Jerry Lucas

"I never had any special desire to be a professional basketball player," Lucas later said about his pro career. In 1962, pro basketball had two cash-strapped leagues—the NBA and the startup ABL—and both coveted Lucas because of the crowds he drew. In the NBA, the Cincinnati Royals had long held that league's rights to Lucas, having drafted him as a high schooler with a territorial selection, which was allowed in the league then. However, Lucas declined their contract offer in May 1962.

This created an opportunity for the other league. The now-ABL Cleveland Pipers drafted Lucas, too. They interested the young star with a rare combination business-player contract offer. As part of the deal, Lucas received ownership stock in the team. The ABL agreed to shorten their season for him as well.

The NBA then made overtures to have the Pipers, with Lucas, jump leagues that summer. When that deal was approved by Steinbrenner, the NBA Royals protested and admission fees were added to the Cleveland deal. Unable to make all of the considerable payments, Steinbrenner's team later collapsed and folded. With the ABL losing their league champion in Cleveland and dropping to just six teams afterward, their league folded as well at the end of 1962.

By then, Lucas had signed a business deal with Cleveland advertisers Howard Marks and Carl Glickman, and spoke often of having an NBA franchise in Cleveland. Because of this contract, he missed the 1962-63 NBA season. When the Marks expansion deal was denied by the NBA, Lucas was released from that contract. He decided he wanted to play pro basketball after all, and the Royals retained his rights.

Jerry Lucas in 1965

The Cincinnati Royals had reportedly been considering Lucas since before their arrival to the city of Cincinnati in 1957. They had secured rights to him in 1958 and drafted him in 1962. In August 1963, Lucas finally signed with Warren Hensel, who was then in process of briefly becoming the team's owner. The locally well-known Middletown and Ohio State star quickly surged ticket sales for the team. The Royals had previously declined in ticket sales each of the last two seasons before his signing. With Lucas playing in 1963-64, the team's attendance doubled from the previous season. The 1963–64 Royals also included three NBA All-Stars in Oscar Robertson, Wayne Embry and Jack Twyman. Lucas was moved to a big forward position his first pro season, and improved over the course of that first season. The Royals soon also had the second-best record in the NBA that season. His role on the team would be, again, chiefly rebounding and other support play, however he still recorded 20 or more points several times. In 1963-64, Lucas recorded four 30-rebound games, including a 40-rebound game on February 29, 1964. Lucas is still today the only NBA forward with a 40-rebound game. He also led the league in field goal percentage as a rookie. In the 1964 NBA playoffs, Lucas was injured when a Philadelphia player collided with him from behind. He gamely tried to play through the injury, but never quite recovered that playoffs. In Cincinnati's one playoff game win over Boston, Lucas posted a triple-double game with 24 rebounds, but the Royals lost in the Eastern Conference Final.

In his second season, 1964–65, Lucas was asked to shoot and score more as the team's top ticket draw. In 1964-65 and 1965–66, he enjoyed his best seasons in Cincinnati, with the Royals posting a top-3 finish in the league each season. As one of the NBA's most accurate shooters, Lucas posted two seasons of over 21 points per game as the team's #2 scorer. He also averaged over 20 rebounds per game both seasons. In 1965-66, Lucas averaged 21.1 rebounds over 79 games, with 1668 rebounds total on the season. Those are both still all-time rebounding marks for NBA forwards. In addition to his scoring, rebounding, and shooting, Lucas made a name for himself as a big minutes man. In a sport where a regulation NBA game is 48 minutes, Lucas routinely played 43–44 minutes per game at two positions, starting forward, then backup center. Knee pain was still a big concern, and after the 1965-66 season, he nearly retired, but he found a prescription anti-inflammatory drug that allowed him to continue as a player. In the 1964-65 playoffs, Lucas averaged 23.3 points, 21 rebounds and 48.8 minutes over four games against Philadelphia. In the 1965–66 playoffs, he averaged 21.4 points, 20.2 rebounds and 46.2 minutes over the best-of-five series. He had again been injured in the 1966 playoffs, accidentally undercut from behind by a teammate, but still toughed through big minutes of play. He was named Most Valuable Player of the 1965 NBA All-Star Game in St. Louis, having scored 26 points. In the 1966 All-Star Game held in Cincinnati, he collected a team-high 19 rebounds for the East. In the Fall of 1966, the Royals announced the move of nine or more home games to Cleveland, where the team hoped to use Lucas, the former would-be ABL Piper, as a popular crowd draw. He was becoming a heavier player who weighed 240-250 pounds, but he still was a starting East All-Star.

With the team declining at this point, and with his own health concerns, Lucas focused more on off-court business. As a cutting-edge corporate athlete, he sought endorsements. He also studied investment opportunities and tax shelters. By 1968, Lucas was reportedly worth over a million dollars, most of it built on off-court investments. There were only two or three other millionaire players in the NBA at that time. His most famous investment was his growing fast food chain, Jerry Lucas Beef N Shakes. Lucas also created a number of children's games during this period, starting his own toys and games company. He published a book on the many magic card tricks he often performed himself.

