Lucas, a 6-foot-7 center, scored 2,460 during his three-year career with the Middies. He played in the mid-1950s when high school freshmen were ineligible to play varsity and before the three-point line. He averaged 32 points per game and rarely played an entire game because of blowouts.
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He led the Middies to back-to-back state championships, a 76-game winning streak with the only loss coming in the state final his senior season. He was named Ohio’s Player of the Year three consecutive years.
He won three more titles
Lucas also won a gold medal in the 1960 Olympics in Rome and NCAA championship at Ohio State (1960) and NBA title with the New York Knicks (1972-73), making him the first player to win titles at all levels.
He was a three-time Big 10 Player of the Year and was named to NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team. In the NBA, he averaged, 17 points, 15.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. He was inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1980.
Two retired numbers, courts named after him
His No. 13 at MHS and his No. 11 at OSU are retired. The basketball court at Sunset Park, where the legend of Lucas grew before he played high school, and the court at Wade E. Miller Gym are named after him.
‘Dr. Memory’ becoming an author
Lucas, known for his incredible memory that was displayed on several national TV shows, is writing a book about growing up in Middletown and playing during the “Middie Magic” era.
Happy early birthday
Lucas turns 80 years old next month. He was born March 30, 1940 in Middletown.
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