Hank Gathers
Encyclopedia
Eric "Hank" Gathers was an American
college basketball
star at Loyola Marymount University
who collapsed and died during a game. He was the second player in NCAA
Division I history to lead the nation in scoring and rebounding in the same season. He originally played at the University of Southern California
, but transferred with teammate Bo Kimble
to LMU after his freshman year. Gathers was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, and was listed as 6'7" in height.
City championship in 1985.
by Head Coach Stan Morrison
and his top assistant, David Spencer. They were joined by high school All-American, Tom Lewis, and Rich Grande as the "Four Freshmen" star recruiting class. Following an 11-17 season coaching USC, Morrison and Spencer were fired after the 1985-86 season was over, despite winning the Pac-10 Conference the previous year. It was reported that the players would not remain unless certain conditions were met, including having a say in the next coaching staff. USC hired George Raveling
as the next head coach of the Trojans. Raveling gave the players a deadline to respond whether they would remain on the team. When they did not respond, he revoked the scholarships of Gathers, Kimble, and Lewis. Raveling's controversial statement was, "You can't let the Indians run the reservation," he said. "You've got to be strong, too. Sometimes you have to tell them that they have to exit." Kimble and Gathers transferred together from USC to Loyola Marymount. Lewis transferred to Pepperdine. Grande remained at USC.
(WCC) first team and was awarded the WCC Tournament Most Valuable Player (MVP). In the 1988–89 season, Gathers became the second player in NCAA
Division I history to lead the nation in scoring and rebounding in the same season, averaging 32.7 points and 13.7 rebound
s per game. He was named WCC Player of the Year
and again won the WCC Tournament MVP. As a senior in 1989–90, he was a candidate for player of the year and had been projected as an NBA lottery pick
. Gathers' head coach while at LMU, Paul Westhead
, had instituted an extraordinarily fast-paced game plan. On offense, the Lions took numerous three-point shots
, and typically shot the ball within 10 seconds of gaining possession; their defense was a full court press
designed to force their opponents into a frenzied up-and-down game. Gathers' teams led Division I in scoring in 1988 (110.3 points per game), 1989 (112.5), and 1990 (122.4). LMU's 122.4 point per game in 1990 was still a record as of October 2010. As of October 2010, Loyola Marymount held the five highest combined score games in Division I history. Four of the five occurred during Gathers' career, including a record 331 in the 181–150 win over United States International University on January 31, 1989.
At 6'7" and 210 pounds, Gathers was Loyola Marymount's strongest inside player. He had a high field goal percentage
because he seldom shot from beyond 10 feet. He used his power and quickness for follow-up baskets and scoring on fast breaks. "I don't care much about the points," said Gathers. "In fact, I should lead the nation in scoring because of my rebounding. Anybody can score 30 points a night if that's what he's concentrating on. But rebounding is special because it comes from the heart."
He was found to have an abnormal heartbeat (exercise-induced ventricular tachycardia), and was prescribed a beta blocker
, Inderal. However, Gathers felt that the medication adversely affected his play, and he soon cut back on his dosage. As the West Coast Conference (WCC) Tournament neared, Gathers did not show up for repeated appointments to test if the reduced medication was still suppressing the arrhythmias. It was suspected Gathers was not taking any dosage on game days.
On Sunday, March 4, 1990, in Los Angeles
, he collapsed again with 13:34 left in the first half of the WCC tournament quarterfinal game against Portland
, just after scoring on his trademark tomahawk dunk
on an alley-oop pass
pass from point guard
Terrell Lowery
that put the Lions up 25–13. He collapsed a yard or two away from the current head coach
of the Miami Heat
, Erik Spoelstra
, then a point guard
for the Pilots. He attempted to get up, telling the trainers, "I don't want to lay down!", then shortly after stopped breathing. He was declared dead on arrival
at a nearby hospital at the age of 23. An autopsy
found that he suffered from a heart
-muscle disorder, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
.
