The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh
Encyclopedia
The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh is an American
sports/fantasy comedy film
that was released in 1979. The movie was directed by Gilbert Moses
and co-produced by David Dashev and Gary Stromberg. It was produced by Lorimar
and distributed by United Artists
. The rights to the film are currently owned by Warner Bros.
through its 1989 acquisition of Lorimar.
It was filmed on location in Pittsburgh and at Pittsburgh's Civic Arena as well as suburban Moon Township, Pennsylvania
.
The movie has attracted a cult following, most notably for its disco-inspired setting and soundtrack, as well as the appearances of many NBA stars (including lead actor Julius Erving
) and early roles for Debbie Allen
, Stockard Channing
and Harry Shearer
. The film also has a cameo by long time Pittsburgh Mayor Richard Caliguiri
as himself, hosting the fictional team at a rally and shaking hands with Erving.
team, The Pittsburgh
Pythons, whose continuous losing streak and lack of talent has made them the laughing stock of Pittsburgh. This results in several players asking to go elsewhere in the league, except for the star player Moses Guthrie (Julius Erving
), mostly because he is the highest paid player on the team and is not liked by the teammates.
Sensing that the team really needs a miracle, the team's ball and waterboy Tyrone Millman (James Bond III) decides to turn to his favorite hobby, astrology, as a way to turn around the team's fortunes. He brings his idea to an astrologer named Mona Mondieu (Stockard Channing
), and they come up with the perfect concept: A team composed of players who were born under the astrological sign of Pisces (matching the star sign of Moses Guthrie), thus the 'birth' of The Pittsburgh Pisces.
Although Moses and Tyrone's sister Toby (Margaret Avery
) (for whom Moses had feelings) thinks that Tyrone's idea means he's out of his mind, they warm up to the concept, not knowing that it would take off due to an unlikely group of mismatched players, whose combination of teamwork and astrology from Mona would pay off as they went from laughing stocks, to a powerhouse force to reckon with, on the road to the league championship.
was released in 1979, written by Richard Woodley, based upon an early draft of the screenplay by Jaison Starkes and Edmond Stevens. As a consequence the novel differed in several respects from the finished film. In the film, the Pisces were seen winning every game, but the novel mentions the team losing two games. Another involved a group of people in a wheelchair causing havoc at one game (that scene was shown during the film's preview trailer but was scrapped and reshot).
.
New York:
Boston:
Detroit:
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
sports/fantasy comedy film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
that was released in 1979. The movie was directed by Gilbert Moses
Gilbert Moses
Gilbert Moses III was an American stage, screen, and television director.-Early life and career:Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Moses was the co-founder of the Free Southern Theater company, an important pioneer of African-American theatre...
and co-produced by David Dashev and Gary Stromberg. It was produced by Lorimar
Lorimar Productions
Lorimar, later known as Lorimar Television and Lorimar Distribution, was an American television production company that was later a subsidiary of Warner Bros., active from 1969 until 1993...
and distributed by United Artists
United Artists
United Artists Corporation is an American film studio. The original studio of that name was founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks....
. The rights to the film are currently owned by Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
through its 1989 acquisition of Lorimar.
It was filmed on location in Pittsburgh and at Pittsburgh's Civic Arena as well as suburban Moon Township, Pennsylvania
Moon Township, Pennsylvania
Moon Township is a township along the Ohio River in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. Moon is a part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area and is located northwest of Pittsburgh. The origin of its name is unknown for certain, although it has been suggested that it derives from a...
.
The movie has attracted a cult following, most notably for its disco-inspired setting and soundtrack, as well as the appearances of many NBA stars (including lead actor Julius Erving
Julius Erving
Julius Winfield Erving II , commonly known by the nickname Dr. J, is a retired American basketball player who helped launch a modern style of play that emphasizes leaping and play above the rim....
) and early roles for Debbie Allen
Debbie Allen
Deborrah Kaye “Debbie” Allen is an American actress, dancer, choreographer, television director, television producer, and a member of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities...
, Stockard Channing
Stockard Channing
Stockard Channing is an American stage, film and television actress. She is known for her portrayal of First Lady Abbey Bartlet in the NBC television series The West Wing; for playing Betty Rizzo in the film Grease; and for her role as Ouisa Kittredge in the play Six Degrees of Separation and its...
and Harry Shearer
Harry Shearer
Harry Julius Shearer is an American actor, comedian, writer, voice artist, musician, author, radio host and director. He is known for his long-running role on The Simpsons, his work on Saturday Night Live, the comedy band Spinal Tap and his radio program Le Show...
