They call the Eastern Michigan men's basketball legend the "Iceman" because his demeanor on the court was as cool as anyone before or since. He made the game look easy, and teammates and other courtside observers swore he never broke a sweat. Players and fans alike began calling him "Iceman" because George Gervin was "just so cool."
A Detroit native, Gervin came from an impoverished, single-parent home to become one of the all-time greats of professional basketball; first in the American Basketball Association (ABA) and then in the NBA. Gervin, like his two older brothers Claude and Booker, was introduced to basketball as a teenager as a way to effectively channel his energies. Despite a mediocre academic record at his alma mater Martin Luther King High School, he was given a scholarship to play for Long Beach State University. After one year there, homesickness drove him back to Detroit and then to Eastern Michigan University.
"I thought I wanted to go out and play on the coast at Long Beach State for (legendary college basketball coach) Jerry Tarkanian, but being from the Motor City and not really having been exposed to much I decided to come back here," Gervin said in a one-on-one interview after receiving his honorary baccalaureate at EMU's Convocation Center on Dec. 20. "Eastern had a lot of players I had either gone to high school with, or competed against in high school and I thought we would mesh really well together. So it was really a given for me to come back here and go to Eastern."
Gervin played two seasons in Ypsilanti and in 39 games with EMU, he averaged 26.8 points and 14.4 rebounds per game while shooting over 58 percent from the field. Gervin established his legacy as arguably the greatest Eagle/Huron basketball player ever because of his ability to dominate on the court, averaging nearly 30 points and 15 rebounds while shooting close to 60 percent from the field in his final season at Eastern.
"I had a good high school reputation on the court, but I definitely had to prove myself to a lot of guys here at Eastern," Gervin said. "I played all the time up at the Rec/IM building and after a couple weeks those guys kind of came to the knowledge of 'OK, maybe he really can play.'"
His career at Eastern was cut short, however, when Gervin was suspended from the team for allegedly punching an opponent during a championship game. Shortly thereafter he withdrew from school and began playing with a CBA team. It was there when he was spotted by scouts from Virginia Squires of the ABA. In 1972, at just 19 years of age, the "Iceman" signed his first contract to play professional basketball.
"I didn't really have ambitions to be a basketball player when I was young," Gervin said. "I wanted to be a police officer. I don't know why I did, but I wanted to be a police officer. But I started shooting some jumpers and basketball kind of took over. Again, my brothers Booker and Claude were really good basketball players before me, and I didn't start playing until I was 14, but seeing as how I was a pro at 19, I think it was my calling to play professional basketball."
Gervin started his pro career as a member of the Squires, but halfway into his second season he was sold to the San Antonio Spurs for $225,000 in a strange turn of events that required a federal court to resolve.
It was with the Spurs where the "Iceman" earned his Hall of Fame legacy. He played more than 10 seasons in San Antonio. During that time he won four scoring titles (one of four players in NBA history along with Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan, and Allen Iverson to do so), and went to 11 straight All-Star Games (12 straight overall in his career). He also led his club to the playoffs in each of his 13 ABA/NBA seasons. San Antonio was also the place where Gervin's patented finger roll became wildly popular.
"I took a little bit of my game from Dr. J, a little bit from Connie Hawkins and a little bit from Wilt Chamberlain," he said. "That's where I got my finger roll from. Connie had his own style, Doc had his smooth style, and Wilt would sort of roll the ball down into the rim off his finger. I got a little bit from all those then threw in my own touch."
Gervin's versatility and excellence on the court led to many accolades other than All-Star Games and scoring titles. In 1996, he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame and later that year he was selected as one of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players.
"I really credit a lot of accolades to my coaches, including my coach when I was here at Eastern, Jim Dutcher," Gervin said. "He believed in me and knew I loved the game. He gave me the green light and helped me build my confidence as a ball player. Without the foundation I got [here from Eastern] there's no telling where I'd be."
"I spent a lot of time at Dominos. I lived at Hoyt Hall and I remember going up that hill a lot. When it's cold outside like it is right now, and freezing, that brings back a lot of memories. I played a lot of softball against the Ques and Alphas and other fraternities. They were always trying to get me to join. I respect those guys, but that wasn't really my thing. So they always challenged me and my guys. We called ourselves the Independents," Gervin said as he laughed.
"We'd play for a couple cases of beer, but we beat them so many times they were going broke so they just started paying us with 'near beer.' Those are some of my favorite memories of my time at Eastern."
Gervin currently owns and operates a charter school in San Antonio (George Gervin Academy) that has graduated more than 800 students in its 14 years of existence. He also operates six other programs geared toward the education of young people
"I'm proud to be a part of Eastern's legacy," he said. "I love the opportunity Eastern Michigan gave me by giving me my honorary degree. I want to thank Derrick Gragg, Robert Simms and President Susan Martin and the rest of the administration. I didn't really know the value of education while I was in school, but now that I have the honorary degree to hang up on my wall it really makes me feel special. My message to young people is to take advantage of the opportunity you have here at EMU because it does go by very fast. I'm 56 years old and I can tell you that time waits for no one."
This article was submitted by
EMYou the Magazine to the EMU Foundation.