Following his death, Gathers' family filed a $32.5-million lawsuit charging negligence. Loyola Marymount settled out of court for $1.4 million, while the cardiologist who treated Gathers settled for $1 million.
due to its regular season championship and was placed in the West Region as the #11 seed. During LMU's subsequent run
to the Elite Eight
before falling to eventual national champion UNLV
, Gathers' teammate Bo Kimble
(a right-handed player) shot his first free throw of each game left-handed in memory of Gathers, who, while naturally right-handed, was a poor free-throw shooter and had, for a time, attempted to shoot left-handed. Kimble made all three attempts (he did not have any free-throw attempts in the Sweet 16 win over Alabama); from that point onward, and deep into his professional career, Kimble continued to honor his fallen friend by making his first free throws left-handed.
Gathers was named a consensus second team All-America
and first team All-WCC selection for the season. He finished his career averaging 28.0 points and making 59 percent of his field goals, which were both school records as of 2010. He also averaged 11.1 rebounds for his career. He was voted WCC Player of the Decade for the 1980s.
In 1992, Gathers' life was dramatized in a TV movie
, as Final Shot: The Hank Gathers Story
.
Gersten Pavilion
, LMU's on-campus athletics facility, is known to Lions fans as "Hank's House", although that is not part of its official name. His number 44 jersey was retired by LMU in 2000. On January 29, 2005, the entire 1989–90 team was inducted into the Loyola Marymount's Hall of Fame
during halftime of a 63–46 win over cross-town rival Pepperdine
. Gathers' mother, Lucille Gathers Cheeseboro, also attended the ceremony.
Gathers' nephew D.J. Rivera was the top scoring player during the 2008-09 America East Conference
and attends Binghamton University
. Due to his strong play that season, the Binghamton Bearcats
won the America East and for the first time earned a bid to the NCAA tournament.
Gathers was part of story line in the ESPN film Guru of Go about Westhead that is part of their 30 for 30
series.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
college basketball
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
star at Loyola Marymount University
Loyola Marymount University
Loyola Marymount University is a comprehensive co-educational private Roman Catholic university in the Jesuit and Marymount traditions located in Los Angeles, California, United States...
who collapsed and died during a game. He was the second player in NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Division I history to lead the nation in scoring and rebounding in the same season. He originally played at the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
, but transferred with teammate Bo Kimble
Bo Kimble
Gregory Kevin "Bo" Kimble is a retired American college basketball player at Loyola Marymount University and professional National Basketball Association player with the Los Angeles Clippers and New York Knicks...
to LMU after his freshman year. Gathers was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, and was listed as 6'7" in height.
High school
Gathers played prep ball with Kimble at Dobbins Technical High School in Philadelphia with the pair leading the team to the Public LeaguePhiladelphia Public League
The Philadelphia Public League traces its origin back to 1901, with the formation of the Philadelphia Interscholastic League, a conference encompassing all the city's high schools, public and private. Prior to this date, the public and private schools in the area had been competing among...
City championship in 1985.
USC
Both Gathers and Kimble were recruited to the University of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
by Head Coach Stan Morrison
Stan Morrison
Stan Morrison is a retired college basketball coach and athletic director. He was head coach of the USC Trojans team from 1979 to 1986, as well as San Jose State Spartans from 1989 to 1998 and Pacific Tigers from 1972 to 1979. He is currently the athletic director at UC Riverside...
and his top assistant, David Spencer. They were joined by high school All-American, Tom Lewis, and Rich Grande as the "Four Freshmen" star recruiting class. Following an 11-17 season coaching USC, Morrison and Spencer were fired after the 1985-86 season was over, despite winning the Pac-10 Conference the previous year. It was reported that the players would not remain unless certain conditions were met, including having a say in the next coaching staff. USC hired George Raveling
George Raveling
George Raveling is a former college men's basketball coach and FOX Sports Net color commentator. He was the head coach at Washington State University , the University of Iowa , and the University of Southern California . The Washington, D.C. native attended St...
as the next head coach of the Trojans. Raveling gave the players a deadline to respond whether they would remain on the team. When they did not respond, he revoked the scholarships of Gathers, Kimble, and Lewis. Raveling's controversial statement was, "You can't let the Indians run the reservation," he said. "You've got to be strong, too. Sometimes you have to tell them that they have to exit." Kimble and Gathers transferred together from USC to Loyola Marymount. Lewis transferred to Pepperdine. Grande remained at USC.
