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Interview with Dave Lubach of the US Sports Academy, vote for the greatest basketball player of all
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AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File: MJ gets my vote.
In 1996, the NBA established its official list of the 50 greatest players in the history of the league. When the list was finalized, its members had collected 107 NBA Championships, 49 Most Valuable Player Awards, 17 Rookie of the Year honors, 447 All-Star Game selections, 36 scoring titles, 923,791 total points and 410,327 total rebounds. Pretty impressive stuff. Now, the U.S. Sports Academy is presenting its own list, with the intention of not simply honoring all members, but declaring, for once and for all, the greatest player of all time. The list of fifteen includes a wide range of players; some who were not on the NBA’s greatest 50 simply due to Father Time presenting us with some new stars (such as LeBron James) over the last 15 years.
You may recall that I already presented this contest, calling for you to make your voice heard. As a follow-up to that article, I’ve done a Q&A with Dave Lubach, the school’s Director of Communications, to give a back story concerning the Academy, and the contest. First, let’s gain a better understanding of what the Academy represents, and what it has to offer.
Rather than having me give my own paraphrased version of the Academy’s purpose, let’s let them provide it in their own words, straight from an Academy handout: The United States Sports Academy is an independent, non-profit, accredited, special mission sports university created to serve the nation and the world with programs in instruction, research and service. The role of the Academy is to prepare men and women for careers in the profession of sport. I am pretty sure that I could not have said it better myself.
Dr. Thomas P. Rosandich founded the Academy in 1972 in response to what he felt was a strong demand for a national school of sport. This void was further highlighted by the United States team’s poor performance at the 1972 Olympics. The US’s failures were blamed on poor administration, lack of medical support, and unscientific coaching and training. The Blyth – Mueller Report was released two years after the Olympics, and it focused on the solid link between the poor preparation of coaches and the number and severity of sports injuries. This report simply reinforced Rosandich’s belief that the Academy was a national necessity.
Dr. Rosandich wasn’t exactly a rookie at developing sports academies. In 1962, he developed the first of what would be many national sports academies in the Republic of Indonesia. This was accomplished while Rosandich simultaneously served as the chief national coach for all national Indonesian sport federations as they prepared for the fourth Asian Games.
In 1983, the Academy received its membership in the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). As a result, the Academy became the country’s first accredited institution dedicated solely to professional graduate studies in sport. The Academy’s degree programs in Sports Management are approved at all three degree levels by the Sport Management Program Review Council. This is yet another rare feat, as the Academy is one of only three institutions with such approval in the country.
Today, the Academy has more than 1,000 students studying sports annually. The Academy’s sport education programs are considered to be among the largest in the world. With that said, let’s hear more about the Academy and the greatest player contest, straight from Mr. Lubach.
Do you recruit students? If so, how?
Dave Lubach: Our enrollment is rolling, which means students can complete and begin their classes at various times. As for recruiting, much of it is by word of mouth and through searches on the Internet. Our alumni have been a great resource for attracting students.
Do you employ former professional athletes?
DL: We do not have any professional athletes on staff, but we have a number of talented professionals in the field of sport management, coaching and medicine who have worked with athletes of all kinds. Through our Awards of Sport program and the American Sport Art Museum and Archives, which houses the largest collection of sport art in the world, we honor athletes, coaches and dignitaries from all over the world.
Have any professional athletes graduated from your Academy?
DL: There have been many notable people in sports who have graduated from the Academy. Most notable is Texas Tech football coach Mike Leach, who obtained his Master's here and is the President of our Alumni Association. Another notable name in NBA circles is Dennis Lindsey, the current vice president/assistant general manager of the San Antonio Spurs. He obtained his Master's from the Academy.
Regarding the contest, how did it come about?
DL: We are developing an outdoor sculpture park on our campus, and the next installment of sculptures is a basketball player. In trying to drum up interest in the park, we decided to have a contest and dedicate the sculpture in the honor of the winning player. The sculpture was designed by a local found object artist who takes things that would be considered trash, like driftwood or rusted parts from cars and the like, and turns them into art. We are planning to add a number of other sculptures in coming years, to honor other sports.
How did you decide on the final list of candidates?
DL: An Academy committee gathered to vote on the final 15. We took into account a number of factors. As an institution that serves an international audience, hence the inclusion of players like Nowitzki and Yao, we wanted to include players from beyond the United States. We also factored in things such as cultural impact, impact on the game, and character. Of course, with a list like this, if you ask 15 people, you’d get 15 different lists. If the omissions and inclusions strike up debate, then everyone wins. We all have opinions.
Would you have made any changes to the list if you could? I don’t know how I feel about Dirk and David Robinson being in there over guys like Isiah and Shaq.
DL: Tim Duncan or Shaquille O’Neal are probably the biggest omissions in my mind. Isiah Thomas probably would have a gripe too. In terms of cultural impact, it’s pretty hard to keep Julius Erving off this list as well. Since he was the person who drew me to basketball, even though his Sixers teams seemed to knock my hometown Bucks out of the playoffs every year, I’d go with Erving.
Even if you don’t get a vote, who are you voting for?
DL: It’s pretty hard to ignore Michael Jordan and Bill Russell. Wilt Chamberlain’s game averages are also staggering. I voted for Michael Jordan. I was 11 when he hit the shot against Georgetown in the NCAA championship game so I feel like I grew up with his career. Nearly 30 years later, other than LeBron and Kobe, he remains the most recognizable figure associated with the NBA. It’s amazing.
What happens when the contest is over? Will there be a formal announcement? Do you intend on contacting the winner in any way?
DL: The voting ends on Thanksgiving Day. We’ll announce the winner shortly thereafter.
U.S. Sports Academy’s list of 15 includes Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Bird, Kobe Bryant, Wilt Chamberlain, LeBron James, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, George Mikan, Yao Ming, Dirk Nowitzki, Hakeem Olajuwon, Oscar Robertson, Bill Russell, and Jerry West. You can also vote for a write-in candidate. Voting ends November 26. To vote, head here.
I already voted. Dana Barros as a write-in…just kidding. I went with MJ. How could I not? I didn’t see most of these guys play, and Jordan is basically the basketball icon of my lifetime. He has set the bar for every player for the last twenty years, and deserves the public recognition that so many of us provide him with in our private circles.
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