Jerry Shipp
Encyclopedia
Jerome Franklin "Jerry" Shipp (born September 27, 1935) is a retired American
basketball player. He played for the United States men's national basketball team at the 1963 FIBA World Championship
, 1963 Pan American Games
and 1964 Summer Olympics
, winning a gold medal at the latter two competitions. Shipp was also a three-time Amateur Athletic Union All-American
for the Phillips 66ers
in Bartlesville, Oklahoma
during the 1960s.
on September 27, 1935. He was raised in Blue, Oklahoma
, however, and attended Blue High School.
) in the fall of 1955. He played for the Savage Storm for four years, from 1955–56 through 1958–59, and he is recognized as "one of the greatest basketball players in the history of[Southeastern Oklahoma State University] ". Shipp led the conference in scoring twice, was a three-time all-conference performer, and set two different conference records: points in a game (54) and most free throw
s made without a miss (19). In 1978 he was inducted into the school's hall of fame, and in 2007, Shipp was inducted into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame.
by the New York Knickerbockers
. He was taken in the 9th round as the 64th overall pick. Shipp, however, opted to play in the Amateur Athletic Union
(AAU) instead in order to retain his "amateur" status. Back then, only amateurs were allowed to compete in international competition while representing their country, such as the Pan American, FIBA and Olympic Games.
During the next five years, Shipp played for the AAU powerhouse Phillips 66ers
. He played in three consecutive national championships with them between 1962 and 1964, winning the title the first two times. During these three seasons he was also named an AAU All-American. Shipp finished his career at the highest scoring non-center
in Phillips 66ers history (Bob Kurland
, a center, was the team's all-time leading scorer).
, Brazil
, the U.S. swept the competition en route to a perfect 6–0 record. He averaged 15.0 points per game, the highest on the team, while making 42 field goals and six free throws.
On the 1963 FIBA World Championship team, the U.S. cruised out of the preliminary round with a 3–0 record. They stumbled in the final round, however, going 3–3 (6–3 overall) and did not win a medal, finishing in fourth place. Shipp led the team in scoring at 15.7 points per game in nine games played.
At the 1964 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo
, Japan
, Shipp played alongside future Hall of Famers Bill Bradley
and Larry Brown
, as well as veritable basketball stars Walt Hazzard
, Jeff Mullins and Joe Caldwell
. It was Shipp, however, that led the team in scoring. He guided Team USA to an unblemished 9–0 record while averaging 12.4 points per game—2.3 more per game than Bradley, who was second on the team in scoring. In a 69–61 win over Yugoslavia
during the Group Stage, Shipp scored a personal tournament-high 22 points and accounted for nearly one-third of the team's total offense. In the championship game against the Soviet Union
, who also entered the contest with an 8–0 record like the United States, he scored 10 points in the 73–59 win to earn the gold medal.
. It is an award given annually by the AAU to "the outstanding amateur
athlete in the United States". He spent the rest of his life in business, much of it with ConocoPhillips
. Shipp was eventually inducted into the Helms Athletic Foundation
and National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
(NAIA) Halls of Fame.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
basketball player. He played for the United States men's national basketball team at the 1963 FIBA World Championship
1963 FIBA World Championship
The 1963 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from May 11 to 23 , 1963.- Competing nations :- Preliminary round :-Group A:-Group B:-Group C:-Classification round:...
, 1963 Pan American Games
1963 Pan American Games
The 4th Pan American Games were held from April 20 to May 5, 1963 in São Paulo, Brazil.- Medal count :To sort this table by nation, total medal count, or any other column, click on the icon next to the column title.Note...
and 1964 Summer Olympics
1964 Summer Olympics
The 1964 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Tokyo, Japan in 1964. Tokyo had been awarded with the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this honor was subsequently passed to Helsinki because of Japan's...
, winning a gold medal at the latter two competitions. Shipp was also a three-time Amateur Athletic Union All-American
AAU Men's Basketball All-Americans
The Amateur Athletic Union Men's Basketball All-Americans were players who competed in the Amateur Athletic Union between 1920–21 and 1967–68 and were chosen as the best players in the league during their respective seasons. Founded in 1888, the Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest...
for the Phillips 66ers
Phillips 66ers
The Phillips 66ers basketball team was an amateur squad sponsored and run by the Phillips Petroleum Company. The team, which began play in 1919, participated in the Amateur Athletic Union, the nation’s premier basketball league before the National Basketball Association...
in Bartlesville, Oklahoma
Bartlesville, Oklahoma
Bartlesville is a city in Osage and Washington counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population was 43,070 at the 2010 census. Bartlesville is located forty-seven miles north of Tulsa and very close to Oklahoma's northern border with Kansas. It is the county seat of Washington County, in...
during the 1960s.
Early life
Shipp was born in Shreveport, LouisianaShreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
on September 27, 1935. He was raised in Blue, Oklahoma
Blue, Oklahoma
Blue is an unincorporated community in Bryan County, Oklahoma. It is located 9 miles east of Durant, Oklahoma. It is named after the nearby Blue River. Its post office was established on July 1, 1874. -References:...
, however, and attended Blue High School.
College
Shipp enrolled at Southeastern State College (now called Southeastern Oklahoma State UniversitySoutheastern Oklahoma State University
Southeastern Oklahoma State University, often referred to as Southeastern and abbreviated as SE, or SOSU, is a public university located in Durant, Oklahoma, with an undergraduate enrollment of approximately 4,229 as of 2009.-History:...
