Hank Gathers facts for kids
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Gathers in 1990
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| Personal information | |
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| Born | February 11, 1967 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | March 4, 1990 (aged 23) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| High school | Dobbins Technical (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) |
| Listed weight | 210 lb (95 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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Eric Wilson "Hank" Gathers Jr. (February 11, 1967 – March 4, 1990) was an American college basketball player. He played for the Loyola Marymount Lions in the West Coast Conference (WCC). In 1989, he became only the second player in NCAA Division I history to lead the nation in both scoring and rebounding in the same season. As a senior in 1990, Gathers was named a second-team All-American. His jersey number, 44, was later retired by the Lions. A statue of him stands outside their home arena, Gersten Pavilion.
Gathers started his college career with the USC Trojans. He later transferred to Loyola Marymount with his teammate Bo Kimble. Playing for coach Paul Westhead, Gathers was a three-time first-team All-WCC player. He also won the MVP award twice in the WCC tournament. In his junior year, he was named the WCC Player of the Year. In his senior year, Gathers was diagnosed with an abnormal heartbeat after collapsing during a game. He was given medication and returned to play. Sadly, Gathers died at age 23 after collapsing a second time during a game in the 1990 WCC tournament.
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Early Life and High School Basketball
Hank Gathers was born in Philadelphia. He grew up in a challenging neighborhood called the Raymond Rosen Projects. Basketball helped him stay focused and out of trouble.
Gathers played high school basketball at Dobbins Technical High School in North Philadelphia. His team included his younger brother, Derrick Gathers, along with Bo Kimble and Doug Overton. His team reached the Philadelphia Public League championship game twice. They lost in 1984 but won the title in 1985.
College Basketball Career
Playing for USC
Gathers and Bo Kimble were recruited to the University of Southern California (USC) by coach Stan Morrison. They both decided to join USC, even though they were not close friends before their senior year of high school. They were part of a strong group of new players known as the "Four Freshmen."
After a difficult season in 1985–86, the coaches at USC were fired. The new coach, George Raveling, decided to remove the scholarships of Gathers, Kimble, and another player. Because of this, Kimble and Gathers decided to transfer together to Loyola Marymount University (LMU).
Playing for Loyola Marymount
Due to NCAA rules, Gathers and Kimble could not play in their first season after transferring. However, they helped the Lions achieve a great 28–4 record in the 1987–88 season. Gathers led the team in scoring and rebounding. He averaged 22.5 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. He was also named first-team All-WCC and won the WCC tournament MVP award.
In the 1988–89 season, Gathers made history. He became only the second player in NCAA Division I to lead the entire nation in both scoring and rebounding in the same season. He averaged an amazing 32.7 points and 13.7 rebounds per game. He was named WCC Player of the Year and won the WCC Tournament MVP again. He even scored a career-high 49 points and grabbed 26 rebounds in one game. After this successful season, he chose not to enter the NBA draft yet.
As a senior in 1989–90, Gathers was considered one of the best players in the country. He was expected to be a top pick in the NBA draft. His coach at LMU, Paul Westhead, used a very fast-paced style of play. The Lions would shoot quickly and often. Their defense was a full-court press that made opponents play fast too. Gathers' teams led Division I in scoring for three years in a row. In 1990, they averaged 122.4 points per game, which is still a record.
Gathers was 6 feet 7 inches tall and weighed 210 pounds. He was a strong player inside the paint. He was very good at making shots close to the basket and scoring on fast breaks. He once said, "I should lead the nation in scoring because of my rebounding. Anybody can score 30 points a night... But rebounding is special because it comes from the heart."
Heart Condition and Tragic Death
On December 9, 1989, Gathers collapsed during a home game against UC Santa Barbara. Doctors found that he had an abnormal heartbeat, called exercise-induced ventricular tachycardia. He was given medication called Inderal to help. However, Gathers felt the medicine made him play worse, so his dosage was slowly reduced.
