One on One - Isaac "Bud" Stallworth
January 17, 2006

By Andrew Stephens

Q: How did you get involved with the game of basketball?

A: I started playing basketball at the age of 6 in my hometown of Hartselle, Alabama. Basketball was luckily the type of activity that didn’t require any costly equipment –all we needed growing up was a ball and a basket to shoot into. Another bonus was the fact that my parents were educators and would attend parent-teacher meetings at local universities. When I got older they would bring me to the campus and leave me in the gym.  I would shoot baskets, strengthen my skills and play pick-up games with older college students. I attended Morgan County Training Center, which was an All-Black School (grades 1-12) in Hartselle. I had a fantastic high school career and played on the varsity team from grades 7-12.

High School Accomplishments:  A-2A North – South All-Star MVP, NAHSAA All –Star Game MVP, National Achievement Scholarship for Outstanding Negro Students, Readers Digest Award, National Merit Who’s Who in America, Member of National Honor Society, Valedictorian, I Dare You Award, Outstanding Teenager of America Award, 1968, University of Kansas Midwestern Music & Art Camp Scholarship, 1966.

Q: Share your story of how you selected the University of Kansas (KU)?

A: My parents weren’t big fans of basketball and didn’t see a future in it as a career. My parents had two mandatory requirements. In order to play organized basketball, they asked that I maintain an “A” average in school and I was required to participate in the band.  I played the trumpet and my sister was a concert pianist. We would participate in talent shows and the school band. Some of my accomplishments included participation in individual talent shows, and also with the jazz, concert and marching bands. I was a first-chair performer in all the bands. At one time I was hoping to be the next Miles Davis or Louis Armstrong.

My sister recommended a music and arts camp at the University of Kansas. It took a little bit of persuasion, but my father eventually agreed to send me. During our break time, members of the band played on an intramural basketball team. There was a guy in the gym that stopped me one day and told me there’s another gym (Robinson Gymnasium) on the other side of campus where they have competitive pick-up games at noon. The thought definitely piqued my interest. It was almost like a blessing in disguise because our normal break time for lunch was noon, and the gym he was talking about was right across the street from our band rehearsal. I would pack my Converse Chuck Taylor’s in my duffle bag and run over to Robinson Gymnasium during break time. The competition was much better, and I was able to hold my own against all of the guys in the gym.

I get back to the dorm and my counselor called me into his office to tell me this guy named Ted Owens was looking for me. Right away, I told my counselor, “I didn’t do it. I’m not sure what happened but it wasn’t me!” I figured something happened in one of the dorm rooms at KU, and I was being blamed for it.  It turns out that Ted Owens was the head coach of KU’s Men’s basketball team. I gave Coach Owens a call and he told me that several of his KU players that competed against me in the gym thought I was pretty good. Ironically one of the players in that gym was an All-American by the name of JoJo White. JoJo played an instrumental role in my recruitment to KU. In addition to that, some of the other guys I played against were players from the KU varsity team that lost on a controversial out-of-bounds call to the 1966 Texas Western team. That very same Texas Western team (featured in the movie “Glory Road”) was the team that beat Kentucky in the finals.  Coach asked me where I was from, and I told him from a small town in Alabama. I really didn’t know where this conversation was going, but the mystery was soon revealed. Coach Owens just cut to the chase and asked, “If we can convince your parents and get their permission, we would like to give you a full scholarship to the University of Kansas for basketball.” Many local universities (Alabama & Auburn) were recruiting me to break the color barrier at the time, but neither of their basketball programs compared to KU’s rich history and national prominence. I look back at this situation as being in the right place at the right time.

Q: What was your most memorable moment(s) from your college career at KU?

A: My first most memorable collegiate moment occurred during my first game as a varsity player at KU.  I scored the most points (27) of any KU player during their first career start on the varsity team. 

Another memorable moment occurred during my junior year in ‘71. All season we were ranked in the top five in the country and won 22 straight games. We were probably the best team in the country, but unfortunately fell a little short of a national championship that season. We lost to UCLA 68-60 in the semifinals, but just having the opportunity to play for a national championship was one of the highlights of my college career. 