Loyola Marymount
Gathers and Kimble could not play in the season following their transfer, due to NCAA regulations. They helped lead the Lions to a 28–4 record in 1987–88. Gathers led the team that year in both scoring and rebounding, averaging 22.5 points and 8.7 rebounds per game, and he was named to the All-West Coast ConferenceWest Coast Conference
The West Coast Conference is an NCAA collegiate athletics conference consisting of nine member schools across the states of California, Oregon, Utah and Washington....
(WCC) first team and was awarded the WCC Tournament Most Valuable Player (MVP). In the 1988–89 season, Gathers became the second player in NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Division I history to lead the nation in scoring and rebounding in the same season, averaging 32.7 points and 13.7 rebound
Rebound (basketball)
A rebound in basketball is the act of successfully gaining possession of the basketball after a missed field goal or free throw. Rebounds in basketball are a routine part in the game, as all possessions change after a shot is successfully made...
s per game. He was named WCC Player of the Year
West Coast Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year
The West Coast Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year is a basketball award given to the most outstanding men's basketball player in the West Coast Conference. The award was first given following the 1952–53 season, when the conference was known as the California Basketball Association...
and again won the WCC Tournament MVP. As a senior in 1989–90, he was a candidate for player of the year and had been projected as an NBA lottery pick
NBA Draft Lottery
The NBA Draft Lottery is an annual event held by the National Basketball Association in which the teams who had missed the playoffs in the previous season, or teams who hold the draft rights of another team that missed the playoffs in the previous season, participate in a lottery process to...
. Gathers' head coach while at LMU, Paul Westhead
Paul Westhead
Paul Westhead is a basketball coach who is currently the head coach of the University of Oregon women's team...
, had instituted an extraordinarily fast-paced game plan. On offense, the Lions took numerous three-point shots
Three-point field goal
A three-point field goal is a field goal in a basketball game, made from beyond the three-point line, a designated arc radiating from the basket...
, and typically shot the ball within 10 seconds of gaining possession; their defense was a full court press
Full Court Press
A full-court press is a basketball term that refers to a defensive style in which the defense applies man-to-man or zone defense to pressure the offensive team the entire length of the court before and after the inbound pass. Some presses attempt to deny the initial inbounds pass and trap ball...
designed to force their opponents into a frenzied up-and-down game. Gathers' teams led Division I in scoring in 1988 (110.3 points per game), 1989 (112.5), and 1990 (122.4). LMU's 122.4 point per game in 1990 was still a record as of October 2010. As of October 2010, Loyola Marymount held the five highest combined score games in Division I history. Four of the five occurred during Gathers' career, including a record 331 in the 181–150 win over United States International University on January 31, 1989.
At 6'7" and 210 pounds, Gathers was Loyola Marymount's strongest inside player. He had a high field goal percentage
Field goal percentage
Field goal percentage in basketball is the ratio of field goals made to field goals attempted. Its abbreviation is FG%. Three-point field goals are included in this percentage. Instead of using scales of 0 to 100%, the scale .000 to 1.000 is commonly used. A higher field goal percentage denotes...
because he seldom shot from beyond 10 feet. He used his power and quickness for follow-up baskets and scoring on fast breaks. "I don't care much about the points," said Gathers. "In fact, I should lead the nation in scoring because of my rebounding. Anybody can score 30 points a night if that's what he's concentrating on. But rebounding is special because it comes from the heart."
Heart condition and death
Gathers' first sign of trouble came on Saturday, December 9, 1989, when he collapsed at the free-throw line during an LMU home game against UCSB.He was found to have an abnormal heartbeat (exercise-induced ventricular tachycardia), and was prescribed a beta blocker
Beta blocker
Beta blockers or beta-adrenergic blocking agents, beta-adrenergic antagonists, beta-adrenoreceptor antagonists or beta antagonists, are a class of drugs used for various indications. They are particularly for the management of cardiac arrhythmias, cardioprotection after myocardial infarction ,...
