Remember Jimmy Lee

[Orangeyes]

Here is some video of one of our all-time greats.

Vintage Jimmy Lee

1975 Final 4 Highlights SU vs. Kentucky

 

[orangecuse]

I sure do. He was my favorite player when I was a boy. I recall he dated my neighbor for a short time who lived across the street from me...who's also a cousin of Kyle Fetterly.

 

[orange03]

Met him a few times at work--he sells my company the fuel we use for our trucking. Nice guy and definitely on the confident side... asked him who would win in a shoot out, him or Gerry, said him and it wouldn't be close.

 

[RoysRunts]

A Friend of mine named his son Jimmy Lee , I must admit as good a player as Jim was I liked Mike better. Sure wish they had the St Bona/Lasalle/Unc/Kstate Games in their entirety. What games and what a magical run. As far as beating GMAC Jim would have to move back from his comfort zone 1'1/2" It would sure be great to see Kohls/J.Lee/GMAC and Sweet D all in their prime in a shootout. I might pick Kohls for 3 point % In the North it's Mira Beat OH in Syracuse its Mur rib it oh. .Jack "Goose" Givens in 75, Tony Delk 96 Both Lefties Killed us. UK dosen't have a Lefty Guard this year do they?

 

[Orangeyes]

Met him a few times at work--he sells my company the fuel we use for our trucking. Nice guy and definitely on the confident side... asked him who would win in a shoot out, him or Gerry, said him and it wouldn't be close.

Sounds like what he said to me when I asked him who was the greatest shooter in Syracuse history. His reply without hesitation, "You're looking at him."

 

[Orangeyes]

Here is the other semi-final

Here's video of the final game

 

[Halfmooncuse]

Remember when Jimmy played for Roys Runts. Played St. John's in Manley Field House. They had All-American Sonny Dove. When St. John cheerleaders intoduced him they let a crate full of pidgeons (aka doves) fly out into the arena. Fans went beserk. I think one bird flew into the crowd and was not treated too well. The others flew to the roof and it wasn't til the summer that they finally got them all out of the place.

 

[CiscoCuse]

He was great...not only did he have a sweet jump shot and great FT shooting...he had a good talent in drawing the offensive fouls!

 

[longtimefan]

Remember when Jimmy played for Roys Runts. Played St. John's in Manley Field House. They had All-American Sonny Dove. When St. John cheerleaders intoduced him they let a crate full of pidgeons (aka doves) fly out into the arena. Fans went beserk. I think one bird flew into the crowd and was not treated too well. The others flew to the roof and it wasn't til the summer that they finally got them all out of the place.

Your chronology is mixed up.

Sonny Dove graduated from St John's in 1967, well before either Lee matriculated at SU.

 

[stuckinbig11]

Jimmy invented taking the offensive foul before it was even popular.

 

[rstone7727]

Awseome videos! Quality is amazing for being so old... Jimmy had a pretty smooth stroke as I remember. Started to root for Syracuse right around that time frame, 74- 75 ish. He made the game look easy, SU's Pete Maravich..

 

[mantonio]

Why did all players back then look like they were 35 years old?

 

[Halfmooncuse]

Your chronology is mixed up.

Sonny Dove graduated from St John's in 1967, well before either Lee matriculated at SU.

OOPs. Feel like Rommney. Well I was young then and old now. Two reasons for brain drain. Anyway the release of the doves was what I remembered.

 

[CuseFan]

Jimmy was my high school 9th grade math teacher at Bishop Grimes back in about 83. He only taught there a year or two as I recall.

 

[longtimefan]

OOPs. Feel like Rommney. Well I was young then and old now. Two reasons for brain drain. Anyway the release of the doves was what I remembered.

The release of the pigeons certainly happened. And then St John's won the game, which was a major bummer.

 

[Cheriehoop]

Jim, his brother Mike, along with 2 other guys owned the Orange Grove and Mrs O'Leary's bars in the 80's. They sponsored our basketball teams throughout. Their younger brother (I think his name was Tim) was either the manager, owner at Dooleyz on the west side back in the day too. I've seen Jim at a number of games at the dome.

 

[JoeSU]

Breaks my heart to see the Saltine Warrior.

 

[Col. Bleep]

He was the best Syracuse shooter I ever saw.
And great outside/inside combo with Rudy Hackett.

