did bobby plump play professional basketball

Weve had people come into our restaurant/sports bar (during the NCAA Tournament) and one group I remember was four students from Rutgers who drove 11 hours for the game, then had to go back to school the next day. Built in 1928, Hinkle was the largest basketball arena in the U.S. at the time. If you drove to the left-hand side, you often ended up in the manure pile. After graduating from Butler University, Plump played three years for the Phillips 66ers of the National Industrial Basketball League. Most fans naturally link Plump with Hinkle Fieldhouse because of the last-second shot he made in 1954 to give Milan High School the state championship. Remember Tom Kohlmeier? That was 2012. Visit our website to learn how you can support us financially. Plump was selected Indiana's coveted "Mr. Basketball" in 1954, the award bestowed upon Indiana's most outstanding senior basketball player as voted on by the press. Those seniors included Bobby Plump, who actually grew up in nearby Pierceville, a town smaller than Milan - so small, in fact, it didn't have a high school. COVID is on the rise again in Florida, Taylor Swift concertgoers cause Swift quake with 2.3 magnitude, 800 great white sharks have visited Cape Cod in recent years: The Cape is among the larger white shark hotspots worldwide, $2M wedding nightmare in Aspen due to audio malfunction, lawsuit says, Ridiculous: So-called Snake Burglar admits to 54 felonies, walks out of jail, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. (Phillip B. Wilson / The Star), Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. This is Richmond, Virginia. "The dream unifies the state," acclaimed journalist David Halberstam wrote of the Milan Miracle in 1985. Plump was selected Indiana's coveted "Mr. Basketball" in 1954, the award bestowed upon Indiana's most outstanding senior basketball player as voted on by the press. It wasnt the first time they met, which came during the 2010 Final Four coaches banquet, nor was it the only request he accepted. Thanks to the following individual contributors who either hit our "yellow button" on our website or sent us a check: Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp, Roz Wolen, Dana Waddell and Clay Collins, David Willkie, Jeff Swiatek, Kevin Murray, Dixie Richardson, Marion Wolen, Tom Castaldi, Sharon Butsch Freeland, Sue Hetherington, Linda Gugin, Howard Creveling, Eunice Trotter, Lorraine and Richard Vavul, Sue and Craig Thomson, Teresa Baer and Jim Wills, Jane Hodge, Paul and Billie Fouts, Steve and Sue Barnett, and Joe Young. Hes reading this book, and he gets to the chapter about Milan, and he starts to read about Bobby Plump, and its like hes reading about himself. Plump calls it a coincidence the tourney started that week. But he gave me so much hope and inspiration. All rights reserved. In college, he set the Butler basketball single-game record at the . Consider this: When Paul and Patty left for the Iditarod last week, it was colder across central Indiana (at 6 degrees) than in Alaska, where temps were in the low 20s. The ref looked at my dad and my dad looked at the ref and the ref didnt know what to do right away. Following his professional sports career with Phillips 66, he began working in the life insurance and financial consulting industry. Plump, whose winning shot in the 1954 state championship game for little Milan High became the inspiration for Hoosiers, said he didnt know a thing about the NCAA Tournament back in those days. He has a job in college athletics. Lewis: Bobby Plump's last shot - The Denver Post It also included a dozen days in January and February when the temps plunged below zero. While all 66 games have been played in Indiana with one remaining, Monday night's title game between undefeated Gonzaga and Baylor, Plump has been less visible. Hoosiers True Story - the real Jimmy Chitwood (Bobby Plump) and Coach Plump smiled, but wouldnt fully concede the point: OK, as far as instantaneous thrill, that shot is No. Bobby Plump Makes List Of Indiana's Greatest College Basketball Players IndyStar, March. Instead of seeing it sideways, you can see plays develop. He applied. While 14,160 fans. Honaker stood to say a few words about several people in attendance, then spent nearly eight minutes speaking about Bobby Plump. All Rights Reserved. ", Of the final shot, author Phillip Hoose later wrote: "As the ball sailed through, Goliath buckled, Excalibur slipped free from the rock, and Indiana's dream came true.". Bobby Plump (born September 9, 1936), American baseball player The score was 32-30. Find IndyStar columnist Gregg Doyel on Twitter at @GreggDoyelStar or at www.facebook.com/gregg.doyel. After graduating from Butler, Bobby played basketball with an industrial team based in Oklahoma called the Phillips 66 Oilers. I'm very blessed to be friends with my hero,"Honaker says now. That was a good thing. "When the dream happens, or at least almost happens, the state rests again comfortably in its myth, that this is still a simple a quiet rural life. His restaurant Plump's Last Shot in Broad Ripple displays vintage photos and memorabilia of the "Milan Miracle.". About 200 guests hailing from all corners of the state, from Fort Wayne to Jeffersonville, attended our gala, which was hosted by Indiana Landmarks at their state headquarters, the beautifully renovated Central Avenue United Methodist Church. 