Also, a great moment was my 50-point performance vs. Missouri in ‘72. If you aren’t aware of the history, there is no love lost between Kansas and Missouri. Back when I played, they called it the “Border War.” The rivalry was personal between the two areas and can be compared to UNC vs. Duke or Yankees vs. Red Sox. However, it was even more extreme. Norm Stewart, often referred to as “Storming Norman”, coached the Missouri basketball team at the time. In ’72, Missouri was set to win the Big 8 Conference and they interviewed Norm just before their game against KU.  I clearly remember Norm stating, “That Stallworth kid is a pretty good player, but I think John Brown should be voted Player of the Year because we are set to have a good year and Kansas is going nowhere this season.”  I’ll admit our team was depleted with injuries, but for him to say that leading into my final game at Allen Fieldhouse was unacceptable. Shortly following those comments, my teammates and I had a meeting to strategize. They kept telling me all of the negative comments Norm said about me and that we needed to make an impact to cause him to eat his words. In that meeting, something came over me and I told my teammates, “Just give me the ball and we won’t lose.” 

The Allen Fieldhouse was packed and rocking with Jayhawk fans, alumni and my family. There was only one explanation as to what happened that night - I got into what they call “the zone.” Missouri’s coach Stewart tried every possible defensive scheme, but no matter what he threw at me, it didn’t matter. Everything I shot was swishing through the net and before I knew it, I had 48 points (4 points shy of the KU record). It was late in the second half and we had the game under control when the coach sat me down to rest. One of our assistant coaches, Bob Frederick (who later became our athletic director), was positioned higher up in the stadium. He called down on the LAN phone to reach assistant coach Miranda to let him know I was two points shy of tying the school record and four points away from breaking it. Coach Owens reinserted me into the lineup, and I ended up scoring 50 points. To this day the record still stands and has never been broken. I accomplished this record without the luxury of a three-point line.

You’ll probably find this funny but Norm Stewart and I are good friends now. I see him at golf tournaments, fundraisers and other functions in Kansas and Missouri. Every time we are at the same event, people always tell Norm, “Oh no, Norm and Stallworth in the same building.” The discussion of my performance always comes up, and we just laugh about it.

My basketball career came full circle when KU honored me at halftime of the Kansas vs. Missouri game on January 31, 2005. When you join the KU Legends in the rafters, you become part of history.  It made all the broken bones, bruises and knocked-out teeth worth it. The retirement of my #15 ended a chapter in my life and made everything complete.

Q: What players did you admire coming into the league?  What made them unique?

       Oscar Robertson could do it all. He was the best all around player I saw growing up.

       Jerry West had the picture perfect jump shot. I actually patterned my jump shot after Jerry. 

       Earl Monroe was one of the flashiest players from my era. He would do things in the game that the average player couldn’t duplicate even if he spent hours in the gym. 

       Walt “Clyde” Frazier was the coolest guy I’ve ever seen. I wanted to dress like him and be like him, both on and off the court. 

       Pete Maravich was, “The Show.” I got a chance to play with him, and people thought he had all these tricks, but Pete could really play. 

       Dave Bing had a very good game for a backcourt guy. He was athletic, intelligent and a strong leader on the court.

       Wilt Chamberlain, coming from KU, was a dominant big man and he changed the game. The league had to change the rules because of his dominance. 

       Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was another special talent at the center position. He’s the reason why they banned dunking in high school and college when I played. I used to love to dunk, but thanks to Kareem, I had to settle for layups.

Q: What college teams do you enjoy watching on the NCAA level? 

A: I have an appreciation for college programs like Duke, UNC and, of course, Kansas. I personally like watching Rick Pitino’s team play at Louisville. The same thing goes for Memphis and their coach John Calipari. They always acquire good athletes and get the guys to buy into their system and play the right way. 

Q: NBA players you enjoy watching?  Who impresses you?

A: On the NBA level, I really enjoy watching LeBron James. He’s the second coming of something that is hard to put a label on. Just like when Magic, Bird and Jordan dominated their eras, LeBron is going to be mentioned among those legends. Other superstars I have an appreciation for are Ray Allen and Tracy McGrady. Ray Allen is probably the purest shooter in the league right now. He is consistently able to get his shot off in game situations. T-Mac has a nice stroke from the outside, handles the ball well and can carry his team when healthy. 