, Inderal. However, Gathers felt that the medication adversely affected his play, and he soon cut back on his dosage. As the West Coast Conference (WCC) Tournament neared, Gathers did not show up for repeated appointments to test if the reduced medication was still suppressing the arrhythmias. It was suspected Gathers was not taking any dosage on game days.
On Sunday, March 4, 1990, in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, he collapsed again with 13:34 left in the first half of the WCC tournament quarterfinal game against Portland
Portland Pilots
The Portland Pilots were a Class-B minor league baseball team in Portland, Maine out of the New England League. Created in 1946 as the Portland Gulls, the Pilots lasted until 1949, when the New England League collapsed...
, just after scoring on his trademark tomahawk dunk
Slam dunk
A slam dunk is a type of basketball shot that is performed when a player jumps in the air and manually powers the ball downward through the basket with one or both hands over the rim. This is considered a normal field goal attempt; if successful it is worth two points. The term "slam dunk" was...
on an alley-oop pass
Alley oop (basketball)
An alley-oop in basketball is an offensive play in which one player throws the ball near the basket to a teammate who jumps, catches the ball in mid air and immediately scores a basket, usually with a slam dunk...
pass from point guard
Point guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
Terrell Lowery
Terrell Lowery
Quenton Terrell Lowery was an outfielder for the Chicago Cubs, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, and San Francisco Giants. During his college basketball career at Loyola Marymount he appeared in an Elite Eight losing to UNLV and was a teammate of Bo Kimble and the person who fed the allyoop to Hank Gathers...
that put the Lions up 25–13. He collapsed a yard or two away from the current head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
of the Miami Heat
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
, Erik Spoelstra
Erik Spoelstra
Erik Spoelstra is an American professional basketball coach and the current head coach of the National Basketball Association's Miami Heat...
, then a point guard
Point guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
for the Pilots. He attempted to get up, telling the trainers, "I don't want to lay down!", then shortly after stopped breathing. He was declared dead on arrival
Dead on arrival
Dead on arrival or D.O.A. is a term used to indicate that a patient was found to be already clinically dead upon the arrival of professional medical assistance, often in the form of first responders such as emergency medical technicians, paramedics, or police...
at a nearby hospital at the age of 23. An autopsy
Autopsy
An autopsy—also known as a post-mortem examination, necropsy , autopsia cadaverum, or obduction—is a highly specialized surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse to determine the cause and manner of death and to evaluate any disease or injury that may be present...
found that he suffered from a heart
Heart
The heart is a myogenic muscular organ found in all animals with a circulatory system , that is responsible for pumping blood throughout the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions...
-muscle disorder, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a disease of the myocardium in which a portion of the myocardium is hypertrophied without any obvious cause...
.
Following his death, Gathers' family filed a $32.5-million lawsuit charging negligence. Loyola Marymount settled out of court for $1.4 million, while the cardiologist who treated Gathers settled for $1 million.
Legacy
As a result of Gathers' death, the 1990 WCC tournament was canceled. Loyola Marymount was given the league's automatic bid to the NCAA TournamentNCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
due to its regular season championship and was placed in the West Region as the #11 seed. During LMU's subsequent run
1990 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1990 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 15, 1990, and ended with the championship game on April 2 in Denver, Colorado...
to the Elite Eight
Elite Eight
The term Elite Eight, or less commonly called "Great Eight", refers to the final eight teams in the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship or the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship; and, thus, represents the national quarterfinals. In Division I, the Elite Eight consists of the...
before falling to eventual national champion UNLV
1989–90 UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball team
The 1989–90 UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball team represented the University of Nevada Las Vegas in NCAA Division I men's competition in the 1989–90 season, and won the NCAA title under head coach Jerry Tarkanian...
, Gathers' teammate Bo Kimble
Bo Kimble
Gregory Kevin "Bo" Kimble is a retired American college basketball player at Loyola Marymount University and professional National Basketball Association player with the Los Angeles Clippers and New York Knicks...
(a right-handed player) shot his first free throw of each game left-handed in memory of Gathers, who, while naturally right-handed, was a poor free-throw shooter and had, for a time, attempted to shoot left-handed. Kimble made all three attempts (he did not have any free-throw attempts in the Sweet 16 win over Alabama); from that point onward, and deep into his professional career, Kimble continued to honor his fallen friend by making his first free throws left-handed.
