A teammate of John Havlicek and Jerry Lucas at the University of Ohio State, Larry "Ziggy" Siegfried was considered a prototype guard for the NBA. At 6'3", 190 pounds, Siegfried was co-captain of the 1960 National Championship team and a member of the Final Four All-Tournament team in 1961. The Buckeyes went undefeated in 1961 until the NCAA Finals, where they lost to Cincinnati Bearcats.
Because of the loss, Siegfried refused to play for the Cincinnati Royals when they drafted third overall pick. Instead, Siegfried accepted an offer to play for the Cleveland Pipers of the American Basketball League. The team, owned by future Yankee boss George Steinbrenner, and coached by John McLendon and Bill Sharman, won that pro league's 1961-62 title. Dick Barnett and Connie Dierking were among that team's stars. Siegfried was just a reserve.
When the ABL folded the next year, the St. Louis Hawks acquired his rights but then surprisingly cut him. Siegfried considered retirement, and in fact taught high school before former college teammate Havlicek arranged for him to meet Red Auerbach.
"You can shoot, play defense, and make plays. We need someone like you coming off the bench. Are you interested?"
Unfortunately, Ziggy's skills had eroded since college, and the Celtics used him primarily as a practice player. He wouldn't even accompany the team on road trips during his first year. But Siegfried wasn't discouraged.
He put in extra time at practice every day and all through the offseason.
By the 1965-66 season, his hard work would pay off.
No comments:
Post a Comment