Yowsers!
Ernie D made this brilliant pass to a streaking Kevin Stacom, who thankfully made the layup.
Wow. What a pass. And to do it in Providence’s 1973 Final 4 game vs Memphis State. Surreal!
You can hear the whole 2024 intv here - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rhod...
And here’s some add’l reading about one of the most brilliant moments in hoop history.
“…. In addition to his remarkable rookie campaign, DiGregorio could do some incredible things with the basketball, as evidenced by the incredible behind-the-back pass from beyond half court from a Final Four game where DiGregorio’s Providence Friars took on Memphis State. DiGregorio not only managed to make a successful flashy pass from that distance, but he also hit the cutter in perfect stride for an easy lay-in. Even 40-plus years later, there are few guys in the league who could make a pass like that.
New York Times writer William C. Rhoden profiled DiGregorio back in 1996, and he wrote about one of the most famous passes in Final Four history.
FINALLY, we come to the cream of the college basketball season. March Madness, that annual monthlong celebration of upsets, defeats, surprises and Cinderellas.
It is a time of year that brings back memories of heroic performances. But one that stands out is the 1973 tournament, when tiny Providence College made its first Final Four appearance. To earn a berth, the Friars upset a powerful Maryland team that Coach Lefty Driesell had predicted would become the U.C.L.A. of the East.
Providence was led by an unlikely duo -- Marvin (Bad News) Barnes, a tough rebounding center from South Providence, and Ernie DiGregorio, a ball-handling wizard who grew up in North Providence.
I wasn't sure what had become of DiGregorio until a friend mentioned in passing that he was working at the Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut.
I immediately decided to pay a visit.
Few players in college or pro basketball have played such a short time yet established such an enduring legacy. DiGregorio grasped the essence of basketball and expressed it with a verve and flair unusual at a time when "cool" was in. He was a playground player who understood that basketball was a simple game with a simple goal: Score points. Lots of them. DiGregorio enjoyed two great seasons, the second ending with Providence's loss to Memphis State in the national semifinal game. On the second play of that game, DiGregorio whipped a perfect 30-foot behind-the-back pass to Kevin Stacom on a fast break that people still talk about.
That spring, DiGregorio was the third player selected in the National Basketball Association draft. He went to Buffalo, where he led the N.B.A. in assists and free-throw percentage, and was voted rookie of the year.
DeGregorio retired at age 27 after only five pro seasons and dropped out of national view.
During a three-hour drive to this gambling oasis, I thought about what his life had been like. Time seems to have treated Ernie DiGregorio well. Now, at 45, he no longer looks like a perennial teen-ager, and a few strands of gray grace his temple, but he looks trim. He has four daughters, the oldest of whom plans to marry next year.
It's fitting that DiGregorio has found his second niche in a casino. He wasn't projected as a college all-American and wasn't expected to be a pro, much less the N.B.A. rookie of the year.
"I beat the odds everywhere I played," he said. "People always told me I couldn't play," he said, "but I knew I could play."
He couldn't beat the odds forever. DiGregorio injured his knee in his second pro season and never regained his momentum or the youthful exuberance that was as much a part of his game as his deft passes.
After he retired in 1978, his life became the search for gratification that is all too familiar to former sports heroes.
He tried a comeback with the Nets in 1983, took a job coaching at a school for the deaf. Then he became the head coach at North Providence High. The school was known for defense until DiGregorio -- whose nickname as a pro was Ernie No-D -- took over. The team scored an average of 90 points a game, up from 50 the previous season.
Before being hired at Foxwoods, DiGregorio worked briefly with an advertising firm in a public relations capacity.
Now he feels he's found a home.
"This is the greatest job I've had since I've played basketball," he said. "I can look back with no regrets."
Now he's shaking hands with Nick from Massachusetts, who introduces him to his wife. Someone else needs to complete Ernie D's plans to take a group of children to the Celtics game on Friday. Two men come by and kid him about his golf handicap; they remind him that spring's just around the corner.
DiGregorio looks up and winks.
I asked him what would he would tell fans who feel that he has taken a tumble. "When people look and me and say, 'Oh, he's a celebrity host,' tell them it's a great job." he said. "Tell them it's FAN-tastic."
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