Tommy Curtis

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Tommy Curtis
Curtis (No. 22) with UCLA.
Personal information
Born(1952-01-08)January 8, 1952
Albion, Michigan, U.S.
DiedAugust 3, 2021(2021-08-03) (aged 69)
Port St. Joe, Florida, U.S.
Listed height5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Listed weight170 lb (77 kg)
Career information
High schoolLeon (Tallahassee, Florida)
CollegeUCLA (1971–1974)
NBA draft1974: 7th round, 117th overall pick
Selected by the Buffalo Braves
PositionPoint guard
Number22
Career highlights and awards
  • NCAA champion (1972, 1973)
  • Florida Prep/High School Player of the Year (1969)
  • No. 33 retired by Leon High

Thomas Lewis Curtis

national championship
teams at UCLA. He did not lose a game in college until his final season, helping the school to a record 88-game consecutive win streak.

Curtis was the first African American to play basketball at his

high school in Florida, where he was named the state's basketball player of the year in 1969. He left his home state of Florida to attend college at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). A small but quick point guard, he helped the Bruins establish a national collegiate record of seven consecutive national titles under coach John Wooden
.

After earning a

minorities
.

Early life

Curtis was born in

black-owned insurance companies in the country.[5][7] After Curtis' parents divorced when he was eight,[8] his mother became a professor at Florida State University,[5] and his father went into the construction business in Albion.[6]

Curtis was one of the first 50 black students to attend Leon High School in Tallahassee. He was the first black to play on Leon's basketball team, and he was named the state's Prep/High School Basketball Player of the Year in 1969,[5] when he averaged 32 points per game.[9][10] The school retired his No. 33 in 2015.[11]

College career

Curtis considered attending the University of Florida or Florida State, but his mother encouraged him to be independent and move away from home. His uncle in Compton, California, contacted UCLA about Curtis attending the school.[12] Curtis earned a scholarship to UCLA, where he played basketball under Wooden.[5] Curtis began at UCLA along with Larry Farmer on the freshman squad; players were not allowed to play varsity basketball their first year in college, a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) limitation at the time.[13][14]

Curtis did not play his second year, having

points per game during an undefeated 30–0 season, extending the school's winning streak to 45 consecutive games;[16] UCLA had last lost in 1971 to Notre Dame.[17]

Wooden started Lee over Curtis that season. Lee was bigger than the small, 5-foot-11-inch (1.80 m) Curtis, and he was more effective than Curtis at getting the ball into the

high post and complementing Walton, who was also close friends with Lee. Wooden also believed Curtis would be more valuable providing a needed spark to the team off the bench, a role the coach did not believe Lee could fill.[12][18][19]

Curtis played a large role with eight points and six assists in the championship game as UCLA defeated Florida State, 81–76. Wooden replaced Lee in the first half with the quicker Curtis, which, along with a strong performance by Walton, helped turn an early deficit into an 11-point halftime lead.[20][21]

UCLA team after their seventh consecutive championship in 1973

Curtis continued a Wooden tradition of quick, strong-shooting, black point guards at UCLA, established earlier by Walt Hazzard, Lucius Allen, Mike Warren, and Henry Bibby.[22] Wooden said he was best in a fast-paced running game and commended his defensive skills.[12]

Curtis became a starter his junior year, beating out the incumbent, Lee. He started the first 10 games of

team player.[12]

Curtis sparked the team with 12 points off the bench in a 54–39 win over

1973 NCAA tournament. His play was cited by both Wooden and opposing coach Bob Gaillard as keys to the game's outcome.[23] In the semifinals, he led the team in scoring with 22 points to help defeat Indiana 70–59.[24][25] UCLA defeated Memphis, 87–66, to complete another perfect 30–0 season and win an NCAA-record seventh straight title.[26][27] During the season, the Bruins eclipsed San Francisco's NCAA record of 60 consecutive victories, defeating Notre Dame for No. 61.[16]

In his senior year, Curtis became a starter again.

trash-talked during games,[34] was accused afterwards by Notre Dame's Dwight Clay of taunting.[35][36]

A week later, the Bruins beat Notre Dame, 94–75, in a rematch at home at

1974 NCAA tournament semifinals.[38] In his 2016 autobiography, Walton blamed Curtis for both the tournament loss as well as earlier defeats in the season. He criticized Curtis for his overdribbling and trash-talking, and lamented Lee's lack of playing time.[39]

Curtis majored in sociology in college.[40] He later earned an MBA degree at UCLA as well.[5]

Later years

Although Curtis never played in the National Basketball Association (NBA), he was drafted in the seventh round of the 1974 NBA draft by the Buffalo Braves.[41]

He became a

Tallahassee with the state Department of Commerce. His job put him into contact with the Central Space Coast Minority Purchasing Council, which assisted minority businesses in working with purchasing agents for government agencies and private industries. After the group merged with a similar Tampa-area group to form the Greater Florida Minority Development Council, Curtis became the council's first full-time executive director.[5]

Personal

Curtis' paternal uncle, Ulysses, also played football at Florida A&M and became one the first blacks to play in the Canadian Football League.[7] Curtis learned to practice Transcendental Meditation during college from Walton, his UCLA teammate.[40] Curtis was also a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.[42]

Curtis died at his home in Port St. Joe, Florida, on August 3, 2021.[10][43][44] He was 69.[10]

