Legends of Syracuse University basketball join Coach Boeheim

When Roosevelt Bouie guarded the lane inside Manley Fieldhouse in the late 1970's he played like he was eight feet tall. He was really just a hair shy of seven feet - actually with his hair back then he was well over that basketball benchmark height. So when I picked him up at his hotel this afternoon I immediately apologized because the front seat in my SUV only goes back so far. His knees pinned against the dashboard. It didn't phase him for a second. Instead he started chatting about a conversation he just finished about doing business in Italy where he played basketball professionally for years. 

Roosevelt came into town to be part of our special broadcast Jim Boeheim's Orange Road to 800. We recorded the production this afternoon from two locations. John Evenson and I were in the studio here at the station in our locker room set. Roosevelt was in studio with us along with Howard Triche, John Wallace, Gerry MacNamara and Mike Hopkins. Coach Jim Boeheim and his wife Juli joined us live from their home where they sat and chatted with our partners in the broadcast Tk99's Gomez and Dave.

This hour long broadcast is a celebration of many of the great moments of the first 799 wins for Jim Boeheim. His 30 plus years of coaching have created a remarkable legacy. We have watched the wins and losses on the court, but behind the scenes I was equally impressed with the bond between the players even though they stretch across different eras of the Boeheim regime. As Roosevelt Bouie explained he never needed to join a fraternity in college because he had one in his teammates.

That bond was apparent as soon as they former players arrived at our studio today. Bouie is some 25 years older than Gerry MacNamara, but they instantly broke into a conversation about fishing. While we waited to roll the tape John Wallace entertained Mike Hopkins and the others with some basketball war stories from the NBA. Many of these players will join more of the Orange fraternity in New York in a couple weeks when this year's team plays a couple of games at Madison Square Garden.

The common theme of success among the former players was the confidence they derived from Coach Boeheim's support.  They describe him as straightforward and honest about what he wanted from them and where they stood on the team. Gerry MacNamara put it well when analyzing the teams success in the 2003 National Championship game. He credited the coach for making sure the players were not afraid of the bright lights of the big stage.

The players were just part of the show. Coach Boeheim talked from his home with remarkable detail about any season, any game we dared to recall. He showed Gomez and Dave some of his prized memorabilia and some of the crazier souvenirs fans and supporters have sent him over the years. He showed great humor and a comfortable quality that we don't always see once the basketball season begins.

This will be worth your time Thursday night at 7:00 pm on NBC 3. Watch Jim Boeheim's Orange Road to 800.  We also have some web only extras you can watch be clicking on this link.

Next time I have to give Roosevelt Bouie a ride I'll have to figure a new way to create some leg room. I figure I have another few years before Jim Boeheim's Orange Road to 900 special.

                                                Click this link to sign up for new mode of e-mail of Matt’s Memo to your Inbox:

http://www.cnycentral.com/news/news_blog_post.aspx?id=319963

You can always read the blog on CNYcentral.com.

Follow me on Twitter at   Twitter.com/mattmulcahy

or

Find me on Facebook.com

 Any questions or comment please forward them to mattsmemo@CNYcentral.com.   I may even use some of your thoughts on Action News at 5:00,  the 10:00 News on CW6 or on CNYcentral.com.                                   

The opinions expressed in this blog are the sole responsibility of the author and are not reflective of the views or opinions of Barrington Broadcasting, WSTM-NBC3, its management or employees.