Gail C. Goodrich

A tenacious and fiery competitor, Gail Goodrich used intelligent ball-handling skills and excellent court vision to lead two of the most successful teams in basketball history. The crafty, left-handed guard guided the 1963-64 UCLA Bruins to a perfect 30-0 record, compiled a 78-11 three-year record, and won the 1964 and 1965 national championships. In both of those championship seasons, Goodrich was named to the NCAA Final Four All-Tournament team and he finished as UCLA's all-time leading scorer (1,690 points). With the Lakers, Goodrich helped the 1971-72 team to a 69-13 record and the NBA title as well as an NBA record 33 consecutive wins while playing with fellow Hall of Famers Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain. Although many believed Goodrich was too small for the college game and too frail for the pros, he proved his doubters wrong. He was a better-than-average shooter but his ability to score in a variety of ways was what really set him apart.