The Big House Tapes
Big House is my dad and his influence looms large in my life and in others whom he has mentored, coached, taught and fathered. Dad was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame in 1982 as a coach. The following appears on his Hall of Fame biography:
College basketball may never find a more caring, sensitive, and dedicated coach than Clarence "Big House" Gaines. Gaines' teams were up-tempo, fast-breaking units that relied heavily on speed and athleticism to overwhelm opponents. A pioneer of African-American integration in intercollegiate athletics, Gaines changed basketball forever. Gaines' 1967 squad, led by Hall of Famer Earl "The Pearl" Monroe compiled a 31-1 record, and became the first predominantly black school to win a NCAA College Division Championship, thus becoming the first to win a NCAA Title. For his efforts, Gaines was named the NCAA College Division Coach-of-the-Year. In 1993, Gaines retired after 47 years of coaching at Winston-Salem State University with a 828-447 record which, at the time was the second most number of wins in NCAA history.
They Call Him BIG HOUSE: A tribute to the Legend Clarence Big House Gaines is the video that John Dell highlighted in his blog post. It was created by WSSU media in February, 2015 and has less than 350 hits. Now you know why I'm writing this blog:
I created the following series of videos for a middle school presentation that I did on my father at Chandler School in Pasadena, CA.
The first video is entitled Big House & Coach Mac:
Two Hall of Fame basketball coaches shared a bond - John McLendon & Clarence 'Big House' Gaines. Coach Mac was my dad's close friend and mentor and the first Black American coach inducted into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame. However, Coach Mac wasn't inducted into the Hall of Fame as a coach, but a contributor, which many people feel is an injustice. The Hall of Fame may correct that wrong this year, as Coach Mac was announced as a Hall of Fame finalist in the Coach's category for 2016. - BRAVO! Coach Mac attended the University of Kansas and his adviser was Dr. James Naismith, the inventor of basketball.
Second Video - Earl "The Pearl" Monroe's Impact - 1966-67 Season - Winston-Salem State
Earl's impact on the game is legendary. Known as the father of the spin move, Earl captured the imagination of the nation's basketball fans in his rookie year with the Baltimore Bullets. Before gaining national acclaim in the NBA, he had already captured the hearts of many southerners, both black and white, with his defining game and brilliant play in his four years at Winston-Salem State College (now WSSU). In the 1966-67 season Earl led his team to a national championship in the NCAA's College Division averaging 41.5 points per game. My dad always felt Earl Monroe's greatest contribution as a basketball player was helping to break down racial barriers in North Carolina.Ralph Wiley's brilliant article, "Seeing the Game Through Pearl Vision," captures the essence of Earl's game and impact.
"Earl Monroe had better than fame. He had genius. He had rep. And he had them at all meaningful levels of the game. He was a genius at the playground level, a genius at the collegiate level, a genius at the NBA level, a genius at the upper echelon All-Star NBA level, and a genius at the NBA championship level. He is all-time. He is legend. Pearl."
"What happened then? Well ... Earl the Pearl Monroe helped integration even before Martin Luther King did -- anyway, to tell you the truth, at just about the same time. Later, as a pro, he'd read King's speeches before he played and let that inspire him. Back then, the legend went from the playgrounds of Philly moved to Tobacco Road, where tales were told about a young man with the ball on a string who could move your soul with his inspired improv."
"Earl Monroe The Pearl won an NBA title with the Knicks in 1973. The story spread underground, like wildfire, across Hoop Nation. It was said he could not be described. He could only be seen, and even then unseen. He required faith -- the evidence of things not seen. His improv was a revelation, as much science as art. You could no more describe Pearl's game than you can describe color, music or literature."
"All you can say is there's a right way to play, and a not-right way to play, and an inspired way. Earl originated the spin move, yes, and on first sighting it moved the soul like water turning to wine. But, see, the thing is ... Earl always spun toward the basket."
Wrote a blog on Earl - "Earl "The Pearl" Monroe's Sacrifice - From the Bullets to the Knicks"
Third Video - Clarence 'Big House' Gaines Bump Philosophy - "Starting in those early days of my professional career, when getting hired or fired seemed to occur so easily, I decided to adopt a bumper car theory of living my life. When you ride in the bumper cars at the state fair, you get knocked in new directions all the time. When that happens, you just head off in that new direction and see where you end up. Excerpt from "They Call Me Big House."
Fourth Video - Miss Ola Speaks
Olivia Bolen Gaines talks about her son, Clarence "Big House" Gaines, on the day (1982) he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame.
Other Videos:
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