The Bill Bridges
Rebounding Award is
presented annually to Kansas University's single-season leader in caroms.
"It's
good to have awards if they inspire kids. I'm honored they named it after
me," said Bridges, a 1961 Kansas University All-America forward out of
Hobbs, N.M. He will be presented a KU Hall of Fame portrait at halftime of
Saturday's Kansas-Oklahoma men's basketball game at Allen Fieldhouse.
"You
know what that award should be called ... the 'Mule Award,''' Bridges added with
a laugh.
Bridges
grabbed 1,081 rebounds — third-most in KU history — during his three-year
college career (1959 to '61). The 6-foot-51/2, 235-pounder grabbed 30 rebounds
against Northwestern in 1960. Only
7-foot-2 Wilt Chamberlain grabbed more in a KU game — 36 versus Iowa State in
1958 and 31 versus Northwestern in '57.
"I
consider it an art form," the undersized Bridges said of rebounding.
"It's not always just ripping it down. Not everyone can ascend to that
tower Wilt was on. He was immortal. Us commonfolk on the ground, it was an art
form, a mindset. You think the ball belongs to you. You will die to get
it."
Bridges,
who scored more than 10,000 points and grabbed more than 10,000 rebounds in 12
years in the NBA, grabbed tons of boards because of technique and desire.
Bridges
left KU with career scoring averages of 13.2 points and 13.9 rebounds per
contest. He ranks 35th on KU's all-time scoring list with 1,028 points.
Now a
successful business consultant in Santa Monica, Calif., the 62-year-old Bridges
returns to Lawrence for just the second time since his playing days at KU. Bridges
was here for one game during the Larry Brown era.
"After
I left, I was busy playing pro ball, getting on with my life, making the
transition. I just never made it back. I'm somewhat introverted but very excited
about coming back, seeing so many friends like Bob Billings and Monte Johnson,
seeing the campanile."
He's
pumped for his weekend visit.