Notes

  1. Connecticut Huskies women's team broke UCLA's NCAA basketball record with 90 straight wins (2008–2010).[29]

References

  1. Newspapers.com
    .
  2. ^ "Thomas "Tommy" Lewis Curtis". pascogainersrfuneralhome.com. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
  3. ^
    Newspapers.com
    .
  4. ^
    Newspapers.com
    .
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Foster, Robin (October 13, 1986). "Still Setting His Goals High Tommy Curtis Starts At Fast-break Pace As Head Of Minority Development Council". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016.
  6. ^
    Newspapers.com
    .
  7. ^
    Newspapers.com
    .
  8. ^ Curtis, Tommy (February 1971). "The Good Times and The Bad". The Christian Athlete. Vol. 15, no. 2. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  9. Newspapers.com
    .
  10. ^ a b c Henry, Jim (August 10, 2021). "'A class act and role model': Funeral service set for former Leon basketball star Tommy Curtis". Tallahassee Democrat. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
  11. ^ Miller, Brian (April 10, 2015). "Leon's Curtis leaves lasting legacy". Tallahassee Democrat. Archived from the original on April 27, 2015.
  12. ^ a b c d e Zier, Patrick (March 24, 1973). "Wooden, Walton, UCLA—And Curtis". Lakeland Ledger. p. 1B. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
  13. ^ a b c Kirkpatrick, Curry (November 30, 1981). "Wise In The Ways Of The Wizard". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on December 14, 2013. Farmer had three other classmates who might have shared in his record, but Tommy Curtis redshirted, Marvelous Marv Vitatoe transferred out of UCLA and Larry Hollyfield transferred in too late to be eligible for the NCAA playoff games in 1971.
  14. ^ a b c Rhoden, William (April 6, 1992). "Michigan's Fab Five: Ready, Steady, Go". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016.
  15. ^ "1971 Men's Basketball Team Celebrates 40th Anniversary". uclabruins.com. February 26, 2011. Archived from the original on August 6, 2012.
  16. ^ a b c d e Harris, Beth (December 17, 2010). "Led by Bill Walton, UCLA won 88 straight games". Associated Press. Archived from the original on January 25, 2013. Retrieved August 2, 2012. UCLA won its sixth consecutive NCAA title and outscored opponents by 30.3 points a game, an NCAA record that still stands.(subscription required)
  17. ^ a b c Heller, Dick (February 5, 2001). "Irish had magical night against 'Wizard'". The Washington Times. Retrieved August 2, 2012. UCLA hadn't lost a game since 1971 – at Notre Dame's Athletic and Convocation Center.(subscription required)
  18. . Retrieved August 2, 2012.
  19. ^ a b Kirkpatrick, Curry (February 5, 1973). "Who Are These Guys?". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on September 25, 2012.
  20. ^ Huguenin, Mike (March 27, 2005). "Durham Leaves Hoops Legacy". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016.
  21. ^ "UCLA Wins NCAA Court Title, 81–76". Reading Eagle. Associated Press. March 26, 1972. p. 61. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
  22. . Retrieved August 2, 2012.
  23. ^ "Sub Sparks UCLA". Tri-City Herald. Associated Press. March 18, 1973. p. 37. Retrieved August 3, 2012.
  24. ^ Crowe, Jerry (February 19, 2008). "Text messages from press row ..." Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 23, 2015.
  25. ^ White Jr., Gordon S. (March 25, 1973). "U.C.L.A. and Memphis State Gain Final". The New York Times. p. SP235. Retrieved August 3, 2012.(subscription required)
  26. ^ "2011–12 UCLA Men's Basketball Media Guide" (PDF). UCLA Athletic Department. 2011. p. 128. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 7, 2012.
  27. ^ Herrera, Pete (March 28, 1992). "Harrick starting to carve his own niche at Westwood". The Gettysburgh Times. Associated Press. p. 3B. Retrieved August 2, 2012.
  28. ^ UCLA Athletic Department 2011, p.114
  29. ^ Altavilla, John (December 31, 2010). "Stanford ends Connecticut's winning streak at 90". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 5, 2012.
  30. ^ Cronin, Barry (February 4, 1994). "ND's Big Day Vs. UCLA". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on October 18, 2016. Retrieved August 2, 2012. Though the Irish were ranked second and playing at home, UCLA led at halftime 43-34 and had a commanding 70-59 advantage when former Irish coach Digger Phelps called a timeout with 3:22 left.(subscription required)
  31. ^ Bonk, Thomas (March 26, 1991). "Losing Never Came to Mind". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on June 6, 2022.
  32. ^ Elliot, Rich (December 18, 2010). ""Iceman" made shot to foil UCLA's run". Connecticut Post. Archived from the original on March 27, 2015.
  33. ^ Longman, Jere (December 11, 2010). "Remembering U.C.L.A. Streak's End". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 2, 2012.
  34. . Retrieved August 1, 2012.
  35. ^ "Clay, Curtis problem adds to game of the year". The Morning Record (Meridian, Conn). Associated Press. January 24, 1974. p. 12. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
  36. ^ McDermott, Brad (January 28, 1974). "After 88 Comes Zero". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on August 2, 2012.
  37. ^ Crowe, Jerry (June 5, 2010). "A blue streak: When UCLA won 88 consecutive games". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on August 2, 2012.
  38. ^ Crowe, Jerry (March 31, 2000). "Wiz Kids". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on August 2, 2012.
  39. .
  40. ^ a b Roach, Ron (December 14, 1973). "It's been a long time for Curtis". Eugene Register-Guard. p. 3B. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
  41. ^ "1974 NBA Draft". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved August 2, 2012.
  42. ^ Chick, Bob (April 10, 1973). "Hockey School Scores". St. Petersburg Independent. p. C1. Retrieved August 3, 2012.
  43. ^ "Thomas Curtis". Panama City News Herald. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  44. WTXL
    . August 6, 2021. Retrieved August 12, 2021.

External links