Friday, October 30, 2020

Billy Tubbs: My Experience

In 1981-82, my sophomore year at OU which was my first, you couldn't pay anyone to attend an Oklahoma basketball game.

Not even me, no sir.
You see I grew up in Tulsa, weaned on Ken Trickey "We Run And Gun" offense at Oral Roberts University and had just spent a year in Kansas City in college where regular trips to Kemper Arena to see the Kansas City Kings in NBA action were the norm.
I knew great basketball when I saw it. And, I could smell bad basketball from a mile away...which was exactly how far my fraternity room was located from Lloyd Noble Center in Norman.
But in 1982, Tulsa's Wayman Tisdale surprised the college basketball world by spurning hometown coach Nolan Richardson's University of Tulsa Golden Hurricane, and chose to play his collegiate basketball in Norman at a football school, no less.
But in hindsight, it wasn't really that far-fetched for Wayman to mosey on down the Turner Turnpike to Norman.
You see OU had hired a little-known basketball coach from Lamar University in Texas by the name of Billy Tubbs in 1980, who had grown up in Tulsa of all places and graduated from Tulsa Central High School.
And the marriage with Tulsa-boy Tisdale was just what Oklahoma basketball and Tulsa-native Billy Tubbs needed to resurrect the basketball program in Norman.
And, boy. Did they ever.
By the fall of 1982, basketball games in Norman were must-see games because of Wayman's super-natural athletic prowess and Billy Tubbs' maestro-effect on the new run and gun offense.
Soon, the Sooner's basketball team was being mentioned with all the big boys, North Carolina and Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing and Georgetown and Hakeem Olajuwon at Houston.
Why?
Because of Wayman Tisdale, obviously, but Billy Tubbs was the ultimate showman and basketball wizard who loved playing the collegiate basketball "villain" to Dean Smith's blue-blooded pedigree in Chapel Hill.
And the fans in Norman couldn't get enough of it...including me.
Soon, seats that you could've bought at the door the previous year, now required sending pledges three hours early to Lloyd Noble just to guarantee a good seat...in the student general admission section!
Four Big 8 Championships followed and appearances in the NCAA Tournament culminated in a NCAA Regional Final in Dallas and a heart-breaking loss to Keith Lee and Memphis State.
Yep, I was at that one, too!
Although, that would be Wayman's final game at OU, he would later be selected as the 2nd overall pick in the 1985 NBA Draft, Billy Tubbs would leverage that legacy and keep the Sooners relevant peaking at the 1988 NCAA Final in Kemper Arena in Kansas City Missouri.
The same Kemper Arena I used to go watch Kansas City Kings games...that one.
And, yes, I was there that night that Danny Manning and 'The Miracles defeated OU 83-79 to win the National Championship.
Coach Tubbs would remain at OU until 1994 and eventually found his way back home to Lamar University before retiring.

I was fortunate to meet Coach Tubbs at the 2016 NCAA Final Four in Houston after the Sooners loss to Villanova. I spotted him leaving the concourse and went up and introduced myself and the only words I could muster were: "Thank you!"
Coach Tubbs is 85. He is truly an ambassador for Oklahoma basketball and will always be remembered for restoring basketball to the same level as the football team in Norman.
Which is no easy feat.
Tubbs family announced today that their father has been placed in Hospice care near Lake Texhoma.
Please join me in sending love and prayers to the Tubbs family including Tommy and Taylor, who both attended OU, in this trying time.
We love you Coach Tubbs...and thanks for the memories!

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