Recently heard he passed away. Never met him, but two of my brothers did. John loved the guy, Michael says he was the best athelete he ever met (other than me). I remember watching the NBA on TV and enjoying Van Lier and Jerry Sloan just annoying the pants off of opposing players! He was Fun to Watch... R.I.P. Norman
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I want to see that photo Van carrying John off the court on his shoulders. We need that scanned and put on the blog.
The man was a pita to many in the game (on and off the court)but I loved him, flaws and all. Who among us is flawless? Of any point gd. I have seen in Phila. (Back to the great Guy Rodgers, Bob McNeil, Hubie Marshall, et al) I would take Norm in a flash. Even I became a better player when he had the ball. Confidence, incredible intensity, knowledge of the game AND, completely team oriented. Get to the last couple minutes and need points..."give me the damn ball' and we'd do it gladly. It was a revelation to me when I saw him play. He was a frosh and we deferred to him.
Two stories: I saw him sveral yrs ago and we had a nice chat about our lives and our time together at SFU. He hits me on the arm and says, 'Mack ya gotta sign that picture of us. I say, 'you really have it?' Van, 'hell yes, I had it in my locker for yrs w/ the bulls and guys would ask, who's that?' Said he loved to remember that night and all the guys in the photo. Story 2: Mack, you beat the s... out of me everyday in practice and it got me ready for my last two yrs and the nba. True story! That was him, always making somebody feel better. I did guard him everyday and I can remember it like an old pitcher remembers every pitch. On a couple days we even had a couple swings at each other...practice can get pretty edgy. I love the game and the experiences but knowing him and playing against him was such an honor (imagine Eddie Blaze playing w/ Clapton). He was a 3/4 time NBA All Star! and I played him and talked to him everyday for 1 1/2 yrs. Last story: After practice one day around Thanksgiving he says can I talk to you? Yea sure come over to my room. He comes in and Lt.Billy Ryan USMC, my roommate greets him w/ VANNNN! We start talking about everything at St. F. and what we thought of it,etc. Van says,Mack I'm gonna leave...this place is noplace. No town, no black girls, small time in everything. Now, I see an opportunity for some playing time and the hell w/ SFC. Instead, I give him the facts....biggest man on a small campus, only four yrs. and it's over; you'll have the ball until you decide to give it up; you'll be a star here and go to "the show" cause we got big name schools on the schedule; so, date the white girls, their not exactly avoiding you, blah blah. I say nothing and couple days later he says I'm staying, thanks. And I sat for the rest of my time at SFU.
He loved being a celebrity w/ the attention, cameras, etc. and could charm a roomful of cynics. He was great that way. He could also be a wild man...I saw it in a game vs. Duquesne....blond haired twins 6'10"and mean/dirty who intimmidated everybody. Nada! Not Van and my road roomie Larry Lewis (sr. yr. second to Spencer Haywood for national rebounding title, but just 6'6"). It took about 7/8 minutes of yapping and posturing (keep in mind in those days SFU hated Duquesne and vice versa)and all hell broke out! Van chin to hip w/ a Nelson twin and that quick Nelson goes down at the end of a VL right hand. The most incredible free for all ensued. Took about twnty minutes to clear it up...police, security, fans, students,most incredible thing I've evr seen. Me, I couldn't get off the stage at the end of the Jaffa Mosque (home court)where I was standing (Graduated about three wks before). Sounds bad but it wasn't the last fight Van started. Curiously, he could be so thoughtful and charismatic yet on a dime he could become a wild thing. I've read every story I could find in the Chicago Sun Times and other papers and seems that edge never left. Van was always a bit on edge, maybe angry, but we all loved him and somehow understood when he would go off.
He was found on the floor of his condo (had a defribillator implanted five months ago. I've thought about his celebrity life and what that must feel like when you need an implant to say alive. What did it do to his self image, etc. having been that tough competitior. If you want I made copies of every story about him..a copy. I'm rambling, that's all. It was agreat time in my life and I wish it had lasted longer and he was very special. Michael said he was the best athlete he'd seen....Amen to that...throw or kick a football, field grounders or throw from outfield, hit baseball. Very special. God Bless!
Thanks for listening.
jack, your stories belong in the Chicago Sun Times. Great stuff.
I'm back....when I read my story here it sounds like I was a prominent member of the team...NO, I was a scrub and played with some real good athletes...Bill Coyle, Larry Lewis (who I loved, tough tough tough)Leonard Murray (smart/intense), today a judge in Chicago..and a bunch more. When John Clark came to SFC everything got serious and professional. We actually had scouting reports!! I just loved to go to practice in my last two yrs be/ of Clark...I felt we had a plan and a chance in every game. It makes u feel proud and confident to walk on the court when you're prepared. Van was a frosh/ineligible but he ran all the opponent's offense in practice.
I believe it was Jack Pergolin that out-coached John Clark in the year of '63-'64! Defeating the serious Coach Clark Three times that year! Go Pergie!!!!
Great stuff Stoneman. I knew Van for the one year we were at SFC and he used to love to tell me stories of this tough skinny white kid who drove him nuts in practice..he loved you and told me so many times...and yes he and I had a football distance contest to see who could reach and break the dorm window beside the football field...I hit the window but didn't break it..my ball was out of gas...he broke the 3rd floor window, with the ball sailing down the hallway, out the door and over to the library...where it sits today in an exhibit (the geeks thought it was a meteor!) I too loved the guy, he let me ride in his Lincoln Continental he purchased with his "contract money" ! Very cool guy...fringe jacket and everything! God Bless Van.
Where does a black guy get a name like that?
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norm_Van_Lier
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