Jerry Lucas is now immortalized outside the Schottenstein Center.
On Friday, Ohio State unveiled a statue of Lucas, widely regarded as the best basketball player in school history, in front of its basketball arena and complex.
"It's the highest honor I've ever gotten in my life," Lucas told the media afterward. "I've had the honor to play on some great teams with some great coaches and great teammates. But to be honored like this is beyond what my dreams would ever be. So, I'm thrilled and excited, couldn't be more overjoyed and thankful."
Lucas was a three-time All-American and the anchor to Ohio State's lone basketball national championship in 1960, as well as NCAA runner-up squads in 1961 and 1962. He is tied for No. 3 all-time on the Buckeyes' all-time scoring list at 1,990 points with William Buford, trailing only Herb Williams (2,011 points) and Dennis Hopson (2,096).
Lucas' rebounding school record will never be touched. The center finished his career with 1,411 rebounds, averaging 17.2 per game. It clears the second-place Williams by a full 300 boards. Lucas is one of five hoopers to have his number (No. 11) retired by Ohio State, joining teammate John Havlicek (No. 5), Evan Turner (No. 21), Jim Jackson (No. 22) and Gary Bradds (No. 35).
All those accolades at Ohio State – he's the Big Ten's all-time leader in both total rebounds and rebounds per game, too – were far from the end of a highly decorated basketball career. He won an NBA championship with the New York Knicks in 1973 and an Olympic gold medal with Team USA during the 1960 games in Rome. He had two seasons averaging 20 points and 20 rebounds in the NBA, becoming an All-Star seven times and landing in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
Lucas is No. 4 all-time in NBA history for rebounds per game. Like so many other things the lifelong academic has pursued, he studied it relentlessly.
"I just studied it so much," Lucas said. "And I missed shots on purpose (while practicing by myself) for eight hours in a row some days. Imagine there was a clock on top of the rim. I'd miss them on the inside of the 3 (o'clock) to make them bounce this way and the outside of the 3 to make them bounce (another way). Always watching where the ball is going and why. And every time I saw any other player shoot a shot, 'Why did that happen? Where is it going? What did he do? What was the arc like,' et cetera. So I developed, almost, a software in my mind and I knew where the ball was going, so I didn't waste my time to block out, I just went and got it."
A row of dignitaries spoke on Lucas' impact before his statue was unveiled, including Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork, University president Ted Carter and current Buckeye basketball coach Jake Diebler. After Lucas addressed the crowd, the tall statue sculpted by Alan Cottrill was unveiled.
Despite recent heart troubles and his 85 years already spent on this planet, Lucas said he still has "a lot of work" left to do in his life. His current passion is developing an easy system using picture to teach reading and writing to illiterate children.