. The film also has a cameo by long time Pittsburgh Mayor Richard Caliguiri
Richard Caliguiri
Richard S. Caliguiri was an American politician who served as the mayor of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1977 until his death in 1988....
as himself, hosting the fictional team at a rally and shaking hands with Erving.
Plotline
The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh tells the story of a struggling professional basketballBasketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
team, The Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
Pythons, whose continuous losing streak and lack of talent has made them the laughing stock of Pittsburgh. This results in several players asking to go elsewhere in the league, except for the star player Moses Guthrie (Julius Erving
Julius Erving
Julius Winfield Erving II , commonly known by the nickname Dr. J, is a retired American basketball player who helped launch a modern style of play that emphasizes leaping and play above the rim....
), mostly because he is the highest paid player on the team and is not liked by the teammates.
Sensing that the team really needs a miracle, the team's ball and waterboy Tyrone Millman (James Bond III) decides to turn to his favorite hobby, astrology, as a way to turn around the team's fortunes. He brings his idea to an astrologer named Mona Mondieu (Stockard Channing
Stockard Channing
Stockard Channing is an American stage, film and television actress. She is known for her portrayal of First Lady Abbey Bartlet in the NBC television series The West Wing; for playing Betty Rizzo in the film Grease; and for her role as Ouisa Kittredge in the play Six Degrees of Separation and its...
), and they come up with the perfect concept: A team composed of players who were born under the astrological sign of Pisces (matching the star sign of Moses Guthrie), thus the 'birth' of The Pittsburgh Pisces.
Although Moses and Tyrone's sister Toby (Margaret Avery
Margaret Avery
Margaret Avery is an American actress and singer. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her performance as Shug in The Color Purple .-Early life:...
) (for whom Moses had feelings) thinks that Tyrone's idea means he's out of his mind, they warm up to the concept, not knowing that it would take off due to an unlikely group of mismatched players, whose combination of teamwork and astrology from Mona would pay off as they went from laughing stocks, to a powerhouse force to reckon with, on the road to the league championship.
Production notes
- Singer/actress CherCherCher is an American recording artist, television personality, actress, director, record producer and philanthropist. Referred to as the Goddess of Pop, she has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globes and a Cannes Film Festival Award among others for her work in...
was originally cast as Mona Mondieu, but she backed out at the last minute.
Novelization
A novelizationNovelization
A novelization is a novel that is written based on some other media story form rather than as an original work.Novelizations of films usually add background material not found in the original work to flesh out the story, because novels are generally longer than screenplays...
was released in 1979, written by Richard Woodley, based upon an early draft of the screenplay by Jaison Starkes and Edmond Stevens. As a consequence the novel differed in several respects from the finished film. In the film, the Pisces were seen winning every game, but the novel mentions the team losing two games. Another involved a group of people in a wheelchair causing havoc at one game (that scene was shown during the film's preview trailer but was scrapped and reshot).
NBA related connections
- Although the movie did not license NBANational Basketball AssociationThe National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
logos, several players did appear in the film playing for fictional teams with the same location and colors as their real NBA teams. - At the time of filming, Erving was a member of Pennsylvania's real life NBA team, the Philadelphia 76ersPhiladelphia 76ersThe Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
. Several years later in 1982, in a case of life imitating art, he was joined by a real player named Moses (center Moses MaloneMoses MaloneMoses Eugene Malone is a retired American Hall of Fame basketball player who starred in both the American Basketball Association and the National Basketball Association...
) and defeated the real Los Angeles LakersLos Angeles LakersThe Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
(also with Kareem Abdul-JabbarKareem Abdul-JabbarKareem Abdul-Jabbar is a retired American professional basketball player. He is the NBA's all-time leading scorer, with 38,387 points. During his career with the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers from 1969 to 1989, Abdul-Jabbar won six NBA championships and a record six regular season...
). - Another generation's Philadelphia sports star, Donovan McNabbDonovan McNabbDonovan Jamal McNabb is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback from 1999 to 2009 and spent the 2010 season with the Washington Redskins and a portion of the 2011 season with the Minnesota Vikings. In college, McNabb played...
lists the movie as his favorite in his official team website biography. - The movie clearly used footage from a Washington Bullets basketball game, including audience shots and outdoor scenes of the Capital CentreCapital CentreThe Capital Centre was an indoor arena located in Landover, Maryland, unincorporated Prince George's County, Maryland; a suburb of Washington, D.C. Completed in 1973, the arena sat 18,756 for basketball and 18,130 for hockey....
