:18,719
- It is a big day.
1760
01:09:18,763 --> 01:09:20,721
A lot of people
have worked a lot.
1761
01:09:20,765 --> 01:09:22,419
- Yeah, you know, this weekend,
1762
01:09:22,462 --> 01:09:24,072
hopefully we'll
get some good news.
1763
01:09:24,116 --> 01:09:28,468
- It's so exciting justthinking about if it happens.
1764
01:09:28,512 --> 01:09:30,731
- I think Kenny's probablyhandelin' it the best.
1765
01:09:30,775 --> 01:09:32,516
But for those of us
who really would like
1766
01:09:32,559 --> 01:09:33,821
to see him get this honor,
1767
01:09:33,865 --> 01:09:35,606
we're probably a little
more anxious than he is.
1768
01:09:35,649 --> 01:09:36,737
- Good morning, everybody,
1769
01:09:36,781 --> 01:09:38,130
and thank you for
joining us here.
1770
01:09:38,174 --> 01:09:39,610
A very special welcome to
1771
01:09:39,653 --> 01:09:41,307
all of our friendswatching around the world
1772
01:09:41,351 --> 01:09:42,961
on NBA--
- Well, that's the
1773
01:09:43,004 --> 01:09:45,616
million dollar question,
"Does he have a chance?"
1774
01:09:45,659 --> 01:09:48,923
- Truthfully, I think
they're about 50/50.
1775
01:09:48,967 --> 01:09:50,273
It should be 100%.
1776
01:09:50,316 --> 01:09:52,275
- We need to get to
now the introduction
1777
01:09:52,318 --> 01:09:56,453
of the first members of theHall of Fame class of 2015.
1778
01:10:02,328 --> 01:10:03,242
- [Jim] Oh, shit.
1779
01:10:10,554 --> 01:10:12,338
I'm so down in some ways,
1780
01:10:12,382 --> 01:10:14,819
and then I'm so pissed
off in other ways.
1781
01:10:14,862 --> 01:10:18,649
And to me, it goes back
to the two basic areas.
1782
01:10:18,692 --> 01:10:22,870
One, it happened so long
ago it's not relevant.
1783
01:10:22,914 --> 01:10:24,785
And then the second
part of it is,
1784
01:10:24,829 --> 01:10:28,093
we just haven't reallyproved our case well enough.
1785
01:10:29,312 --> 01:10:30,878
I need to sit down,
and think about this,
1786
01:10:30,922 --> 01:10:32,010
and I think all of us do.
1787
01:10:32,053 --> 01:10:35,796
But from winning you
get some feedback,
1788
01:10:35,840 --> 01:10:37,494
and from losing you
get some feedback,
1789
01:10:37,537 --> 01:10:40,148
and I think that we get
all our ducks in a row,
1790
01:10:40,192 --> 01:10:42,890
and then we bang 'em
early for next year.
1791
01:10:42,934 --> 01:10:45,066
Please believe me,
this aint finished.
1792
01:10:46,590 --> 01:10:48,809
- When Kenny Sailors getsinto the Hall of Fame
1793
01:10:48,853 --> 01:10:51,812
it will, unfortunately,
be a ripple.
1794
01:10:51,856 --> 01:10:53,510
Not with a bang, but a whimper.
1795
01:10:55,555 --> 01:10:56,948
It will, however,
1796
01:10:56,991 --> 01:11:00,212
complete the Naismith MemorialBasketball Hall of Fame,
1797
01:11:00,256 --> 01:11:02,083
because right now
it's incomplete,
1798
01:11:02,127 --> 01:11:04,999
and it can't be
complete without Kenny.
1799
01:11:05,043 --> 01:11:06,000
- The evidence is there.
1800
01:11:06,044 --> 01:11:07,175
It's been there.
1801
01:11:07,219 --> 01:11:08,829
You're hopin' that over time,
1802
01:11:08,873 --> 01:11:12,050
maybe the next year somehow,they see it differently
1803
01:11:12,093 --> 01:11:13,834
than they saw it a year before.