Healthier in 1967–68, he bounced back to post season averages of 21.5 points per game, 52% shooting, 19 rebounds, and 44.1 minutes over all 82 games. He was second in the league to Chamberlain in rebounds and minutes played. He had also topped Bill Russell of Boston by more than 100 rebounds on the season as just the second player ever to out-rebound Russell over a full season. He was First Team All-NBA again, but the Royals missed the playoffs on the last day of the season. Over 308 games, 1964–68, Lucas averaged 20.5 points and 19.8 rebounds. The only other NBA player to be '20-20' as often then was Chamberlain. The 1968–69 season saw the Royals briefly in first place early in the season. Tom Van Arsdale had been added to a team that included Robertson, Lucas and Connie Dierking, and the team won games. But the team played 15 regular season home games outside Cincinnati then, far more than any other NBA team, which increased their traveling. So the team faded and wore out after their hot start. Lucas played in his sixth straight All-Star Game in 1969.

In 1969, the American economy tightened, and Lucas saw his lines of credit for his many investments close. Overextended on several fronts, his portfolio of investments collapsed. Lucas was soon forced to declare bankruptcy. His popularity among players, some of whom had lost their investments with him, declined markedly for a time.

In 1969, Bob Cousy took over as coach of the Royals, who had again missed the playoffs in the tough NBA East Division of the day. Wanting more of a running team, Cousy did not favor Lucas, now a heavier, slower player. But Lucas had a no-trade clause in his contract, and could steer his transfer to a chosen team. He chose San Francisco. In 1969–70, he suffered a broken hand, and went through a tough season. He bounced back to form in 1970–71, though, bringing himself back into playing shape at 230 pounds. Lucas averaged 19.2 points per game on 50% shooting, 15.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists. He returned to the NBA All-Star Game in 1971 for the seventh and final time. He was fifth in the league in rebounding in an NBA that now had 17 teams. Playing with Nate Thurmond, Clyde Lee, Jeff Mullins and Ron Williams, the .500 Warriors made the 1971 playoffs before losing to a powerful Milwaukee team that later won the 1971 NBA title.

By 1971, Lucas had established himself as one of the most accurate shooters and top rebounders in league history. The Warriors, needing a small scoring forward, dealt Lucas to the 1970 NBA Champion New York Knickerbockers, who needed a big man to back up their starting center and power forward, Willis Reed and Dave DeBusschere, for Cazzie Russell. Lucas agreed to the role, even as he had been widely rated ahead of both for years and just come off an outstanding 19.2 point/15.8 rebound season as a starter.

Early in the 1971–72 season, though, the injury-prone Reed went down for the season. Lucas, not a starting center since college, was pressed into service at that spot. He would be the smallest center in the league, and many were skeptical that Lucas and the Knicks would do well in this arrangement. But, in perhaps his best pro season, the 31-year-old Lucas starred. He led the Knicks in rebounds and shooting accuracy, and was second on the team in both scoring and assists only to Walt Frazier. His outside shooting, which often extended well past today's three point line, bewildered and changed defenses, as opponents were forced to send their big man 20 feet from the basket to guard Lucas.

Lucas shot 51.2% from the floor that season. He was also an outstanding passing center, just as he had been in college. The team was fourth in the NBA in defense with Lucas at center. The Knicks then upset both Baltimore and Boston to make the 1972 NBA finals against Los Angeles. Lucas figured strongly in both series wins. Lucas also played very well, averaging 20.8 points on 50% shooting, 9.8 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 46.6 minutes in the series against the Lakers and Wilt Chamberlain. When Game Four went to overtime, he played all 53 minutes. But New York lost the series.

During this time, Lucas gained some press for a magic trick, ' The Phone Book '. In it, he memorized about 50 pages of the Manhattan White Pages phone book. After other demonstrations, a party held by writer Dick Schaap and teammate Bill Bradley saw the trick tested by world chess champion Bobby Fischer, who was reportedly astounded.

In 1972–73, Reed, the New York team captain and star, returned. Lucas was sent to the bench for the first time in his career. But, to keep Reed healthy for the playoffs, he still played often. In averaging ten points and seven rebounds, he also averaged 4.5 assists. The team made the NBA finals again, and this time New York won. This made Lucas the first player ever to become a champion at every level of the game – high school, college, Olympics, and NBA (a feat later matched by Quinn Buckner and Magic Johnson).

In the 1973–74 season, the Knicks made a run to repeat as champions, but lost to perennial rival Boston in the Eastern Conference Finals. Lucas played far less and was physically declining in his 11th (and final) pro season.

The 34 year-old Lucas retired from the NBA following the season. His 15.6 per game career rebounding average is fourth-highest in league history. His 12,942 total was fifth all-time. He is also eighth all-time in minutes played per game, despite being a reserve the last two years of his career.

In 1980, he was inducted into the Springfield Basketball Hall Of Fame with Oscar Robertson and Jerry West, all in their first year of eligibility. He was selected by the NBA in 1997 as one of its 50 Greatest NBA Players, introduced at the All-Star Game in Cleveland wearing New York Knicks colors.

As an all-time player, Lucas is remembered for his remarkable fame as an amateur player, his dominance as a rebounder, especially for his height, and as a big man with a dangerous long range shot, a combination unmatched before and only becoming approached since.