I had the privilege of being able to witness and play against some of the greatest basketball players to ever play this game. That’s why I find it hard to be impressed or blown away by a particular NBA superstar of today. This is no disrespect to the talent in the league today, but unfortunately there’s nothing out there that I haven’t already seen or played against.

Q: Describe your post-career transition after retiring from the league? 

A:Unfortunately my NBA career ended because of an automobile accident. In ’77, I injured my back and had to plan for my post-career transition from the league. When I was in the pros, one of my dreams was to open up a restaurant. I moved to Hawaii and dabbled in the restaurant industry for a few years.  I eventually came to the realization that I didn’t want to devote my time to just owning and managing restaurants, so I ventured into something new.  Once I got out of the restaurant business, I moved back to Lawrence, Kansas and became involved with construction and real estate projects. I currently oversee the budget for our departments, design and construction management. Everything related to the University that has to deal with design, renovation and the budget has to go through my office or department. We are currently working on the KU Athletic Hall of Fame - a $15 million dollar project -which should open in February or March of 2006. 

Q: Funniest story you would like to share from your playing career?

A: When I was playing for Seattle in 1972-74, Celtic Legend and NBA Hall of Famer, Bill Russell was the head coach. He wanted me to be like John Havlicek by running off picks and taking jump shots.  Coach Russell pulled me aside and said, “Stallworth, whenever you touch the ball, I want you to shoot it right away.”  I was about two steps past half court and Slick Watts passed me the ball. I shot it and made it. Russell called time-out and said, “What’s wrong with you?” I told him, “Coach, you told me when I touch the ball shoot it. I got the ball, shot it and made it.” Coach Russell was speechless, and my teammates at the time, Fred Brown and Spencer Haywood, were just rolling in their shoes with laughter during the huddle. They still remind me about that story to this day.  Someone like Spencer would say “Hey Bud, remember when you caught the ball near half court…”

My second story has to do with my involvement with music. I would carry my trumpet with me on the road. Coach Russell asked me, “What is that?”  I told him my horn, and Russell said, “That’s what’s wrong with athletes today. They want to be basketball players and musicians.” In today’s day and age, the NBA highlights guys that are musically gifted, like Wayman Tisdale. I just look at what he said in the past and smile.

Q: What do you like to do in your spare time?  What special talents do you have that fans wouldn’t be aware of?

A: I am an avid golfer and love to play a few holes when time allows. When my wife decided to plan a career that we could share together as we neared retirement age, we got into showing and breeding horses. A friend of ours helped us acquire some farmland to raise horses and that’s how it started.  Eventually we came to realize that the showing and breeding business wasn’t too profitable and put a stop to it. We have about 10 horses in total, and I currently train horses and ride them in my spare time.  I train dogs as well. A little known fact is that I love to dabble in the kitchen. I’ve been known to whip up a few gourmet entrees for the family.

Q: Please share why you are a Platinum Lifetime Member of the National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA)?

A: I’m a member of this organization because it allows you to stay in touch with former teammates and friends you made from your playing days. It gives former players the opportunity to stay involved with guys that share a common bond. We have an annual members meeting where former players and their families get to mix and mingle. At the same time, the retired guys get to network and conduct business with the membership in attendance. The networking opportunity within our organization is priceless.  Once you retire from the league, guys tend to go in all different directions. The main NBRPA office in New York is an essential point of contact because you can give them a call and they can put you in touch with other members or let you know what’s new with the Association. You won’t be young forever, and there will come a time when you’ll be looking for the support this organization provides. 

Q: What message do you have for the guys just retiring from the league or the former players out there that are not currently part of the NBRPA family?

A: If players want to find out more about the organization, please refer them to the official Web site, www.legendsofbasketball.com. Secondly, we have members scattered all over the country – from coaches, assistant coaches, scouts, announcers and hundreds of others not connected to the league.  Please ask them about the NBRPA and the benefits of being a part of it. I’m sure once you hear their feedback, you’ll be happy to join the family.

When you say Bud, you've said it all

KU basketball legend Bud Stallworth is getting applause from the University of Kansas Community, but this time not for his involvement in KU athletics. Stallworth is passionatly active in several charitable organizations these days.

By Mike Mostaffa

Thursday, May 11, 2006