The Story of Basketball Great Clyde Lovellette

Book excerpt: One of basketball¿s all-time greats at every level of the game, Clyde Lovellette grew up in difficult circumstances in Terre Haute, Indiana. In high school he was twice named All-State. After graduating high school he headed to Kansas to play for coaching legend Phog Allen where he was three times an All-American and lead the 1952 Jayhawks to a national championship. Directly following college Clyde went on to win Olympic gold. During his profes­sional career he collected three NBA championship rings. His first championship was with the Minneapolis Lakers and with it he became the first player in history to win an NCAA title, an Olympic gold medal, and an NBA championship. He collected two more championship rings with the Boston Celtics playing behind the great Bill Russell. Lovellette has been honored by selection to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, the College Basketball Hall of Fame in Kansas City, the Kansas Univer­sity Hall of Fame, the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame, and the Helms Foundation Hall of Fame.