The Bill Sharman Interview
By:
Michael D. McClellan
|
Monday, March 20th,
2006
You were born on May 25th, 1926, in Abilene, Texas. Please tell me a little
about your childhood; how did the world events of the day shape your life, and
what sports did you play growing up?
Being
raised in the 1920s and 1930s, it was hard not to be shaped by the events of the
Great Depression. Times were very tough. During a big part of the Depression,
my folks worked hard to provide for the family and also to avoid being poor. I
grew up with one brother, who was five years older than myself, and we did our
best to help out any way that we could. We had chores – we helped out in the
garden, and with the yard work, and whatever else that was needed.
Sports played a very big part of our lives. They provided a great outlet from the problems of the day, and we played a sport of some sort throughout the year– baseball, basketball and football come to mind. We were always outside, weather permitting, on a field of some sort. Either that, or shooting baskets against our barn. Those were very special times with many fond memories!
You were
the captain of your high school team, as well as its leading scorer. What
memories from this period stand out after all of these years?
During
my high school days I was very active in sports. I went to Porterville High
School in Porterville, California, and during my junior and season years I
earned letters in five different sports – basketball, football, baseball,
tennis, and track. It was during this time that I gained a true awareness
of my passion for sports – although, at that time, playing professional ball
of any type was not a part of my imagination.
From
1944-46, you served your country as a member of the U.S. Navy. Please tell
me about this period in your life.
After
I graduated from high school in 1944, I immediately enlisted in the U.S.
Navy. They sent me to signalman school, and then later assigned me to the
USS Oceanus Naval warship. I saw active duty in the Pacific Ocean aboard
the Oceanus, which itself stayed active until the war was over.
You
played collegiate basketball at the University of Southern California, and
in 1950 you were honored as a First Team All-America by the Helms
Foundation, The Sporting News, the International News Service, and
Colliers. What was it like to be recognized as one of the best basketball
players in the country?
You
are correct; following my senior season at USC, I was fortunate enough to be
selected to most of the All-American teams. It was at that point that I
thought I might be drafted, and that I might be lucky enough to play
professional sports.
You were
selected in the second round of the 1950 NBA Draft, the same draft that
produced Earl Lloyd, a fellow teammate and fellow hall-of-famer. Mr. Lloyd
became the first African-American to play in a NBA game with the Washington
Capitols. Please tell me a little about Mr. Lloyd.
Yes,
I was drafted by the Washington Capitols of the NBA – and it was truly a
great honor to be selected. That same year, I also signed a contract to
play minor league baseball in the Brooklyn Dodgers’ farm system. I spent
the summer of 1950 in the Dodgers’ Class A league, playing for their team in
Colorado. When the season was over, I reported to the Capitols’ training
camp in Washington, DC.
At that time I didn’t realize that one of my teammates – Earl Lloyd – would become the first black player to play in an NBA regular season game! It was a pleasure to get to know him. I used to drive by and pick him up on the way to practice, and it wasn’t long before we were able to develop a close, lifelong friendship. And little did we realize back then that we would both be inducted into the basketball Hall of Fame!
The
Washington Capitols folded after your first season in the league, and you
became the property of the Fort Wayne Pistons. Red Auerbach engineered a
shrewd trade, acquiring yourself and Bob Brannum in one fell swoop. Please
tell me a little about your first season in a Celtic uniform.
At
that time I was still hoping for an active career in professional baseball.
Basketball was something that interested me, but deep down I was convinced
that baseball was going to be the sport where I would succeed. Little did I
realize that basketball would become my lifetime career!
I remember missing most of my first Celtics training camp. As a result, I started the regular season as a substitute off of the bench. This was the case for the first month or so. My big break came when I substituted for Bob Donham in a game in Baltimore, and I responded by scoring 42 points. After that, I became the starting guard alongside of Bob Cousy. I was the starter for the rest of my ten years with the Boston Celtics.