2014 Hoosier History Live! The ceremony was happening the same day that former IU star Bobby Slick Leonard was being honored in Bloomington, but Slicks wife, Nancy, was calling Honaker to see if they could be there, too. High School: Milan. That's why, just before the buzzer sounded at the 1954 state tournament, Bobby's last shot - which Nelson describes in his book Indiana Legends as "a stunning, 15-foot jump shot he scored against seemingly invincible Muncie Central" - instantly became iconic. Former Indianapolis Mayor William Hudnut spoke with great enthusiasm to our guests ("History matters!" Plump was selected Indiana's coveted "Mr. Basketball" in 1954, the award bestowed upon Indiana's most outstanding senior basketball player as voted on by the press. Thanks to that shot, Milan defeated Muncie Central High School 32-30 and made "Hoosier Hysteria" history. 4 min read FILE - Hinkle Fieldhouse is shown in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game between Butler and Marquette in Indianapolis, in this Jan. 18, 2014,. The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Bobby Plump The Stat Sheet Angelo and I were looking at the plays and the development of the plays, it was just really neat.". Bobby Plump. Watching 68 teams battling for the NCAA title entirely in Indiana has brought back a flood of memories for people like Butcher and Plump, and comparisons to the states long-gone tournament format so familiar to the casual basketball fan because of Hoosiers.. Same boy. INDIANAPOLIS Bobby Plump has lived 75 years, but hes best known for 18 seconds of it. 475 free throws made still a Butler career record. A boy grows up to be a man, a husband, a father. They had reached the state semifinals in 1953. Plump doesnt turn down many. There was an opening in development. None other than the multimedia meteorologist often dubbed "Indiana's Weatherman." You know it swished straight through, giving David its upset over Goliath, 32-30. Hes an iconic figure. Bobby Plump College Stats | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com She marries a third time, but two years later he dies of cancer. Hes magnetic. Plump was also named one of the most noteworthy Hoosiers of the 20th century by Indianapolis Monthly Magazine. A great shot that lasted a lifetime - MarketWatch "He was looking down at his shoes!" Heck, he might be more popular. They know it as the shot that inspired the movie Hoosiers. Around the state, Plump is revered for other reasons. I had somebody in here doing a commentary on Mr. Basketballs and we talked for three hours, Plump said. An independent forecaster, Paul also owns Weather History Research, a business hired by insurance companies and law firms seeking historic weather data. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. What Bobby Plump did for him, a boy growing up in Virginia and Oklahoma and everywhere else, cannot. Bobby Plump and his Milan High School teammates were part of the inspiration behind the 1986 film Hoosiers, starring Gene Hackman as coach of the fictitious Hickory Huskers. If you enjoy hearing from the legends of pro sports, then be sure to tune into "The Grueling Truth" sports shows, "Where the . Heck, if we had known how good those teams were, we might not have won.. It should also teach that life is not really about one shot. College basketball great John Wooden, who died just shy of 100 years old in 2010, often dwelt on a shot he missed, Plump said. What you might not know is that the movie is based off a true story of a star player who took a last-second shot for small Milan (Indiana) High School in the 1954 state championship game. Thats how I knew him. Other players on the "Milan Miracle" team included Ray Craft, Gene White, Rollin Cutter and Roger Schroder. I was dribbling around, hamming it up and then I went right over to the bench, did a reverse pivot and threw it right to him. during our recent show about the history of Attucks High School so he could comment about Oscar Robertson and other outstanding players from the days when Indiana had an all-inclusive, single-class tournament. Bobby Plump - Wikipedia The night of the Butler-Gonzaga game in 2013, the night they met, Plump invited Honaker to his restaurant in Broad Ripple for lunch. Memories flow as 1954 'Milan miracle' team celebrates 65th - IndyStar The Denver Post is a nine-time Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper that has covered the Rocky Mountain Empire since 1892. Indiana Snapshot: Plump still big hit at NCAA Tourney time 1, but . The most important things that happened getting married, having children and grandchildren, having success in business and in life they would have happened anyway. (As most longtime Indiana basketball fans know, Bobby went on to play for Butler after graduating from Milan High.). * Indiana Mr. Basketball The year before, Bobby Plump and his fellow Milan Indians had made it to the semifinals of the state tournament. It was a free throw that would have tied a state finals game in 1928. Still based in the Indiana city where it began, the company makes products used by millions of women every year. Forty thousand fans greeted the teenagers when they returned to Milan in Cadillacs the following morning. Most fans naturally link Plump with Hinkle Fieldhouse because of the last-second shot he made in 1954 to give Milan High School the state championship inside the venerable arena on the Butler campus. Plump is guest speaker at PCC's 50th annual sportsmanship banquet Bobby is on the floor, getting honored, Shovers telling me about that 2014 ceremony, when he sees me standing there. Hinkle Fieldhouse is one of six venues hosting NCAA Tournament games later this week. He put Indiana on the map.. They didnt guard you too well after you were in that manure pile.. I know in Washington sometimes, the best teams arent always from the biggest classification, theyre from a classification down or two.. Those are tangible. Here, bracket pools were popularized. As many basketball fans know, the 1986 movie "Hoosiers" is based on the true fairy tale story of tiny Milan HS that won the 1954 Indiana state championship. People probably bought life insurance