. - Airings of the movie are often shown on NBA TVNBA TVNBA TV is a television specialty channel that is dedicated to showcasing the sport of basketball in the United States. The network is financially backed by the National Basketball Association , which also uses NBA TV as a way of advertising their out of market package NBA League Pass, and partner...
.
Pittsburgh connections
- The call letters of WTAE-TVWTAE-TVWTAE-TV is the ABC affiliated television station for Western Pennsylvania that is licensed to Pittsburgh, broadcasting on UHF channel 51 and identifying via PSIP as channel 4 . It also serves as an ABC affiliate for the Wheeling/Steubenville and Clarksburg/Weston, West Virginia market areas...
, KQVKQVKQV is a radio station in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The station, which is the only broadcast station owned by Calvary, Inc., broadcasts at 1410 kHz, with 5000 watts of power day and night. KQV's call letters reportedly stand for King of the Quaker Valley...
and WDVEWDVEWDVE is a mainstream rock music formatted radio station in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA at 102.5 MHz. It is often referred to by Pittsburghers as simply "DVE." WDVE's transmitter is located on Pittsburgh's North Side...
are mentioned in the film, as well as advertised on media banner tables at the arena. - WTAE-TV, which served as the 'fictional' TV station in the film, featured a sports anchor named "Murray Sports," who was inspired by WTAE-TV's then-real-life sports anchor Myron CopeMyron CopeMyron Cope , born Myron Sidney Kopelman, was an American sports journalist, radio personality, and sportscaster who is best known for being "the voice of the Pittsburgh Steelers."...
. - Connie HawkinsConnie HawkinsCornelius L. Hawkins is a former National Basketball Association and American Basketball Association player, Harlem Globetrotter and New York City playground legend...
, who plays himself as member of the Los Angeles team, was an alumnus of the defunct Pittsburgh Pipers of American Basketball Association and the even earlier Pittsburgh RensPittsburgh RensThe Pittsburgh Rens were an American basketball team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that was a member of the American Basketball League. The founder of the ABL, Abe Saperstein, was the owner of the Harlem Globetrotters who had competed for many decades against the New York Rens and eventually...
in the early 1960s. The Pipers renamed themselves the Pittsburgh Condors in 1970, a year before Erving joined was drafted into the ABA. By 1972 the Condors ceased operations. - The Moon Area High SchoolMoon Area High SchoolMoon Area High School is a public high school located in the Moon Area School District in Pennsylvania. The school serves students in grades 9 through 12 from Crescent and Moon townships. It is now located at 8353 University Boulevard...
gymnasium is used in filming and the name of the school can also be seen in the film. - Longtime mayor Richard Caligiuri plays himself at the team rally in the middle of the film, you see him announce the team to his right (center picture) as a banner hangs behind them to a room filled with fans, the camera loses him on the right for a few seconds before he re-emerges to shake the coaches hand and then extends himself across the whole "team" to shake Dr. J's hand, which he is met warmly by.
- The office of Mona the Astrologist was depicted above the Garden TheaterGarden TheaterThe Garden Theater is a 1,000-seat theater that was built in 1915 at 12 West North Avenue in the Central Northside neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. Formerly a movie theater, it closed in 2007 and has not been in use much since that time, except for a scene in the movie adaptation of...
on West North Avenue in Pittsburgh's Central Northside neighborhood, the former burlesque district depicted the gritty inner city feel of a typical gypsy fortune teller's residence. Thirty years later, the Katherine HeiglKatherine HeiglKatherine Marie Heigl is an American actress and producer. She is possibly best known for her role as Dr. Izzie Stevens on ABC's Grey's Anatomy from 2005 to 2010, for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress – Drama Series in 2007...
film One for the Money uses the same exact buildings, including the Garden TheaterGarden TheaterThe Garden Theater is a 1,000-seat theater that was built in 1915 at 12 West North Avenue in the Central Northside neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. Formerly a movie theater, it closed in 2007 and has not been in use much since that time, except for a scene in the movie adaptation of...