1804
01:11:13,878 --> 01:11:16,750
But I just don't think peopleare gonna appreciate something
1805
01:11:16,794 --> 01:11:19,318
that happened, in their
eyes, so long ago.
1806
01:11:19,362 --> 01:11:21,973
- His name, his accolades,it's just his whole legacy
1807
01:11:22,016 --> 01:11:23,104
should be in the Hall of Fame,
1808
01:11:23,148 --> 01:11:24,671
and his family
deserves that as well.
1809
01:11:26,064 --> 01:11:28,414
We're gonna keep fightinguntil we get him in there.
1810
01:11:28,458 --> 01:11:32,723
- The game is built onwhat the pioneers have done
1811
01:11:32,766 --> 01:11:36,335
in every era, and
we owe 'em a lot,
1812
01:11:36,379 --> 01:11:38,381
because that's the
foundation of the game,
1813
01:11:38,424 --> 01:11:40,339
and you see trial and error,
1814
01:11:40,383 --> 01:11:43,560
you see innovation atthat time, and new things,
1815
01:11:43,603 --> 01:11:46,258
like Kenny Sailors
and the jump shot.
1816
01:11:46,302 --> 01:11:47,999
- His story has to be told.
1817
01:11:48,042 --> 01:11:51,481
Now that I know, I'm gonnatake it to the Hall of Fame.
1818
01:11:51,524 --> 01:11:55,049
I'm gonna share this storywith other athletes and people
1819
01:11:55,093 --> 01:11:59,184
so they know the origin
of where this started.
1820
01:11:59,227 --> 01:12:03,101
- All of us that have everplayed or coached the game
1821
01:12:03,144 --> 01:12:08,149
should have a picture of KennySailors' ass up somewhere
1822
01:12:09,673 --> 01:12:13,720
that we can kiss every timewe go into the locker room.
1823
01:12:13,764 --> 01:12:15,243
- I want Sailors'
family just to know
1824
01:12:15,287 --> 01:12:16,680
that we appreciate him.
1825
01:12:16,723 --> 01:12:18,812
We appreciate what
he did for the game.
1826
01:12:18,856 --> 01:12:20,553
We appreciate just
the level of teaching
1827
01:12:20,597 --> 01:12:23,034
that he brought after hefinished playing the game.
1828
01:12:24,383 --> 01:12:25,906
It's just something
I've never seen before.
1829
01:12:25,950 --> 01:12:29,519
Just to love and care forother people, and for the game,
1830
01:12:29,562 --> 01:12:31,347
that's just an amazing
man right there.
1831
01:12:31,390 --> 01:12:33,958
- I don't think to this
day Kenny is interested
1832
01:12:34,001 --> 01:12:36,569
in his legacy as a jump shooter.
1833
01:12:36,613 --> 01:12:38,745
He doesn't care that he'sthe first jump shooter.
1834
01:12:38,789 --> 01:12:40,138
He doesn't even wanna
talk about that.
1835
01:12:40,181 --> 01:12:42,923
He's interested in talkingabout what he had to do
1836
01:12:42,967 --> 01:12:44,708
to be the best
version of himself.
1837
01:12:45,883 --> 01:12:47,798
- There's only
one number retired
1838
01:12:47,841 --> 01:12:50,888
at the University of Wyoming,and that's number four.
1839
01:12:50,931 --> 01:12:53,673
If you've got a
legacy in that size,
1840
01:12:53,717 --> 01:12:58,374
you've got a high ladder toclimb to reach Kenny Sailors.
1841
01:12:58,417 --> 01:12:59,723
- This is probably the quote
1842
01:12:59,766 --> 01:13:01,855
that summed Kenny up
the best for me I said,
1843
01:13:01,899 --> 01:13:03,291
"Do you wanna go into
the Hall of Fame?"
1844
01:13:03,335 --> 01:13:05,468
He says, "Oh, sure I wannago into the Hall of Fame".
