News » So grateful that his path crossed ours

MIAMI -- Jack Ramsay served his country in World War II, coached Portland to the NBA title, was enshrined in the basketball Hall of Fame and became one of the games most respected and revered broadcasters. Ante Zizic Jersey . His life was, by any measure, complete. "Our father led the greatest life that one could lead," the Ramsay family said in a statement released Monday, hours after the man that just about everyone in basketball called "Dr. Jack" died in Naples, Fla., at the age of 89. No cause of death was announced, but Ramsay had fought several forms of cancer for many years and more recently was diagnosed with a marrow syndrome. Ramsay ended his broadcasting career with ESPN last year because of health problems and word came last week that he had been placed into hospice care. "From his coaching tenure to his broadcast work, Dr. Jack left an indelible mark on every facet of our game and on every person he came in contact with, including me," NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. Added Miami Heat president Pat Riley, who was close to Ramsay for many years: "This is a very sad day for basketball, not just professional basketball, but the entire basketball world. The game has lost a giant." Ramsay coached in the NBA for parts of 21 seasons before embarking on a second career as an NBA analyst, eventually working for ESPN. He was diagnosed with melanoma in 2004 and later battled growths and tumors that spread to his legs, lungs and brain, as well as prostate cancer. Through it all, his affinity for fitness never wavered. Ramsay, who competed in at least 20 triathlons during his life, worked out regularly into his 80s, even as he battled the various forms of cancer. He often spoke of his love of swimming in the Gulf of Mexico. Even in his final year as a broadcaster, it wasnt uncommon for friends to marvel at how well he was moving about. "Jack was a great man," Indiana Pacers president Larry Bird said, "and I dont use that term lightly." Ramsay also spent several years late in his life caring for his wife, Jean, who was diagnosed in 2001 with Alzheimers disease. She died in 2010. "He was that rarest of men with a unique style that was inspirational and motivational about basketball and life itself," said Paul Allen, who owns the Trail Blazers. Ramsay enjoyed enormous popularity within the league. To commemorate his 89th birthday this year, Portland coach Terry Stotts wore a loud checkered jacket and open-collared shirt for a Blazers game -- a nod to Ramsays style of dress when he coached the club. "Jacks life is a beacon which guides us all," Bill Walton, who was on Ramsays 1977 title team in Portland, told USA Today in 2007. "He is our moral compass, our spiritual inspiration. He represents the conquest of substance over hype. He is a true saint of circumstance." John T. Ramsay was born Feb. 21, 1925, in Philadelphia and enrolled at Saint Josephs in 1942, eventually becoming captain of the basketball team for his senior season. He earned a doctorate in education from the University of Pennsylvania in 1949, which explains the "Dr. Jack" moniker. Ramsays began coaching Saint Josephs in 1955. He was wildly successful there, going 234-72 and taking the Hawks to the NCAA tournament seven times and the Final Four in 1961. "Great man," Orlando Magic guard Jameer Nelson, who played at Saint Josephs a generation after Ramsay departed, wrote on Twitter. "The Greatest Hawk ever." To Ramsay, the most significant part of the Saint Josephs years was this: "I met my wife there," he said. He was a founding father of sorts for the growth of the Big 5, the annual Philadelphia basketball series involving Saint Josephs, La Salle, Penn, Villanova and Temple. "The Big 5 was clearly the biggest thing any of those schools were involved in at that point," Ramsay said in a 2004 interview. Ramsay became coach of the Philadelphia 76ers in 1968, joined the Buffalo Braves in 1972 and brought his craft to Portland in 1976. With a team featuring Walton, Lionel Hollins and Maurice Lucas, he delivered an NBA championship in his first season, beating the 76ers in six games for the title. "It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and one that I will cherish forever," Ramsay said in 1997. Indeed, that was his lone NBA title. Walton got hurt the next year, crippling Portlands chances of getting back to championship form during that era. Ramsay coached the Blazers for nine more seasons without another trip to the Finals. He spent the final three years of his NBA coaching career in Indiana, resigning from the Pacers in 1988 after the team started 0-7. Ramsay was 864-783 in his NBA career and in 1996 was honoured as one of the leagues all-time top 10 coaches. And when Micky Arison bought the Heat, the first person he turned to was Ramsay, who wound up long being considered part of the franchises family and even accompanied them to the White House to celebrate winning an NBA title. "He will be sorely missed by us all," Arison said. When he left the Pacers, Ramsay carefully did not use the word "retire," and began working as a television analyst on 76ers games. Eventually, he worked on Heat television broadcasts for eight seasons before moving full time to ESPN for radio and TV commentating before the 2000-01 season. "So grateful that his path crossed ours," his former Heat