's marquee, to once again depict a seedy inner city district. - The song "Magic Mona," which was featured in the movie and its soundtrack, was recorded by Phyllis HymanPhyllis HymanPhyllis Linda Hyman was an American soul singer and actress.-Early years:Phyllis Hyman was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and grew up in the St. Clair Village, the South Hills section of Pittsburgh...
, who grew up in St. Clair VillageSt. Clair VillageSt. Clair Village is a public housing project of the Pittsburgh Housing Authority. Originally built in the 1950's, with 680 apartments, it fell into disrepair and financial difficulty along with much public housing in the city and was completely demolished in September 2010 It occupied the...
, in the South HillsSouth Hills (Pennsylvania)The South Hills is a term generally used to collectively describe the southern suburbs of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and the neighborhoods in the City of Pittsburgh south of the South Side Slopes. The city neighborhoods include Knoxville, Mt. Oliver, Allentown, Banksville, Beechview, Brookline,...
section of Pittsburgh.
DVD releases
In 2010 Warner Bros. Home Video made the film available on DVD and digital download as part of its Warner Archive CollectionWarner Archive Collection
The Warner Archive Collection is a manufactured-on-demand DVD series. It was started by Warner Home Video on March 23, 2009 with the intention of putting previously unreleased back catalog films on DVD for the first time ever. Using recordable DVDs, they custom burn discs for each order rather than...
.
Cast
- Julius ErvingJulius ErvingJulius Winfield Erving II , commonly known by the nickname Dr. J, is a retired American basketball player who helped launch a modern style of play that emphasizes leaping and play above the rim....
- Moses Guthrie - Jonathan WintersJonathan Winters-Early life:Winters was born in Bellbrook, Ohio, the son of Alice Kilgore , a radio personality, and Jonathan Harshman Winters II, an investment broker. He is a descendant of Valentine Winters, founder of the Winters National Bank in Dayton, Ohio...
- H.S. and Harvey Tilson - Meadowlark LemonMeadowlark LemonMeadow "Meadowlark" Lemon is an American basketball player, actor, and minister. For 22 years, Lemon was known as the "Clown Prince" of the touring Harlem Globetrotters basketball team. He played in more than 16,000 games for the Globetrotters and is a 2003 inductee of the Naismith Memorial...
- Rev. Grady Jackson - Jack KehoeJack KehoeJack Kehoe is an American film actor appearing in a wide variety of films, including the crime dramas Serpico, The Pope of Greenwich Village, and Brian De Palma's 1987 The Untouchables, as well as the 1976 comedy Car Wash, and 1988 cult classic Midnight Run...
- Setshot - Margaret AveryMargaret AveryMargaret Avery is an American actress and singer. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her performance as Shug in The Color Purple .-Early life:...
- Toby Millman - James Bond III - Tyrone Millman
- Michael V. GazzoMichael V. GazzoMichael Vincenzo Gazzo was an American Broadway playwright who later in life became a film and television actor....
- Harry the Trainer - Peter Isacksen - Driftwood
- Nicholas PryorNicholas PryorNicholas Pryor is an American film and television actor.Pryor was born Nicholas David Probst in Baltimore, Maryland, the son of Dorothy and J. Stanley Probst, a pharmaceutical manufacturer....
- George Brockington - M. Emmet WalshM. Emmet WalshMichael Emmet Walsh is an American actor who has appeared in over 100 film and television productions.-Life and career:Walsh was born in Ogdensburg, New York, the son of Agnes Kathrine and Harry Maurice Walsh, Sr., a customs agent...
- Wally Cantrell - Stockard ChanningStockard ChanningStockard Channing is an American stage, film and television actress. She is known for her portrayal of First Lady Abbey Bartlet in the NBC television series The West Wing; for playing Betty Rizzo in the film Grease; and for her role as Ouisa Kittredge in the play Six Degrees of Separation and its...
- Mona Mondieu - Flip WilsonFlip WilsonClerow Wilson, Jr. , known professionally as Flip Wilson, was an American comedian and actor. In the early 1970s, Wilson hosted his own weekly variety series, The Flip Wilson Show...
- Coach 'Jock' Delaney - Debbie AllenDebbie AllenDeborrah Kaye “Debbie” Allen is an American actress, dancer, choreographer, television director, television producer, and a member of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities...
