Interview: Henry Bibby
Henry Bibby won three championships with UCLA.
RotoRob recently sat down basketball legend Henry Bibby, who will soon be enshrined in the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame.
To say this is a well-deserved honour seems like an understatement. The Franklinton, North Carolina-bred point guard helped lead UCLA to a three-peat in the early ’70s, becoming a first-team All-American while averaging 14.4 points as a collegian. Later on, Henry’s son Mike would also win an NCAA title, making the Bibbys one of a select few father-son duos to accomplish this feat.
After college, Henry Bibby embarked on a nine-year NBA career, earning a championship with the Knicks as a rookie. Later, he enjoyed his most productive seasons as a 76er in the late ’70s, playing alongside Julius Irving (check out Bibby making a bucket off a feed from Dr. J in the video below), Maurice Cheeks and Daryl Dawkins, among others. After his playing days, Bibby became a celebrated coach at both the collegiate and professional ranks. He’s still helping develop basketball talent.
We had an engaging talk with Bibby, covering a wide range of topics, including:
- How going to the NCAA — and the right college team — had a huge impact on his life;
- His ability to adapt to whatever role his team needed him to take, and how this was a big part of his success;
- How the media saturation of the game is one of the biggest changes today compared to when he played in the NBA;
- That he’s most proud of the fact he was to get as far as he did considering his parents were not afforded complete educations;
- How Erving was the consummate teammate;
- Fellow 76er George McGinnis being among the most talented players Bibby ever played alongside; and
- Could Shaquille O’Neal play in today’s game?
Listen to the entire interview below.
RotoRob Tune of the Day
In honour of Bibby and the state of North Carolina, today we picked a tune by Durham, North Carolina singer Betty Davis, who sadly passed away earlier this month. Here’s the title track from her second album, They Say I’m Different, released in 1974.
