Jerry Lucas

Jerry Ray Lucas, born March 30, 1940, is an American former basketball player whose career spanned high school, college, the Olympics, and the National Basketball Association. A nationally awarded high school player, he became a national star at Ohio State University, leading the Buckeyes to three straight NCAA finals from 1960 to 1962. Ohio State won the national championship in 1960 and finished as runner-up in 1961 and 1962. Lucas remains the only three-time Big Ten Basketball Player of the Year. He was named NCAA Player of the Year in 1961 and 1962 by the United States Basketball Writers Association (now the Oscar Robertson Award), the Associated Press, and the Sporting News, and was named Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year in 1961. In 1960 he won an Olympic gold medal and played internationally before turning professional.

In the NBA, Lucas was the 1964 Rookie of the Year and was named Most Valuable Player of the 1965 NBA All-Star Game. He earned All-NBA First Team honors three times and All-NBA Second Team twice, and was a seven-time NBA All-Star, including six years in a row. He is one of eight players to achieve the basketball Triple Crown.