- Ola - George von Benko - P.A. Announcer
- Dee Dee BridgewaterDee Dee BridgewaterDee Dee Bridgewater is an American Jazz singer. She is a three-time Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter, as well as a Tony Award - winning stage actress and host of National Public Radio's syndicated radio show JazzSet with Dee Dee Bridgewater...
- Brandy - Darrell BrownDarrell BrownDarrell Brown may refer to:*Darrell Brown , former Major League Baseball outfielder*Darrell Brown , songwriter-See also:*Darrel Brown , sprinter from Trinidad and Tobago...
- Junior Ashland - Julius CarryJulius CarryJulius J. Carry III was an American actor. Carry appeared primarily in numerous television roles, including Dr. Abraham Butterfield on Doctor, Doctor and the bounty hunter Lord Bowler in the The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. He also portrayed the main villain Sho'nuff in the cult classic film...
- Malik Jamal Truth - Jerry ChambersJerry ChambersJerome Purcell "Jerry" Chambers is a retired American professional basketball player. At 6'5" and 185 pounds, he played as a forward....
- Lucian Tucker - Alix Elias - Michelle
- Jessie Lawrence FergusonJessie Lawrence FergusonJessie Lawrence Ferguson is an American actor born June 8, 1941 in New York City. His first major role was in Starsky and Hutch in 1979.He is best known for his roles in Boyz n the Hood and John Carpenter's Prince of Darkness and Sam Raimi's Darkman.He has also had roles in Star Trek: The Next...
- Jackhammer Washington - Richard Foronjy - Mike
- Clayton HillClayton HillClayton Hill was an American actor who appeared in many films, but was best known for his role as the "sweater zombie" in the 1978 horror film Dawn of the Dead by director George A. Romero....
- Security Guard - Davis Johnson - Balloon Vendor
- Jack Kurtz - Mr. Birdwell
- Malek Abdul-Mansour - Bullet Haines
- Arthur Manteris - Stuntman
- Eric MercuryEric MercuryEric Mercury is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and musician. He was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario into a family of musicians. He performed with groups including The Pharaohs and Eric Mercury and the Soul Searchers in the 1960s, and moved to Chicago in 1968 to perform by himself. His debut...
- Rudy and League Commissioner - Dwayne Mooney - Benny Rae
- Daryl Mooney - Kenny Rae
- Craig Prosser - Gunnar Boses
- Branscombe RichmondBranscombe RichmondBranscombe Richmond is an American character actor and stuntman. He is sometimes credited in films as Richmond Branscombe, Ranscombe Richmon, Ranhome Quickman or Branscom Richmond....
- Winston Running Hawk - Otis Sallid - Calmar and Fishstick
- Joseph A. Schad - Mr. Robbins
- Joe SenecaJoe SenecaJoe Seneca was an American film and television actor who had a lengthy Hollywood career, portraying bit parts in many major films and television sitcoms spanning from the 1970s to the 1990s....
- Mr. Sweets - Harry ShearerHarry ShearerHarry Julius Shearer is an American actor, comedian, writer, voice artist, musician, author, radio host and director. He is known for his long-running role on The Simpsons, his work on Saturday Night Live, the comedy band Spinal Tap and his radio program Le Show...
- Murray Sports
As themselves
- Marv AlbertMarv AlbertMarv Albert is an American television and radio sportscaster. Honored for his work as a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, he is commonly referred to as "the voice of basketball." From 1967–2004, he was also known as "the voice of the New York Knicks."Including Super Bowl XLII, Marv has called...
- Chick HearnChick HearnFrancis Dayle "Chick" Hearn was an American sportscaster. Known primarily as the long-time play-by-play announcer for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association, the legendary Hearn is remembered for his rapid fire, staccato broadcasting style, inventing colorful phrases such...
- The SylversThe SylversThe Sylvers were a popular R&B/soul and disco family group during the 1970s. Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, the family would later relocate to Watts, California.- Beginnings :...
- The Spinners (As Deacon Smith and featured Singers)
Basketball teams
Los Angeles:- Jerry TarkanianJerry TarkanianJerry Tarkanian , also known as "Tark the Shark", is a retired college basketball coach known as one of the winningest coaches in college basketball history...
- Coach (also the film's consultant) - Ron CarterRon Carter (basketball)Ronald "Ron" Carter Jr. is a retired American basketball player. He played collegiately for the Virginia Military Institute. He was a guard....
