Jerry R. Lucas enshrined as a player in 1980

Jerry R. Lucas

Enshrined 1980
Born: March 30, 1940
Middletown, OH

A dominant force in both college and the NBA, Jerry Lucas was a consummate team player. Under Hall of Fame coach Fred Taylor at Ohio State, Lucas teamed with Hall of Famers John Havlicek and Bob Knight to produce a 78-6 record and three Big Ten Championships. Impressively, Lucas led the Buckeyes into three straight NCAA Finals (1960-62), and the 1960 championship. In 1960 and 1961, Lucas was named the NCAA Tournament Outstanding Player. His distinctive over-the-shoulder shooting style helped him amass 1,990 college points, but Lucas was an equally tenacious rebounder, grabbing 1,411 for his collegiate career. During eleven NBA seasons with Cincinnati, San Francisco, and New York, Lucas was a three-time All-NBA First-Team selection. Named to seven NBA All-Star teams, he was chosen MVP of the 1965 game. When Lucas was traded from San Francisco to New York, he helped orchestrate the Knicks' 1973 NBA Championship.