1845
01:13:05,511 --> 01:13:06,773
"It'd mean a great deal to me."
1846
01:13:06,817 --> 01:13:08,688
"Basketball's done
a lot for me."
1847
01:13:08,732 --> 01:13:11,909
I told Jim Brandenburg that,and he laughed and said,
1848
01:13:11,952 --> 01:13:13,693
"Kenny's got that backwards".
1849
01:13:13,737 --> 01:13:16,392
"Nobody's ever done morefor basketball than Kenny."
1850
01:13:20,396 --> 01:13:22,049
- I guess, from a
world standpoint,
1851
01:13:22,093 --> 01:13:24,965
they'd probably say, "I had acalling to play basketball".
1852
01:13:27,272 --> 01:13:30,275
Since it's worked out,
basketball's given
me an opportunity
1853
01:13:30,318 --> 01:13:32,451
to speak to people thatprobably wouldn't have even
1854
01:13:32,495 --> 01:13:34,758
spoke to me if I hadn't
been a good ball player.
1855
01:13:36,324 --> 01:13:39,458
And the Lord uses these thingsin the lives of individuals.
1856
01:13:39,502 --> 01:13:41,721
My case, it was sports,
and the jump shot.
1857
01:13:44,768 --> 01:13:46,813
Yeah, I'm not in
the Hall of Fame.
1858
01:13:46,857 --> 01:13:48,075
So far, I've never made it.
1859
01:13:49,729 --> 01:13:52,166
If I were to make the
Hall of Fame today,
1860
01:13:52,210 --> 01:13:54,125
oh, you know, it'd be nice.
1861
01:13:54,168 --> 01:13:56,780
I mean, I'm a human beingjust like everybody else.
1862
01:14:00,479 --> 01:14:02,699
But I know I belong tothe greatest Hall of Fame
1863
01:14:02,742 --> 01:14:04,788
that any man or woman
can ever belong to,
1864
01:14:06,442 --> 01:14:09,096
and when you belong to that,and you know you belong to it,
1865
01:14:09,140 --> 01:14:10,881
you don't worry about
these Halls of Fames
1866
01:14:10,924 --> 01:14:12,709
that men create down here.
1867
01:14:12,752 --> 01:14:14,362
Don't mean that much to you.
1868
01:14:15,276 --> 01:14:18,062
[intense booming]
1869
01:14:19,193 --> 01:14:23,459
[somber instrumental
music playing]
1870
01:14:28,551 --> 01:14:29,900
- [Sports Announcer]
Wyoming's Kenny Sailors,
1871
01:14:29,943 --> 01:14:33,381
who had just turned95-years-of-age two weeks ago,
1872
01:14:33,425 --> 01:14:36,167
passed away in his sleepthis morning at 2:50 a.m.
1873
01:14:38,038 --> 01:14:39,866
Here in Laramie, Wyoming.
1874
01:14:39,910 --> 01:14:41,999
I'll just say this,
there's no bigger fan,
1875
01:14:42,042 --> 01:14:45,829
or a fellow that lovedCowboy and Cowgirl basketball
1876
01:14:45,872 --> 01:14:47,831
as much as Kenny Sailors.
1877
01:14:47,874 --> 01:14:52,879
♪ Don't you dare think
1878
01:14:53,750 --> 01:14:58,145
♪ That I don't think about you
1879
01:14:59,886 --> 01:15:04,804
♪ Just 'cause we can't speak
1880
01:15:04,848 --> 01:15:08,155
♪ Doesn't mean you're
not on my mind ♪
1881
01:15:08,199 --> 01:15:11,681
- I remember one time we werewatchin' the NCAA Tournament,
1882
01:15:11,724 --> 01:15:15,511
and I asked Kenny about hisFinal Four, and he said,
1883
01:15:15,554 --> 01:15:18,905
"Well, my Final Four
would be God, husband,
1884
01:15:18,949 --> 01:15:21,821
father, and US Marine
in that order".
