March 4, 1990 - Hank Gathers, 23, Loyola Marymount SF:
Eric "Hank" Gathers was a very dedicated basketball player from day one. He thrilled the nation in the late 80's when he took little Loyola Maramount University to the top, while leading all Division-1 athletes in scoring and rebounding his Junior Year.
It was in his Senior year that the energetic Gathers suffered a minor heart attack, forcing him to sit out an unwanted period of time. Against doctors orders, he came back too early only to suffer a fatal heart attack near the end of that same season.
The movie takes you through Hank's breif life from the age of eleven all the way up to his sudden death. This drama shows you how he and his best friend Bo Kimble always dreamed to make it to the NBA. Bo had it easy, always being the star; while Hank was the underdog, and had to go through many obstacles to get to the top.
The year after Hank's tragic death Bo was drafted where he and Hank had always talked about being drafted...in the lottery.
A Memorable Homecoming
BY Kasey Seymour
Editor in Chief
As the roar of over 3,000 fans filled Gersten Pavilion this past Saturday, Feb. 19, Hank Gathers’ number 44 and Bo Kimble’s number 30 were retired to the rafters of "Hank’s House" during a half-time ceremony at the men’s basketball Homecoming game.
"By far, it’s the biggest crowd that’s ever been in there this year. Just the atmosphere that everybody brought in there was incredible," said ASLMU President Lysandra Sapp.
The jersey retirement was publicized as the highlight event for Homecoming, with fliers and signs up for weeks urging students to come to "The Gathering." Sapp said, "The emphasis was on getting people to the game [against Pepperdine]. That was where our focus was."
Homecoming kicked off with the women’s basketball team playing Pepperdine at 5:30 p.m. As the game was underway, employees from In-N-Out served food to fans outside and students offered free face painting in the Gersten lobby. Young fans took to the court during timeouts and at half-time to show off their basketball skills for the crowd.
In between the women’s and the men’s games, television crews set up for broadcast of the game on Fox Sports Net 2. Students were invited into the upper east balcony of the gym, behind the bleachers, to participate in a variety of activities. A DJ was playing music to the crowd of mostly students, and some were playing in a basketball shooting contest.
As the men’s game was set to get underway, handkerchiefs honoring Hank Gathers were distributed. With the Lions trailing 28-39 at the half, camera crews came onto the court to await the retirement ceremony.
As Homecomings go, this one was the most memorable. It was magic, it was history, and it was emotion.
Fox Sports Net 2 sportscaster Bill MacDonald welcomed the crowd, the Gathers family, the Kimble family, and members of the LMU administration. As Fox Sports cut to a commercial break, MacDonald told the crowd that the ceremony would be under way in a few minutes. Anxious fans yelled "hurry up" as Kimble and Gathers’ mother, Lucille Cheeseboro Gathers, waited just in front of the basket at the south end of the gym.
"We are very proud as a university and as an athletic department to be able to go ahead and recognize the athletic achievements of Bo Kimble and Hank Gathers," said Athletic Director Bill Husak at a pre-game press conference. "[They were] two tremendous basketball players at a time that LMU’s basketball history was really at its highest." Back from commercial break, MacDonald welcomed university President Rev. Robert B. Lawton, S.J., to give a few opening remarks on the retirement of the jerseys, the third and fourth out of seven that LMU will retire this year. With the entire crowd standing, Kimble was greeted with a loud welcome, and he thanked the university and the fans for their support over the years. Husak presented a framed jersey to Kimble, and as the crowd applauded, Kimble showed it off for the fans.
"There’s not many words that can describe this feeling," Kimble said at the pre-game press conference. "The greatest word that I can say is that I feel appreciated." He recalled that the best memories of his life are those that he has of his time at LMU. "When I think of Loyola and I think of Hank, I think of great laughs and great fun, and dominating and winning."
During their four seasons at LMU over 10 years ago, Gathers and Kimble led the Lions to two West Coast Conference titles and a run to the Elite Eight round of the NCAA tournament just one week after Gathers’ untimely death on Mar. 4, 1990 in a semifinal game of the WCC tournament. In 1988-89, Gathers led the nation in scoring and rebounding, and in 1989-90, Kimble grabbed the title as national scoring leader.
Many agree that Kimble’s return to LMU and the honoring of Gathers, Kimble and the ’89-’90 squad brought a sense of spirit back to this campus. Sapp said, "A lot of those people [in the crowd] are proud to be Lions because of that story, proud to be associated with Hank and Bo, even if they don’t know the whole story. It’s sad in a way, but still amazing that they can go and show their spirit that way."
Gathers’ mother accepted the honor of her late son’s jersey retirement along with other members of the Gathers family. "I’m sure that Hank would be so appreciative of this because when I walk through here and see this campus, and how he used to walk through here so proud . . . I just can’t put into words [what it feels like,] because he loved this campus and he loved this university, and he loved all the people around him," she said.
In an emotional presentation, former Head Coach Paul Westhead handed Cheeseboro Gathers her son’s number 44 framed jersey. She threw her hands in the air and thanked the fans, who were waving their "Hank 44" handkerchiefs in the air. "I feel great. I feel happy. I feel a lot of joy. I feel a lot of love. I feel a lot of people’s arms around me saying that my son was one of the greatest players ever to play at LMU," she said.
When half-time ended, the Lions came back on the court to finish the game. Although Gathers Cheeseboro called upon the men’s team to win during the halftime ceremony, Pepperdine pulled away with a 77-65 win.
1988 27-3 NCAA Coach: Paul Westhead
West Coast regular-season champion
West Coast automatic bid (won conference tournament)
West (10th seed)
Wyoming W 119-115
North Carolina L 97-123
1989 20-10 NCAA Coach: Paul Westhead
West Coast automatic bid (won conference tournament)
MidWest (12th seed)
Arkansas L 101-120
1990 23-5 NCAA Coach: Paul Westhead
West Coast regular-season champion
West Coast automatic bid (no tournament due to Hank Gathers' death)
West (11th seed)
New Mexico State W 111-92
Michigan W 149-115
Alabama W 62-60
UNLV L 101-131
Regional Finalist
