The Most Famous Athlete I Know (A Tribute to Brad Daugherty)

In 1980, I was a freshman at Montreat-Anderson College just outside of Black Mountain, North Carolina and had recently graduated from A. C. Reynolds High School in nearby Asheville.  I played a little basketball in high school (well.. I was on the team) and had gotten to know several of the fellows on opposing teams.  One guy was Kevin Logan who played at Owen High School.  Well I saw Kevin out somewhere that summer after we graduated and told him to come up to Montreat and we would shoot some ball and hang out. And Kevin did, all that year.  Each time he would come, he would bring a friend with him, a tall, lanky 14 year old kid named Brad Daugherty.  Brad, at this age, was still a little awkward but you could tell he had a ton of potential. And even more importantly, you could tell he had a tremendous love for the game of basketball. So all through that 1980-81 school year, Logan and Daugherty would come to my dorm to get me to go shoot basketball in the old gym there on campus because they couldn't get in without being the guest of a student.  We spent hours and hours in that hot old gym, just me, Logan, Daugherty, and a basketball.  We would play basketball games like Around the World, Twenty-one, Horse, etc.  Since Logan and I were wing players (shooters) and a little older, one of us usually won if the game depended on outside shooting. Daugherty was already about 6'8 and an obvious inside player but wanted to improve all aspects of his game so he paid particular attention when we talked about shooting the basketball; the right form, eyes on basket, elbow in, ball on fingertips, release, follow through, and the like.  He really improved his shot so much that he could knock down a little 12 foot jumper facing the basket with relative ease.

I really enjoyed getting to know Brad.  He was kind of a shy, unassuming kid, very polite and just a good person.  He liked hunting, fishing, and watching NASCAR races much like a lot of the kids that grew up in the mountains of North Carolina.  For lack of a better word, Brad Daugherty was always a good old boy, as we call country folk. He loved the outdoors and relished in this beautiful place that we call home.

I transferred to UNC-Asheville the following school year and Brad continued his high school basketball career.  I never saw him again face-to-face but I watched him play in high school at Owen, where they won the North Carolina State Championship two years later in 1982 under the great Asheville area coach Bill Burrows, (a current Assistant Basketball Coach at USC-Upstate).  Daugherty gained much attention from college scouts and accepted a scholarship to play under the legendary  Dean Smith at the University of North Carolina.

Daugherty turned out to be one of the greatest big men ever to play in Chapel Hill. He entered college as a 16-year old freshman and was a two-time All-ACC first team selection, and a first team All-American in 1986. He was named to the ACC 50th Anniversary men's basketball team in 2002 and was inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame. Daugherty averaged more than twenty points per game in his senior season, oftentimes utilizing that little 12 foot jump shot facing the basket.  I would brag to all my friends, "You know, I taught him that jumper."

 Daugherty was taken as the first overall pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 1986 NBA Draft and the Cavs also drafted Ron Harper (8th pick) and obtained the rights to Mark Price from the Dallas Mavericks that season. Harper, Price and Daugherty, along with fellow rookie John "Hot Rod" Williams immediately began to pay dividends for Cleveland. Daugherty, Williams, and Harper were all named to the 1986-87 All-Rookie team.

Daugherty averaged  a double-double (nineteen points and ten rebounds per game) over eight seasons in the NBA and retired as the Cavaliers all time leading scorer (10,389 points) and rebounder (5,227).  Daugherty's all time-leading scorer record stood until March 21, 2008, when LeBron James broke the point barrier against the Toronto Raptors. His leading rebounder record stood until December 9, 2008, when Zydrunas Ilguaskas broke the rebound barrier, again against the Raptors. He played in 41 postseason games and led the Cavaliers as far as the Eastern Conference Finals in 1992. Brad was a five time All-Star (1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993) and one of the greatest players in Cleveland Cavalier history. As part of the Cavaliers' 30th anniversary in 1999-2000, Daugherty was a unanimous selection to the All-Time Cleveland Cavalier team. All through his pro career, I would tell everyone who would listen to me, "Hey, did you know, I taught him that jumper".

Daugherty's career in the NBA was cut short at the age of 28 because of recurrent back troubles. He never played another game after the 1993-94 season, though he did make one appearance in uniform for the Whoopi Goldberg movie Eddie along with teammates Hot Rod Williams, John Battle, Terrell Brandon, and Bobby Phillls. After two consecutive seasons of inactivity, he announced his retirement after the 1995-96 season. His #43 jersey, a number he picked as a tribute to NASCAR legend Richard Petty (whom Daugherty lists as his favorite sportsman) was retired by the Cavaliers on March 1, 1997.

 After his playing days, Daugherty has owned car dealerships, waste management companies and commercial real estate firms . He is also a college basketball analyst and NASCAR broadcaster for ESPN. He is active in many charities including hosting the Presbyterian Home for Children’s annual golf tournament, which raises money in support of the home, located in Black Mountain. He also has sponsored an annual scholarship to help a child from Presbyterian Home receive a higher education. At UNC, he has given to the Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black Culture and History and has served on the Board of Visitors and the athletic council of the General Alumni Association Board.

Upon retiring from the NBA, Daugherty co-owned a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team (Liberty Racing) featuring such drivers as Kenny Irwin, Jr. and Kevin Harvick. Daugherty joined ESPN's return to NASCAR racing telecasts in 2007. He is currently an analyst on the weekly topical show Inside NASCAR on Showtime, and on NASCAR Now, a nightly newscast on the sport of racing. He is also part owner of JTG Daugherty Racing.

I have heard friends of mine in the Asheville area say that they have met or seen him recently at events around town.  They say he is the nicest guy in the world... humble, honest, unassuming, just a genuine good guy.  I say "Well it sounds like Brad stayed grounded, never lost his roots, he hasn't changed much and that's a good thing. What a great guy...
And by the way, did you know that I taught him that jumper."