The Story of Basketball Great Clyde Lovellette

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This is the story of basketball great Clyde Lovellette.  He was one of basketball’s all-time triumphs at every level of the game, Clyde Lovellette grew up in difficult circumstances in Terre Haute, Indiana. In high school he was twice named All-State. After graduating high school he headed to Kansas to play for coaching legend Phog Allen where he was three times an All-American and lead the 1952 Jayhawks to a national championship.

Directly following college Clyde went on to win Olympic gold. During his professional career he collected three NBA championship rings. His first championship was with the Minneapolis Lakers and with it he became the first player in history to win an NCAA title, an Olympic gold medal, and an NBA championship. He collected two more championship rings with the Boston Celtics playing behind the great Bill Russell.

Lovellette has been honored by selection to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, the College Basketball Hall of Fame in Kansas City, the Kansas University Hall of Fame, the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame, and the Helms Foundation Hall of Fame.

In the decades following his retirement from basketball, Clyde Lovellette has led an interesting and varied life. He was elected sheriff of his hometown county in Indiana, he spent various periods as a city councilman, coached high school basketball on Cape Cod, advised and taught at risk youth at the White s Institute in Wabash, Indiana.

Lew Freedman has written extensively about basketball for newspapers and magazines and in books. He is the author of more than 70 books.