1885
01:15:21,865 --> 01:15:23,693
I noticed that basketballwas not on the list,
1886
01:15:23,736 --> 01:15:25,085
and he said, "Yeah".
1887
01:15:25,129 --> 01:15:26,434
He said, "Those are the mostimportant things to me".
1888
01:15:26,478 --> 01:15:27,784
"Those are my Final Four."
1889
01:15:27,827 --> 01:15:32,832
♪ I'll be watching
from a distance ♪
1890
01:15:34,094 --> 01:15:38,621
♪ I'll be watching
from a distance ♪
1891
01:15:39,839 --> 01:15:44,191
♪ Oh, I'll be watching
from a distance ♪
1892
01:15:45,018 --> 01:15:50,023
♪ Oh
1893
01:15:50,720 --> 01:15:55,725
♪ Oh
1894
01:15:56,856 --> 01:16:01,034
♪ It's been a dark night
1895
01:16:01,948 --> 01:16:05,691
♪ But it's gonna be all right
1896
01:16:17,747 --> 01:16:22,099
[instrumental piano
music playing]
1897
01:16:40,030 --> 01:16:44,469
[somber instrumental
music playing]
1898
01:17:19,939 --> 01:17:22,463
- When we think
about UW athletes,
1899
01:17:22,507 --> 01:17:25,815
it's not just what they do onthe court, or on the field,
1900
01:17:25,858 --> 01:17:27,773
it's how they represent
the university,
1901
01:17:27,817 --> 01:17:29,819
how they represent
the state of Wyoming
1902
01:17:29,862 --> 01:17:32,865
that gives us such
pride in what they do.
1903
01:17:32,909 --> 01:17:37,609
Today, we recognize one veryspecial athlete, Kenny Sailors.
1904
01:17:40,960 --> 01:17:43,876
[crowd cheering and applauding]
1905
01:17:43,920 --> 01:17:47,140
- Well, a statue wasunveiled of my grandfather.
1906
01:17:47,184 --> 01:17:49,839
The first thing I thoughtwas, "That is so huge".
1907
01:17:49,882 --> 01:17:51,275
[laughing]
1908
01:17:51,318 --> 01:17:54,582
- It's a great replica ofhis shot in all the detail.
1909
01:17:54,626 --> 01:17:57,629
It brings him back to
life just a little bit.
1910
01:17:57,673 --> 01:17:59,892
- Kenny Sailors, as you
look at this statue,
1911
01:17:59,936 --> 01:18:01,894
it's larger than life,
which is appropriate,
1912
01:18:01,938 --> 01:18:03,766
because he certainly
was that way.
1913
01:18:03,809 --> 01:18:05,637
- I think of all the
things we've done here,
1914
01:18:05,681 --> 01:18:08,814
I'm most proud of this
because of that man.
1915
01:18:08,858 --> 01:18:12,818
I don't know if you can
ever tribute him enough,
1916
01:18:12,862 --> 01:18:15,952
but this is about as
good as we could do.
1917
01:18:15,995 --> 01:18:17,736
- It's almost surreal.
1918
01:18:17,780 --> 01:18:20,304
It makes me feel reallyproud that I'm a Sailors.
1919
01:18:20,347 --> 01:18:22,132
- It's appropriate
we celebrate somebody
1920
01:18:22,175 --> 01:18:25,744
that has meant so much tothis state, to the game,
1921
01:18:25,788 --> 01:18:27,703
and not just when
he was playing,
1922
01:18:27,746 --> 01:18:30,706
but he always gave
back to the community.
1923
01:18:30,749 --> 01:18:32,446
A great UW Cowboy.
1924
01:18:33,839 --> 01:18:36,712
- I know he'd be embarrassed,and he'd be mad at us,
1925
01:18:36,755 --> 01:18:41,020
but we're very proud thatit turned out as it did.
1926
01:18:41,064 --> 01:18:45,503
[somber instrumental
music playing]
142605
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