Bob Bass Honored

[duncan228]

I thought this was timely, it goes with all the Spurs history that's been educating us on the board lately.

http://newsok.com/bass-known-for-building-coaching-winning-basketball-teams/article/3284950/?tm=1219028150

Bass known for building, coaching winning basketball teams
By Mike Baldwin

Best known for his work in the San Antonio Spurs' front office, Bob Bass could also coach, a part of his career that's more than a footnote.

Bass' fast-paced style of play was one reason the Spurs were one of four ABA teams invited to play in the NBA in 1976.

After more than 50 years in basketball, Bass will be inducted into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame tonight at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum.

Bass' legacy is as an astute general manager who twice was named the NBA's Executive of the Year. During his 20 seasons with the Spurs, mostly in the front office, San Antonio made the playoffs 17 times.

But the Spurs might have never become one of the NBA's model franchises if they hadn't played a frenetic, entertaining style when Bass was the head coach their final two years in the ABA.

Former Spurs owner Red McCombs once said: "Bob came from the days you had to know every aspect of the business. He understood marketing, sales and that (basketball) was entertainment for the fans. And he was as good as anybody I ever saw at spotting talent.”

Bass joined the Spurs shortly after Geroge "Iceman” Gervin was signed. Years later they drafted David Robinson.

"You have to have talent to win,” Bass said. "I was blessed to be around some very outstanding players. George Gervin was a great player. I moved him from small forward to guard so they would have to chase him. It was a little later you saw other big guards like Magic Johnson.”

Bass began his career at Cromwell High School. Two years later he began a 15-year run at Oklahoma Baptist, his alma mater. He also coached two years at Texas Tech but spent the bulk of his career — nearly 40 years — in professional basketball.

In 1967, he began his pro career coaching with the Denver Nuggets in the ABA. He also coached ABA franchises in Memphis and Miami and the Spurs, where he soon gave up coaching for a front office job.

He never talked about circumstances surrounding his departure from the Spurs in 1994. A year later he began a successful nine-year run with the Charlotte Hornets, who later moved to New Orleans and played two seasons in Oklahoma City.

"He's one of the most respected basketball people who have been in the league,” said Hornets general manager Jeff Bower. "The respect among his peers goes without saying. The fact he built perennial playoff teams showed how creative he was and his eye for talent.”

One of his favorite memories is when OBU won the 1966 NAIA title. Back then there were very few NCAA Division II and Division III schools.

"At that time no Oklahoma school had ever won the NAIA title,” Bass said. "All I ever wanted to do was coach and be in basketball. It was a great ride and a lot of fun.”

Bass, 79, lives in San Antonio and spends much of his time at his other residence on the Texas Gulf Coast. He was inducted into the San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame two years ago.

He now joins a prestigious group of Oklahoma sports stars legends like Mickey Mantle, Johnny Bench and Barry Switzer.

"With names like that it overwhelms me,” Bass said. "I haven't been back to Oklahoma for quite some time. I'm very excited about this. I always enjoyed my years in Oklahoma and feel fortunate and honored to go in.”

[samikeyp]

:toast

[wildbill2u]

Bass was coach only one full season, but like a valuable bench player, he'd come out of the executive offices whenever a coach quit or was fired. He replaced Doug Moe, Larry Brown, Mo Mchone, Tom Nissalke

Bob Bass was a pretty innovative coach as well. Although it's a familiar play/formation now, in use by nearly every team in some form or another, Bob Bass is credited with designing the 1/4 with a guard out front and the other four players spread across the court with two wings at the three point line and two bigs stationed near the basket outside of the lane.

He originated the play to take advantage of the skills of his two guards, George Gervin and James Silas who were both incomparable one-on-one players. Setting the opposing defensive player up against one of these two guys was like putting them on an island out front. If any of the other team's players came over to help, that left the Spur's guard with an easy assist pass to the open player.

Believe it or not, the player that took the 1 position at crunch time in the early days was Silas instead of Gervin. Although Ice was cool, Silas was Captain Late because of his legendary exploits when the team needed the last shot. (much like Manu today)

He was almost automatic from 15-18 feet (true shooting pct. 57% career)and his career free throw percentage was over 85%. In fact he had a Spurs consectutive FT record that went into the 50s as I recall. So he was lethal at the end of the game.

[duncan228]

And the history lessons continue. Thanks wildbill2u.

[Brutalis]

How come he only coached one season anyways?

[mrspurs]

i for one was happy when bass left the spurs. since his departure the spurs have become world champions more then once , something i honestly dont think would have ever happened had bass still been around. we had just as much talent back in those days as we did now. but for whatever reason the FO including a successful car salesman never could stick with any kind of plan. always bringing in another coach, bringing in the wrong players, it seemed it would never end. i guess maybe thats how houston, the mavericks and phoenix feel today. (all that talent and still nothing to show for it). ill never forget that game we lost to the bullets, that was the only chance i thought we would ever have at getting a ring. i was just a teenager then. somehow i always felt, once bass left our spurs would become champions. as long as ive been a spurs fan, we've always had great talent. and i was right. when bass left, the spurs started winning again, stopped making horrible offseason pickups, picking up coach after coach, one dumb trade after another. ask david how many coaches he had before bass left and the salesman sold the team. i dont miss bass one bit..........

[T Park]

He was a horrible GM.

His trades were just that, trades to make trades.

[lefty]

Bass was coach only one full season, but like a valuable bench player, he'd come out of the executive offices whenever a coach quit or was fired. He replaced Doug Moe, Larry Brown, Mo Mchone, Tom Nissalke

Bob Bass was a pretty innovative coach as well. Although it's a familiar play/formation now, in use by nearly every team in some form or another, Bob Bass is credited with designing the 1/4 with a guard out front and the other four players spread across the court with two wings at the three point line and two bigs stationed near the basket outside of the lane.

He originated the play to take advantage of the skills of his two guards, George Gervin and James Silas who were both incomparable one-on-one players. Setting the opposing defensive player up against one of these two guys was like putting them on an island out front. If any of the other team's players came over to help, that left the Spur's guard with an easy assist pass to the open player.

Believe it or not, the player that took the 1 position at crunch time in the early days was Silas instead of Gervin. Although Ice was cool, Silas was Captain Late because of his legendary exploits when the team needed the last shot. (much like Manu today)

He was almost automatic from 15-18 feet (true shooting pct. 57% career)and his career free throw percentage was over 85%. In fact he had a Spurs consectutive FT record that went into the 50s as I recall. So he was lethal at the end of the game.

:tu

[wildbill2u]

How come he only coached one season anyways?

Bob was no dummy. He knew that coachs lasted only as long as their last good season and too much depended on the health and egos of players.

Besides, he genuinely loved the administration end of the business after he was given the opportunity. It turned out he was damn good at it. He was named executive of the year in 1990 with the Spurs and then again later in the 90s with the Charlotte Hornets.

Not bad with two small market teams.