- Connie HawkinsConnie HawkinsCornelius L. Hawkins is a former National Basketball Association and American Basketball Association player, Harlem Globetrotter and New York City playground legend...
- Lou HudsonLou HudsonLouis Clyde Hudson is a former NBA basketball player.-NBA career:Lou graduated from Dudley High School in Greensboro. After starring at the University of Minnesota, Hudson was selected by the St. Louis Hawks with the 4th pick of the 1966 NBA Draft...
- Kareem Abdul-JabbarKareem Abdul-JabbarKareem Abdul-Jabbar is a retired American professional basketball player. He is the NBA's all-time leading scorer, with 38,387 points. During his career with the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers from 1969 to 1989, Abdul-Jabbar won six NBA championships and a record six regular season...
- Luther Rackley
- Norm NixonNorm NixonNorman Ellard "Norm" Nixon is a retired American professional basketball player for the NBA, who spent twelve seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers and the San Diego/Los Angeles Clippers.-Early life:...
New York:
- Alfred Beard Jr.Butch BeardAlfred "Butch" Beard Jr. is a former National Basketball Association player and head coach. He was the head coach at Morgan State University until he stepped down in March 2006. Butch Beard played college basketball at the University of Louisville...
- Luther "Ticky" Burden
- Spencer HaywoodSpencer HaywoodSpencer Haywood is a retired American professional basketball player.- High school :In 1964, Haywood moved to Detroit, Michigan, where he attended Pershing High School...
- Lonnie SheltonLonnie SheltonLonnie Jewel Shelton is a retired American National Basketball Association player who played from 1976-1985. He played college basketball for Oregon State University. Shelton was drafted by the Memphis Sounds of the American Basketball Association in 1975 but elected to stay in college...
- Mychal Thompson
Boston:
- John WilliamsonJohn Williamson (basketball)John Lee Williamson was an American basketball player.Williamson played high school basketball at Wilbur Cross High School in New Haven, Connecticut and played college basketball at New Mexico State University. He was a 6'2" guard...
- Donald ChaneyDon ChaneyDonald Ray Chaney is an American former professional basketball player and coach, most notable for his long stints as a player on the Boston Celtics.-Career as a player:...
- Cedric "Cornbread" MaxwellCedric MaxwellCedric Bryan Maxwell is a retired American professional basketball player now in radio broadcasting. Nicknamed "Cornbread", he played 11 seasons in the NBA, and played a key role in two championships with the Boston Celtics.-College career:Maxwell was a star forward/center for the Charlotte 49ers...
- Kevin StacomKevin StacomKevin M. Stacom is a retired American professional basketball player.A 6'3" guard from Holy Cross High School, Flushing, New York; and Providence College, Stacom played six seasons in the National Basketball Association as a member of the Boston Celtics, Indiana Pacers, and Milwaukee Bucks...
- Curtis RoweCurtis RoweCurtis Rowe, Jr. is a retired American basketball player.A 6'7" forward from UCLA, Rowe was drafted by the Dallas Chaparrals in the 1971 ABA Draft and by the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the 1971 NBA Draft...
Detroit:
- Leon DouglasLeon DouglasLeon Douglas is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA. A bulky 6–10 ft and 230 lbs center at the University of Alabama, he was a four-time All-Southeastern Conference selection, the first Alabama player to achieve this distinction since Jerry Harper earned it in...
- Christopher J. FordChris FordChristopher Joseph Ford is a former professional basketball player and head coach. A 6-foot-5 guard, he played high school basketball at Holy Spirit High School in Absecon, New Jersey,...
- Bob LanierBob Lanier (basketball)Robert Jerry "Bob" Lanier, Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player who played for the Detroit Pistons and Milwaukee Bucks of the NBA.Lanier was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992....
- John ShumateJohn ShumateJohn H. Shumate is a retired American professional basketball player who is currently an assistant coach for the Phoenix Suns....
- Eric MoneyEric MoneyEric V. Money is a former American professional basketball player.A 6' 0" guard from the University of Arizona, Money played six seasons in the National Basketball Association as a member of the Detroit Pistons, New Jersey Nets, and Philadelphia 76ers...
- Kevin PorterKevin PorterKevin Porter is a retired American professional basketball player.A 6'0" point guard from Saint Francis University, Porter played 10 seasons in the National Basketball Association as a member of the Baltimore/Capital/Washington Bullets, the Detroit Pistons, and the New Jersey Nets...