Phi Slama Jama was a name given to the men's college basketball teams of the Houston Cougars from 1982 to 1984. Coined by former Houston Post sportswriter Thomas Bonk, the nickname was quickly adopted by the players and even appeared on team warmup suits by the middle of the 1982–83 season. The teams were coached by Guy V. Lewis and featured future Hall of Fame and NBA Top 50 players Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler. "Texas' Tallest Fraternity" was especially known for its slam dunking and explosive, fast-breaking style of play. The teams advanced to 3 consecutive NCAA Final Fours, 1982, 1983, and 1984. The 1983 NCAA semi-final of No. 1 Houston vs. No. 2 Louisville, "The Doctors of Dunk", was recognized as one of the 100 greatest basketball moments at the end of the 20th century. The name is trademarked by the University of Houston.
Clifton Reece Gaines is an American former professional basketball player and former assistant coach at Austin Spurs. He is currently a video coordinator for Louisville.
Jeffrey Vincent Mullins is an American retired basketball player and coach. He played college basketball with the Duke Blue Devils and in the National Basketball Association (NBA) with the St. Louis Hawks and Golden State Warriors. Mullins served as the head basketball coach at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte from 1985 to 1996.
Scott Anthony Padgett is a retired American professional basketball player and current assistant to the head coach for Mississippi State men's basketball. He was formerly the head coach at Samford University. He played for the National Basketball Association's Utah Jazz, Houston Rockets, New Jersey Nets, and Memphis Grizzlies.
Louis Dampier is an American retired professional basketball player.
Phil Jackson Ford Jr. is an American former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He graduated from Rocky Mount Senior High School in 1974, and had an All-American college career with the North Carolina Tar Heels.
Kyle Paul Macy is an American basketball commentator. He played college basketball at Purdue University and the University of Kentucky, and spent seven years in the NBA with the Phoenix Suns, Chicago Bulls and Indiana Pacers; he then spent three seasons in the Italian Lega Serie A. After his playing career, he has held various basketball-related positions, including coach, general manager, and broadcaster.
Ulysses Lee "Junior" Bridgeman is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. Bridgeman played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for twelve years from 1975 until 1987, beginning with the Milwaukee Bucks. Bridgeman is the current owner of Ebony and Jet magazines. Despite never making more than $350,000 a season during his NBA career, Bridgeman has a net worth of over $600 million, making him one of the wealthiest former athletes in the world.
The Louisville Cardinals men's basketball team is the men's college basketball program representing the University of Louisville in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) of NCAA Division I. The Cardinals have officially won two NCAA championships in 1980 and 1986 ; and have officially been to 8 Final Fours in 39 official NCAA tournament appearances while compiling 61 tournament wins.
The Marist Red Foxes men's basketball team is the basketball team that represents Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. The Red Foxes have qualified for the NCAA tournament twice, losing in the first round in both instances. Prior to joining the MAAC in 1997, Marist was a charter member of the ECAC Metro Conference in 1981; which became the Northeast Conference in 1988.
Peyton Robert Siva Jr. is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Illawarra Hawks of the National Basketball League (NBL). He played college basketball for Louisville, leading the school to two Final Fours including a national championship his senior season. He was drafted by the Detroit Pistons, who selected him with the 56th overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft.
John Harding Lucas II is an American professional basketball coach and former player who most recently served as an assistant coach for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played basketball and tennis at the University of Maryland, College Park and was an All-American in both.
Kyle Gregory Wiltjer is a Canadian-American professional basketball player for the Zhejiang Lions of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He spent two seasons of college basketball with the Kentucky Wildcats before transferring to play with the Gonzaga Bulldogs in 2013. A dual citizen of the U.S. and Canada, he has played for the Canada national team.
Richard Wilson is a retired American basketball player. He played for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1978 to 1980.
The 2013–14 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team represented the University of Kentucky in the 2013–14 college basketball season. The team played its home games in Lexington, Kentucky for the 39th consecutive season at Rupp Arena, with a capacity of 23,500. The team was led by fifth-year head coach John Calipari. This team was nicknamed the "Tweakables" in reference to Calipari's comment prior to the 2014 SEC tournament. The team was the National Runner-up in the NCAA tournament, and also marked Kentucky's 16th Final Four appearance. It was Calipari's third Final Four appearance at Kentucky.
Russ Antoin Smith is an American professional basketball player for Pallacanestro Nardò of Serie A2, the second division in Italy. He played college basketball for the Louisville Cardinals, playing a starring role as a junior in helping them win the 2013 NCAA championship, while earning third-team All-American by the NABC and the Sporting News. As a senior at Louisville, he was named a consensus first-team All-American. As of March 5, 2023, his 65-point performance remains the NBA G League single game scoring record.
The Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame is a sports hall of fame for the U.S. state of Kentucky established in 1963. Individuals are inducted annually at a banquet in Louisville and receive a bronze plaque inside Louisville's Freedom Hall. The Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame other wise known as the Kentucky Sports Hall of fame, is a non-profit organization funded by the Kentucky Lottery and owned and operated by the Louisville Sports Commission.
Jordan Ifeanyi Nwora is a Nigerian-American professional basketball player for the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Louisville Cardinals. He plays internationally for the Nigeria men's national basketball team. Nwora won a championship with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021 before being traded to the Indiana Pacers in 2023.
David Ricardo Johnson is an American professional basketball player for the Raptors 905 of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Louisville Cardinals, and was drafted by the Toronto Raptors in the second round of the 2021 NBA draft.
Paolo Napoleon James Banchero is an American professional basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils. Banchero was named the Rookie of the Year of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in 2022. Following his freshman season, he declared for the 2022 NBA draft, where he was selected with the first overall pick by the Orlando Magic. Banchero was named the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2023.