Would love to see the video of the Final 4 consolation game in '75 against Louisville with Junior Bridgeman and Allen Murphy.
Jimmy Lee couldn't buy a hoop in the first half and then couldn't miss in the 2nd.
We made that great rally and his last second shot to win it spun around the rim for an eternity before spinning out.
Had to listen to the radio call.
Joel Mareinnis made it sound like half an hour before the shot fell out.

 

[Orangeyes]

"We made that great rally and his last second shot to win it spun around the rim for an eternity before spinning out."

We lost to Louisville 96-88 in that consolation game. We were getting blown out in the first half and I remember Joel saying that we looked tired. Then we made it respectful.

That we made the final four came as a total surprise to everyone. In fact they called us Cinderella as stated on the video.

We started our march to San Diego by first beating La Salle 87-80 in the East. Then came that thrilling win against Dean Smith and North Carolina 78-76. The ending had every Syracuse fan cringing. I think it was Bob Parker ran the baseline on an SU inbounds play and slammed into a Carolina defender. At first it looked like a foul against Syracuse but there was no call. We held on and won the game.

We then beat Kansas St 95-87. I think they had a player, Chuckie Evans who had an awful looking mask on.

Back in those days only 32 teams made the field.

Then came our 95-79 loss to Kentucky.

BTW, Jimmy Lee was the leading scorer that year in the NCAA's he tallied 119 points

 

[RoysRunts]

Remember when Jimmy played for Roys Runts. Played St. John's in Manley Field House. They had All-American Sonny Dove. When St. John cheerleaders intoduced him they let a crate full of pidgeons (aka doves) fly out into the arena. Fans went beserk. I think one bird flew into the crowd and was not treated too well. The others flew to the roof and it wasn't til the summer that they finally got them all out of the place.

With all due respect Roys Runts Team played against Ed Searcy of St Johns not Sonny Dove he was years before

 

[RoysRunts]

With all due respect Roys Runts Team played against Ed Searcy of St Johns not Sonny Dove he was years before

OE Lville Game went OT I saw that try to get a charge call 3 times in 57 Years twice by UNC Dean Smith Decades apart.

 

[Col. Bleep]

"We made that great rally and his last second shot to win it spun around the rim for an eternity before spinning out."

We lost to Louisville 96-88 in that consolation game. We were getting blown out in the first half and I remember Joel saying that we looked tired. Then we made it respectful.

That we made the final four came as a total surprise to everyone. In fact they called us Cinderella as stated on the video.

We started our march to San Diego by first beating La Salle 87-80 in the East. Then came that thrilling win against Dean Smith and North Carolina 78-76. The ending had every Syracuse fan cringing. I think it was Bob Parker ran the baseline on an SU inbounds play and slammed into a Carolina defender. At first it looked like a foul against Syracuse but there was no call. We held on and won the game.

We then beat Kansas St 95-87. I think they had a player, Chuckie Evans who had an awful looking mask on.

Back in those days only 32 teams made the field.

Then came our 95-79 loss to Kentucky.

BTW, Jimmy Lee was the leading scorer that year in the NCAA's he tallied 119 points

Chuckie Evans looked like the forerunner of Jason in Friday the 13th.

And when we beat Carolina the uproar was so great that it literally had Lawrinson Hall swaying.

 

[ORRange]

The only pair better than a full house, Jimmy Lee and Tom Mossotti.

 

[rrlbees]

A Friend of mine named his son Jimmy Lee , I must admit as good a player as Jim was I liked Mike better. Sure wish they had the St Bona/Lasalle/Unc/Kstate Games in their entirety. What games and what a magical run. As far as beating GMAC Jim would have to move back from his comfort zone 1'1/2" It would sure be great to see Kohls/J.Lee/GMAC and Sweet D all in their prime in a shootout. I might pick Kohls for 3 point % In the North it's Mira Beat OH in Syracuse its Mur rib it oh. .Jack "Goose" Givens in 75, Tony Delk 96 Both Lefties Killed us. UK dosen't have a Lefty Guard this year do they?

Neither Lee nor GMac could touch Kohls.

 

[Dick_in_MI]

Sounds like what he said to me when I asked him who was the greatest shooter in Syracuse history. His reply without hesitation, "You're looking at him."

Was he wearing a Kid Kohls mask?

Jimmy was a great shooter but I wouldn't even put him at #2. And for my money, Kohls was the best shooter ever at SU.