“Ï don’t really care about how people will remember me, as long as I feel that I did the job to the best of my ability, that’s good enough for me.” – Dr. Jack Ramsay

After a long, illustrious career in basketball coaching; followed up by becoming one of the NBA’s most respected broadcasters, the beloved Hall of Famer coach Dr. Jack Ramsay died at 89 years of age.

Ramsay was the kind of person that never failed to draw from his bountiful source of basketball mental toughness throughout his innovative and impressive coaching career and life.

Ramsay was also an avid athlete, that took part in many triathlons and who trained and competed even at the age of 70. In his youth Ramsay joined the Navy as soon as he was eligible and trained to be a frogman.

By the tender age of 21 he was made Captain of a supply ship. Ramsay was even on board a ship that was heading out to invade Japan during World War II, until it was eventually turned back after the atomic bomb was dropped and Japan surrendered.

He began his basketball odyssey after graduating from Upper Darby high school in 1942 and earned a basketball scholarship to St. Joseph’s University. Ramsay was captain of the team in his last year.

He returned to Hawk Hill but this time as their coach. In 1995, in his first year as coach, he led St. Joseph’s University to their first Big 5 crown in 1955. By the end of his University coaching days St. Joseph’s had amassed 7 Big 5 crowns in total, 10 post season appearances as well as a final four appearance.

After leaving from St. Joseph’s Ramsay became the General Manager of the Philadelphia 76ers. The 76ers moved on to win the NBA title in that same year. Ramsay was also the one that traded Wilt Chamberlain. Ramsay later said that Wilt had forced his hand on the matter.

After a relatively short stint with the Buffalo Braves Ramsay moved to Portland in 1976 where he lead Walton and Co to the Blazer’s NBA championship in his first season, ironically beating the 76ers in those finals. Despite 9 more years as the Blazers’ coach Ramsay’s team failed to reach the finals again.

He finally moved to Indiana for the final 3 years of his coaching career, resigning in 1988.

Having already been a player, University Coach, General Manager of an NBA franchise and NBA coach Ramsay completed the final pieces of his “planet basketball” puzzle by becoming an analyst for 76ers games, a broadcaster for the Heat and then settling with ESPN radio and TV.

What makes Ramsay’s accomplishments even more impressive is that he did all of this while also being a father to 5 children, stubbornly battling cancer for 15 years and simultaneously looking after his wife who suffered from Alzheimer’s.

When every great journey comes to an end it is never about the final destination. It’s about the experiences gained, the memories created and the obstacles that are overcome along the way.

We can all learn considerably more than a thing or two about basketball psychology and toughness from Dr. Jack Ramsay. Talent, luck and practice can get us quite far, but mastering a strong mental game in basketball is also needed in unlocking our full potential on the court in order to reach peak performance.

Thank you Dr. Ramsay for the wonderful journey and for all your unique insights into sports psychology for basketball, you will never be forgotten.

RIP