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Jerry Colangelo Inducted Into The Basketball Hall Of Fame
Michael Brooks (The Real Brain) www.realsports.2itb.com April 7, 2004 Email Questions/Comments To [email protected] When walking into M’Cann gymnasium at Bloom Township High School in Chicago Heights a great list of names hang from the rafters of the historic gym. Names that include the legendary Al Mcguire, the incomparable Gary Meyers and new Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Jerry Colangelo. After starring at Bloom, Colangelo went on to become an all-confrence guard in the Big Ten for the University of Illinois. Colangelo was an in your noise gritty guard for the Fighting Illini which probably stems from his upbringing in south surburban Chicago Heights. Colangelo told the Arizona Daily Star, ”What people fail to understand is that I’ve always been a working stiff.” After working for the expansion Chicago Bulls, Colangelo became one of the youngest general managers in the history of the sport, taking over the Phoenix Suns at age 28. Colangelo made the move for Charles Barkely in 1992 when other teams shied away from Barkely because of his on, and off the court antics. The result was one of Colangelo’s four Executive of the Year awards, and a trip to the NBA finals where the Suns fell to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. ”I wasn’t born with a pot of gold, and I didn’t have anything that I inherited. No one has really done it the way I did, which is through the ranks. I played. I scouted. I coached. I marketed. I managed. And I ended up owning.” Colangelo also ended up as one of the great jewels of this game call basketball. Colangelo blue collar approach to the game should serve as a perfect example to those looking to be in his position one day. You must experience the game and learn it the hard way, before you are able to put on a suit and direct the younger generations. What Jerry Colangelo has done is truely a great honor to the game of Basketball. Reporting on behalf of ChicagoHoops.com, I’m the Real Brain. |
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