Zydrunas llgauskas was drafted by the Cavaliers as the 20th overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft and went on to play 12 seasons for the Wine and Gold, averaging 13.8 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.7 blocks over a then-team record 771 games played. The 7-3 center from Lithuania was twice an NBA All-Star (2003, […]
Nance played his final seven NBA seasons for the Cleveland Cavaliers (1987-1994) after a six-year stint with the Phoenix Suns. Known as “Leapin’ Larry” for the dunking prowess that made him the first-ever NBA Slam Dunk Champion in 1984 and for his strong shot-blocking skills, Nance made three NBA All-Star teams (1985, 1989, 1993), including […]
Ben Curtis is best known for winning the 2003 British Open Championship. Prior to the tournament, he was given 300-1 odds of winning the major championship. After sealing the one-stroke win at Royal St. George’s, Curtis leaped from a 396th ranking in the world to 35th, the highest jump of any player in golf history. The 2003 British Open […]
When it came to the leaderboard at high-profile amateur and professional golf tournaments in Northeast Ohio, you could count on seeing the name Rob Moss at the top. In record-setting fashion, the left-handed Moss became the first player to win the Professional Golf Association’s Northern Ohio Section Championship for five straight years from 2010 to 2014, […]
A straight set humbling in a junior tournament and the subsequent lonely walk back home played major roles in shaping the tennis career of Tom Lucci. Lucci was only 14 and the tournament was his first. He lost all 12 games he played. The zeroes on the scoreboard motivated him to much bigger and better […]
One of the most successful coaches in college football history, Urban Meyer won three national championships and compiled a career record of 187 victories and only 32 losses in 17 seasons, averaging exactly 11 wins per year. His teams were ranked in the top 25 at the conclusion of all but two seasons and won […]
Tony Miller remains to this day one of the best all-around athletes produced by Cleveland’s athletic-rich Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School. Born in Cleveland on April 16, 1973, Tony first made his mark in football, becoming the starting quarterback in his sophomore season, succeeding the heralded Elvis Grbac. As a junior, Tony led the VASJ […]
Hockey in Northeast Ohio had a good friend in John Malloy. Make that a great friend. The veteran high school and prep team coach was also instrumental as an administrator and coordinator at numerous levels of the game. Whether it was winning a record number of games from the bench, establishing competitive balance for levels […]
Otis Chapman is one of the most decorated players in the history of racquetball. From 1987 through 2010, he collected 32 national and international championships in either singles or doubles play. For his extraordinary accomplishments, he becomes the first-ever inductee into the racquetball wing of the Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame. Remarkably, the induction […]
Greg Urbas retired this past spring as head wrestling coach at St. Edward High School where in 29 years his Eagles won four national championships and 24 state championships. In addition to the team success Urbas coached 76 individual state champions.