) in the fall of 1955. He played for the Savage Storm for four years, from 1955–56 through 1958–59, and he is recognized as "one of the greatest basketball players in the history of
Free throw
In basketball, free throws or foul shots are unopposed attempts to score points from a restricted area on the court , and are generally awarded after a foul on the shooter by the opposing team...
s made without a miss (19). In 1978 he was inducted into the school's hall of fame, and in 2007, Shipp was inducted into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame.
Amateur Athletic Union
After graduation, Shipp was selected in the 1959 NBA Draft1959 NBA Draft
The 1959 NBA Draft was the 13th annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on March 31, 1959 before the 1959–60 season. In this draft, eight NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players. In each round, the teams select in reverse order of...
by the New York Knickerbockers
New York Knickerbockers
The New York Knickerbockers were one of the first organized baseball teams which played under a set of rules similar to the game today. The team was founded by Alexander Cartwright, considered one of the original developers of modern baseball....
. He was taken in the 9th round as the 64th overall pick. Shipp, however, opted to play in the Amateur Athletic Union
Amateur Athletic Union
The Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...
(AAU) instead in order to retain his "amateur" status. Back then, only amateurs were allowed to compete in international competition while representing their country, such as the Pan American, FIBA and Olympic Games.
During the next five years, Shipp played for the AAU powerhouse Phillips 66ers
Phillips 66ers
The Phillips 66ers basketball team was an amateur squad sponsored and run by the Phillips Petroleum Company. The team, which began play in 1919, participated in the Amateur Athletic Union, the nation’s premier basketball league before the National Basketball Association...
. He played in three consecutive national championships with them between 1962 and 1964, winning the title the first two times. During these three seasons he was also named an AAU All-American. Shipp finished his career at the highest scoring non-center
Center (basketball)
The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...
in Phillips 66ers history (Bob Kurland
Bob Kurland
Robert Albert "Bob" Kurland was a basketball center, who played for Henry Iba's Oklahoma A & M Aggies basketball team...
, a center, was the team's all-time leading scorer).
Team USA
Representing the United States, Shipp won two gold medals in less than two years while playing for the basketball team. At the 1963 Pan American Games in São PauloSão Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, the U.S. swept the competition en route to a perfect 6–0 record. He averaged 15.0 points per game, the highest on the team, while making 42 field goals and six free throws.
On the 1963 FIBA World Championship team, the U.S. cruised out of the preliminary round with a 3–0 record. They stumbled in the final round, however, going 3–3 (6–3 overall) and did not win a medal, finishing in fourth place. Shipp led the team in scoring at 15.7 points per game in nine games played.
At the 1964 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Shipp played alongside future Hall of Famers Bill Bradley
Bill Bradley
William Warren "Bill" Bradley is an American hall of fame basketball player, Rhodes scholar, and former three-term Democratic U.S. Senator from New Jersey. He ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic Party's nomination for President in the 2000 election.Bradley was born and raised in a suburb of St....
and Larry Brown
Larry Brown (basketball)
Lawrence Harvey "Larry" Brown is an American basketball coach and former player. He most recently served as head coach of the National Basketball Association's Charlotte Bobcats....
, as well as veritable basketball stars Walt Hazzard
Walt Hazzard
Walter "Walt" Raphael Hazzard Jr. , also known as Mahdi Abdul-Rahman, was an American college, Olympic, and professional basketball player and college basketball coach...
, Jeff Mullins and Joe Caldwell
Joe Caldwell
Joe Louis Caldwell is a retired American professional basketball player. He spent 6 seasons in the NBA and 5 seasons in the now-defunct ABA, and he was one of the few players to be an All-Star in both leagues...
. It was Shipp, however, that led the team in scoring. He guided Team USA to an unblemished 9–0 record while averaging 12.4 points per game—2.3 more per game than Bradley, who was second on the team in scoring. In a 69–61 win over Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
during the Group Stage, Shipp scored a personal tournament-high 22 points and accounted for nearly one-third of the team's total offense. In the championship game against the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, who also entered the contest with an 8–0 record like the United States, he scored 10 points in the 73–59 win to earn the gold medal.
Later life
Toward the end of 1964, fresh off two AAU national championships, three AAU All-American honors, and two gold medals with Team USA, Shipp was nominated as a finalist for the James E. Sullivan AwardJames E. Sullivan Award
The James E. Sullivan Award, presented by the American Amateur Athletic Union , is awarded annually in April to "the outstanding amateur athlete in the United States". Often referred to as the Oscar of sports awards, it was first presented in 1930. The award is named for the AAU's founder and past...
. It is an award given annually by the AAU to "the outstanding amateur
Amateur sports
Amateur sports are sports in which participants engage largely or entirely without remuneration. Sporting amateurism was a zealously guarded ideal in the 19th century, especially among the upper classes, but faced steady erosion throughout the 20th century with the continuing growth of pro sports...
athlete in the United States". He spent the rest of his life in business, much of it with ConocoPhillips
ConocoPhillips
ConocoPhillips Company is an American multinational energy corporation with its headquarters located in the Energy Corridor district of Houston, Texas in the United States...
. Shipp was eventually inducted into the Helms Athletic Foundation
Helms Athletic Foundation
The Helms Athletic Foundation was an athletic foundation based in Los Angeles, founded in 1936 by Bill Schroeder and Paul Helms. It put together a panel of experts to select National Champion teams and make All-America team selections in a number of college sports including football and basketball...
and National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
(NAIA) Halls of Fame.