Gathers was named a consensus second team All-America
1990 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans
The Consensus 1990 College Basketball All-American team, as determined by aggregating the results of four major All-American teams. To earn "consensus" status, a player must win honors from a majority of the following teams: the Associated Press, the USBWA, The United Press International and the...
and first team All-WCC selection for the season. He finished his career averaging 28.0 points and making 59 percent of his field goals, which were both school records as of 2010. He also averaged 11.1 rebounds for his career. He was voted WCC Player of the Decade for the 1980s.
In 1992, Gathers' life was dramatized in a TV movie
Television movie
A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
, as Final Shot: The Hank Gathers Story
Final Shot: The Hank Gathers Story
Final Shot: The Hank Gathers Story is an American 1992 sports drama biography television film about the life of Loyola Marymount basketball player Eric "Hank" Gathers, written for Tribune Entertainment by Fred Johnson, Don Enright and Ed Fields, and directed by Charles...
.
Gersten Pavilion
Gersten Pavilion
The Gersten Pavilion is a 4,156 seat multi-purpose arena in Los Angeles, California. It is the home of the Loyola Marymount University Lions. It was built in 1981. It is also the part-time practice home for the Los Angeles Lakers. It was the site for the weightlifting competition for the 1984...
, LMU's on-campus athletics facility, is known to Lions fans as "Hank's House", although that is not part of its official name. His number 44 jersey was retired by LMU in 2000. On January 29, 2005, the entire 1989–90 team was inducted into the Loyola Marymount's Hall of Fame
Hall of Fame
A hall of fame, wall of fame, walk of fame, walk of stars or avenue of stars is a type of attraction established for any field of endeavor to honor individuals of noteworthy achievement in that field...
during halftime of a 63–46 win over cross-town rival Pepperdine
Pepperdine University
Pepperdine University is an independent, private, medium-sized university affiliated with the Churches of Christ. The university's campus overlooking the Pacific Ocean in unincorporated Los Angeles County, California, United States, near Malibu, is the location for Seaver College, the School of...
. Gathers' mother, Lucille Gathers Cheeseboro, also attended the ceremony.
Gathers' nephew D.J. Rivera was the top scoring player during the 2008-09 America East Conference
America East Conference
The America East Conference is a NCAA Division I college athletic conference whose members are located mainly in the northeastern United States. The conference was known as the ECAC North from 1979 to 1988 and the North Atlantic Conference from the fall semester of 1988 to the end of the spring...
and attends Binghamton University
Binghamton University
Binghamton University, also formally called State University of New York at Binghamton, , is a public research university in the State of New York. The University is one of the four university centers in the State University of New York system...
. Due to his strong play that season, the Binghamton Bearcats
Binghamton Bearcats
The Binghamton Bearcats are an NCAA Division I athletics program at Binghamton University. They are one of four Division I programs in the SUNY system and a member of the America East Conference.-History:...
won the America East and for the first time earned a bid to the NCAA tournament.
Gathers was part of story line in the ESPN film Guru of Go about Westhead that is part of their 30 for 30
30 for 30
30 for 30 is the umbrella title for a series of documentaries airing on ESPN and its sister networks. The series, which premiered in October 2009 and concluded in December 2010, chronicles 30 stories from the "ESPN era," each of which detail the issues, trends, people, teams, or events that...
series.
See also
- List of NCAA Division I men's basketball season rebounding leaders
- List of NCAA Division I men's basketball season scoring leaders
- List of NCAA Division I men's basketball players with 2000 points and 1000 rebounds
External links
- Final Shot: The Hank Gathers Story at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
- ESPN "30 for 30": The Guru of Go at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
- Remembering a fallen Lion, 20 years later
- Stan Hochman: Hank Gathers still touching friends, strangers 20 years after his death
- Poole: Hank Gathers had heart until he died, 20 years ago Thursday
- Remembering Hank Gathers: Our coverage from that tragic day
- March 4, 1990: Hank Gathers collapses, a day I will never forget as a reporter
- Twenty Years After: Hank Gathers Stirs Memories for His Family