from you because you made that shot. After turning down on offer to play for Red Auerbachs Boston Celtics in 1957, Butchers father, Jack, returned to his little hometown and became the winningest prep coach in state history. For the 50th anniversary in March 2004, teams from Milan and Muncie Central had a rematch game. His restaurant, Plump's Last Shot, was closed from late December until March 17 when warmer weather allowed it to reopen. All those decades I knew him as the guy who hit that shot, and I dont think about it anymore. Or listen live from anywhere at hoosierhistorylive.org! It also teaches you how to stay away from the defensive guys because you get skinned up if you go down. While a most delicious state title matchup one between Plump's Milan, a school of 161, and mighty Muncie Central, one with ten times the enrollment hung in the balance? Actor who played Jimmy Chitwood in 'Hoosiers' made the most of his one More than 30,000 screaming fans lined the streets for these unlikely tiny-town champs. Late Vanegas goal seals Colombias 2-1 upset win over Germany at the Womens World Cup. Indiana Snapshot: Plump still big hit at NCAA Tourney time Tom Kohlmeier was in one of those cars, a boy of 3. About: Bobby Plump - DBpedia Association He remembers his dad getting out of the car in Sunman and walking the final 8 miles home. He (Plump) was waiting with a signed basketball from the 1954 Milan High School basketball team.". At age 84, the affable, silver-haired Plump remains one of the states top basketball ambassadors and nothing, not a pandemic or an unprecedented NCAA Tournament, can keep those yearning to meet him away. Then, in 1958, he turned down the National Basketball Association to play in the National Industrial Basketball League The endowed scholarship in Plumps name that was announced Thursday night, an honor Bobby didnt know was coming until he arrived at Hinkle for a special screening of Hoosiers for Butler alumni and donors? Around the state, Plump is revered for other reasons. Between seasons, Plump worked for the oil company in sales. Plump first played the game on a wooden backboard nailed to a smokehouse in his hometown of Pierceville, Ind., population 45. I would have still played ball in college. They know it as the shot that inspired the movie Hoosiers.". "I'll tell ya, don't count Saint Peter's out.". The film is very loosely based on "The Milan Miracle," the story of the 1954 Milan High School basketball team, which won the state championship on a last-second shot by Bobby Plump. Your support keeps us on the air, on the web and in your inbox! Of course, Oscar Robertson - known as the "Big O" - and his Attucks teammates would go on to capture back-to-back championships in the two years after Milan's triumph. Former Lakers star and Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant will appear on the 'Kobe Bryant Edition' and 'Black Mamba Edition' of the popular NBA video game. Plumps team rode home to Milan, Ind., population, 1,100, in Cadillacs borrowed from a local car dealer. And getting there first. In fact, the team that loses the climactic game in Hoosiers hails from a city that's larger than Muncie. Hickory's star player, Jimmy Chitwood, takes his last-second shot in the championship game from the same spot Plump did in the 1954 state final. We are an independently produced program and are self-supporting through organizational sponsorships and individual contributions. His mom died when he was 5. COVID-19 concerns prompted him to scale back public appearances months ago and three fused discs in his back along with the occasional bout with vertigo have made it increasingly difficult to attend games. You know because if Bobby Plump misses that shot, you don't have a clue who Bobby Plump is. "We were just having fun. If Butcher had won the 1974-75 title, instead of finishing second, his name might be on that list, too. Milan-Muncie Central has become worldwide shorthand for a David-slaying-Goliath hoops tale, a legend that grew bigger as it became abundantly clear no other small school was going to equal Milans accomplishment. No, the Milan Indians were not the Hickory Huskers. The Most Famous Shot in High School Basketball History Turns 60 - Forbes The relationship between Bobby and his real-life coach, Marvin Wood, for example, apparently was far different than the one between Jimmy Chitwood, the fictional star player in Hoosiers, and the coach played by Gene Hackman. COVID-19 concerns prompted him to scale back public appearances months ago and three fused discs in his back along with the occasional bout with vertigo have made it increasingly difficult to attend games. Career: Bobby Plump was part of the legendary Milan team that won the IHSAA State Tournament in 1954. INDIANAPOLIS - Somewhere on the northeast side of Indianapolis, somewhere near 71st and Allisonville Road, Bobby Plump was watching as the history book's grim reaper came calling, again, this. For the moment, all it has is its coach, Ray Crowe, playing South Bend Centrals coach in Hoosiers the filmmakers sly nod to what would happen after Bobby Plumps shot. It starts at the high school level and it's all because of a guy like Bobby Plump, the guy that made the shot heard 'round the world that really started this whole thing.". Bobby Plump: American basketball player (1936-) | Biography, Facts Plump was also named one of the most noteworthy . Still, the tourney tales are part of the legacy handed down through generations and its been that way almost from the moment the first organized game was played in Crawfordsville in March 1894 between two YMCA teams. The official site of the National Basketball Association. And, eh-hem, the name on your bar here is not Plumps Great Pork.

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