Ramsey Inducted

 

May 4, 1982

Frank Ramsey, who during his nine-year playing career with the Boston Celtics became one of the NBA's most celebrated "sixth men," was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame here yesterday.

Ramsey become the fifth Celtic player (the others are Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, Bill Sharman and Ed Macauley) in the Hall. In addition, four nonplaying Celtics are members, Walter Brown, Red Auerbach, Honey Russell and Doggie Julian.

Along with Ramsey, three other former NBA players were enshrined - Willis Reed of the New York Knicks, Slater Martin of the Minneapolis Lakers and St. Louis Hawks, and Hal Greer of the Syracuse Nationals and the Philadelphia 76ers.

Outside the player ranks, coach Clarence (Big House) Gaines of Winston- Salem State; Alva Duer, a valued contributor to amateur basketball, who is known as Mr. NAIA; and the late Everett Case, who coached 19 years at North Carolina State, also were inducted.

The John Bunn Award for outstanding contributions to basketball went to Danny Biasone, who as owner of the Syracuse Nats revolutionized the pro game in 1954 by persuading the other owners to institute the 24-second clock.

Making the presentation to Ramsey was his close friend and former University of Kentucky roommate, Cliff Hagan, once of the St. Louis Hawks and also a Hall of Famer. Ramsey captained the Kentucky team that won the 1954 NCAA championship under coach Adolph Rupp.

"It was Red (Auerbach) who did it, he's the one who was responsible for making me the sixth man," said Ramsey, 50, now in the farming and banking business in Madisonville, Ky. "It just developed that way. I wasn't good enough to start with players like Bill Sharman and Bob Cousy in the backcourt and Tommy Heinsohn up front.

"But I loved my role," Ramsey said. "When our guys got tired, I went in. By just sitting on the bench, I got a chance to see how the flow of the game was going and I knew what to do when Red sent me in."