Gathers returned to play after three weeks. He averaged many points and minutes in his games. His play improved, especially in a nationally televised game against LSU where he scored 48 points. He also had a career-high 30 rebounds in another game.
On February 26, 1990, Gathers' medication was reduced one last time. He was supposed to have tests to make sure it was safe, but he did not go to the appointment. On March 2, he spoke with his heart doctor, who told him to play and come for testing after the tournament. It was later thought that Gathers might not have been taking his medicine on game days. The next day, he played well in the WCC tournament quarterfinals.
On Sunday, March 4, Gathers collapsed again during a semifinal game against the Portland Pilots. He had just scored a dunk. A few seconds later, he fell near midcourt. He tried to get up and told the trainers, "I don't want to lay down!" Soon after, he stopped breathing. Hank Gathers was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. He was 23 years old.
The WCC commissioner stopped the game after Gathers was taken to the hospital. ESPN showed footage of his collapse on SportsCenter. The WCC later canceled the tournament. Loyola Marymount was given a spot in the NCAA tournament because they had won the WCC regular season title.
Hank Gathers was buried in Mount Lawn Cemetery in Sharon Hill, Pennsylvania. An autopsy showed that he had a heart muscle disorder called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. His family later filed lawsuits about his death. Loyola Marymount and Gathers' cardiologist settled these lawsuits.
Hank Gathers' Legacy
Loyola Marymount played in the NCAA tournament as the No. 11 seed. Before the tournament, Hank's teammate, Bo Kimble, promised to shoot his first free throw of each game with his left hand. This was in memory of Gathers, who was right-handed but had started shooting free throws left-handed because he struggled with them. The Lions made it all the way to the Elite Eight, which is a huge achievement. They even beat the defending national champions, Michigan. Kimble made all three of his left-handed free throws during the tournament. This "Cinderella story" of LMU and Kimble's tribute became famous in NCAA tournament history.
Gathers was named a second-team All-American and first-team All-WCC for his final season. He finished his career averaging 28.0 points per game, which was a school record. He also averaged 11.1 rebounds. He was voted the WCC Player of the Decade for the 1980s.
Gersten Pavilion, LMU's sports building, is often called "Hank's House" by fans. In 2000, LMU retired Gathers' No. 44 jersey, along with Kimble's No. 30. In 2005, the entire 1989–90 team was added to Loyola Marymount's Hall of Fame. On February 29, 2020, a statue of Gathers was put outside Gersten Pavilion.
Hank Gathers' life was shown in a 1992 TV movie called Final Shot: The Hank Gathers Story. He was also featured in an ESPN film called Guru of Go, which was about his coach, Paul Westhead.
Gathers' death was mentioned again in 2016 during the 2016 NBA Playoffs. Bo Kimble suggested that NBA star Chris Bosh should retire due to his own health problems.
Awards and Records
Awards
- 1989 WCC Player of the Year
- 2× WCC Tournament MVP (1988, 1989)
- Consensus second-team All-American (1990)
- 3× First-team All-WCC (1988, 1989, 1990)
- 2× All-WCC Tournament (1988, 1989)
Records
WCC
- Career points (2,490)
- Field goals made, career (1,037)
- Field goals made, season (419)
- Free throws attempted, career (745)
- Free throws attempted, season (315)
LMU
- Career scoring average (28.0)
- Field goals made, game (24)
- Field goals attempted, game (37)
- Field goal percentage, career (.590)
- Rebounds, game (29)
Achievements
- 1989 NCAA Division I scoring leader
- 1989 NCAA Division I rebounding leader
Personal Life and Family
Hank Gathers had a son named Aaron Crump, who was born when Hank was 16. Aaron was six years old when his father died. Aaron later faced challenges and spent time in prison. When he was released, the money he received from the lawsuits about his father's death had been used up. Aaron Crump now works as a salesperson and helps mentor children through the Hank Gathers Legacy Group that he started.
Gathers' nephew, D. J. Rivera, also played college basketball. Another nephew, Jordan Gathers, played college basketball for St. Bonaventure and Butler.
