Never mind.. I was right!
Regarding the last post, if anyone cares... I was right on almost all counts! (btw, if you wondered whether this blog was strictly an exercise in self-entertainment...). Here's the story.
The guy's name I was trying to think of was Ray Patterson. And it turns out that Steve Patterson, the newly deposed GM of the Portland Trail Blazers is indeed the son of Ray Patterson. Ray Patterson was the athletic director at Wayland Academy at the time my dad was there (he was not coach; Nissalke alone was the coach) before moving on to become the very successful General Manager of the Houston Rockets through some of their best years (1972-1989) before being succeeded by his then 31 year old son, Steve Patterson (nepotism, anyone?).
I haven't yet figured out whether Patterson had a connection to the Bucks, but I believe in someway he does. I know that he did give Tom Nissalke his first NBA head coaching opportunity when he hired him in 1977 to coach the Rockets. And I did find out that Tom Nissalke was an assistant coach under the Bucks original head coach, Larry Costello. He was part of the Bucks 1971 championship team. I am nearly certain the gentleman I have circled in the 1971 team photo pictured above is Coach Nissalke.
As the guy in Fargo says "End of story." Now I'm going to watch the Bucks game.
posted by Ty Will @ Friday, March 02, 2007
2 Comments:
Ray A. Patterson - Resume
enrolled at Wisconsin from Beaver Dam, WI
UW-Madison Basketball Captain, 1944 and 1945
Badger's Most Valuable Player, 1944 and 1945
first team All-Big Ten Selection, 1944
Chicago Herald All-American Squad, 1944
scored a total of 738 points with the Wisconsin Badgers in his four year basketball career
tied for second place in the Big Ten in scoring with 193 points in 1944
averaged 14.0 points per game and scored 295 points during the 1944 season
scored 225 points and averaged 10.7 points per game in the 1945 season
UW Graduate Assistant Men's Basketball Coach, 1948
earned masters degree from the UW-Madison, 1948
played professionally with the Dow Chemical Basketball Team in Midland, Michigan, 1945-1948
Wayland Academy boys head basketball coach and science teacher, 1949-1954
President/Headmaster of Wayland Academy, 1954-1969
part owner and president of the NBA Milwaukee Bucks, 1969-1972
Milwaukee Bucks Team won the 1971 NBA World Championship during his tenure
President and General Manager of the NBA Houston Rockets, 1972-1989
NBA Executive of the Year, by the Sporting News, 1976-1977
retired from the Houston Rockets, 1990
He was President and GM of the bucks - recruited Kareem into the NBA and won the NBA championship his first year.
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