broadcast partner Eric Reid wrote on Twitter early Monday. "Hall of Fame coach and man." Ramsays funeral is Thursday. Cheap Cleveland Cavaliers Jerseys . Juventus announced details of the deal Saturday, saying that Morata signed a five-year contract with the club. The deal also includes an option for Madrid to buy Morata back for up to (euro)30 million ($40. Shaquille ONeal Jersey . With the Rangers already leading 2-0, Carey Price was taken down early in the second period of New Yorks 7-2 pounding of the Canadiens in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference final on Saturday afternoon. http://www.cavaliersbasketballpro.info/collin-sexton-cavaliers-jersey/ . Thornton emerged as one of the leagues best defensive ends against the run in 2013. The former undrafted free agent from Division II Southern Arkansas led Philadelphias linemen with 78 tackles and had one sack.Auburn, AL (SportsNetwork.com) - Auburn put up touchdown after touchdown in the second half and then finally stopped South Carolina on fourth down. When the Gamecocks got the ball back, there wasnt enough time to travel the length of the field again. Nick Marshall ran for three touchdowns and threw for another as the fifth- ranked Tigers defeated South Carolina 42-35 on Saturday night. Auburn scored touchdowns on six straight possessions at one point, with Marshalls go-ahead 5-yard TD sprint with 11:22 left providing the Tigers a 42-35 lead. The Gamecocks converted their first five fourth-down opportunities -- including two on their ensuing drive -- before Dylan Thompson overthrew Shaq Roland in the end zone on a 4th-and-14 at the Auburn 19. Four of those fourth-down conversions came in South Carolinas own territory. South Carolina then forced its first punt of the second half and regained possession at its own 15 with 1:08 to go and no timeouts. Jonathan Jones, though, intercepted his second pass on Thompsons Hail Mary heave in the end zone on the final play of the game to preserve the win and national title hopes for the Tigers. Cameron Artis-Payne ran for 167 of Auburns 395 yards on the ground to go with a touchdown. Marshall was 12-of-14 for 139 yards and a touchdown and added 89 yards rushing on 10 carries for the Tigers (6-1, 3-1 SEC), who bounced back from their lone loss of the season two weeks ago at Mississippi State. Thompson completed 29-of-50 passes for 402 yards with a school-record five touchdowns to go with three interceptions for South Carolina (4-4, 2-4), which has dropped three of its last four games. Ricardo Louis dashed down the left sideline for a 75-yard touchdown and a 35-28 Auburn cushion midway through the third quarter, just one snap after the Gamecocks Pharoh Cooper burst through the middle of the Tigers secondary on a quick slant that turned into a 51-yard TD reception. On the ensuing drive, Thompson hit Roland for a 12-yard completion on an out route to keep South Carolina a yard shy of the first-down marker on a 3rd- and-13. Cody Gibson committed a false start penalty to push it to a 4th-and-6 at the Gamecocks 40, but Steve Spurrier elected to go for it anyway. Thompson sprinted oout to his right and hooked up with Cooper for nine yards to move the chains. Tyrone Hill Jersey. Mike Davis then broke off a 23-yard run, Thompson found Roland for an 18-yard completion two plays later and then fired a 10-yard TD strike to Nick Jones in the back of the end zone to tie the game late in the third. And Spurrier wasnt done gambling. South Carolina recovered an onside kick to regain possession, and Davis plunged for three yards up the middle on a 4th-and-1 at the Auburn 23. On 3rd-and-8 at the 18, however, Jonathan Jones made a diving interception on a pass floated in the back left corner of the end zone intended for Roland. It didnt take long for Auburn to strike. Marshall flipped a screen out to Quan Bray for a 20-yard reception and then fired a 28-yard completion to Corey Grant along the right sideline two plays later. Marshalls 9-yard TD run off the left side came a snap later. Earlier, Rolands 32-yard TD catch on South Carolinas opening drive began the scoring, and the Gamecocks marched into Auburn territory on their next offensive series following a Tigers punt. Cassanova McKinzy, though, picked off Thompson inside the 10 and Marshall flipped a 3-yard TD pass to Brandon Fulse to cap an 11-play, 92-yard sequence and knot the score late in the first. The Gamecocks first fourth-down make came on a 4th-and-2 at their own 33 early in the second quarter, when Davis took a swing pass and scampered 18 yards along the right sideline. Cooper hauled in a 16-yard TD reception before Auburn answered with Artis-Paynes 2-yard TD run for a 14-14 tie midway through the second. Bray fumbled on a punt return and Davis took a swing pass in the left flat 27 yards for a score to put South Carolina back ahead, but Marshall answered with a 37-yard TD sprint to knot the game at 21-21 late in the first half. Marshalls 4-yard TD run on Auburns opening touch of the second half gave it a 28-21 advantage. Game Notes Auburn has won 14 straight home games, tied with Florida State for the longest active FBS streak ... The Tigers were 6-of-8 on third down, while the Gamecocks finished 6-of-14 ... Auburn outgained South Carolina, 551-535 ... Auburn moved to 310-5 when scoring at least 30 points. 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