ST. LOUIS - Joesph Henry White was born on November 16, 1946 in our fair city.
The man better known as Jo Jo was the greatest basketball player ever to come out of the St. Louis Metro Area.
He passed away yesterday on Jan. 16 at the age of 71 after battling brain cancer. His story deserves far more words than I’ll give you here, but I’ll do my best to paint you a picture.
A Snap Shot of Jo Jo
The minister’s son, youngest of seven, and McKinley High School Grad had one of the most decorated basketball lives a player could dream of. There was nothing a little boy playing basketball at the park can imagine doing that Mr. White didn’t accomplish.
The Marine Corps Veteran played his collegiate career as a Jayhawk at the University of Kansas from ‘64-’69, making third team All-American in 1968 and second team All-American in 1969. He was then drafted by Red Auerbach and the Boston Celtics 9th overall in the 1969 draft.
After a year of mandatory Marine Corps commitment, of which Mr. White gave credit of his conditioning and discipline, he started an absolute storied career in the National Basketball Association.
I’ll try to list his accomplishments on the hardwood
2 Time NCAA All-American
1968 Gold Medalist at the Mexico City Games
All NBA First Team Rookie in 1970
7 Straight All-Star teams from '71-'77
2 time All-NBA Second Team in '75 and '77
2 time NBA Champion in '74 and '76
1976 Finals MVP
Had his number 15 retired by the University of Kansas
Had his number 10 retired by the Boston Celtics
Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015
Could you imagine more?
In Mr. White’s seven All-Star seasons he averaged a combined 19.8 ppg, 5.5 assists, 4.6 rebounds, 1.4 steals, and 39.6 minutes a game in an average of 80.5 games a season. Both ends of the court, every stat line, every single night. He missed a total of ten games in those seven seasons and played in all 82 from ’73-‘77.
They don’t make them like Mr. White anymore.
The Greatest Game Ever Played
They didn’t have air conditioning in the Boston Garden. It could feel like a sauna in May, let alone early June. So imagine, it’s June 4th, you’re in an arena packed with 20,000 screaming people all drenched in sweat, and you have to play 40 minutes of basketball, at least.
Then, it happens. One overtime, then a second overtime, and then finally a third overtime. Your plan of 40-48 minutes of hoops in a giant sweat lodge turns into 60 minutes of non-stop basketball at the highest level of intensity. Jo Jo White dropped 33 points, 9 assists, 6 boards, and 2 steals on 15-29 shooting in the 2 point triple overtime Celtics game 5 victory over the Phoenix Suns. The Celts go on to win game 6 to clinch the title and Mr. White is named Finals MVP. You can't make this stuff up.
Legacy
His Legacy will far outlive him. He is in the Missouri Hall of Fame and the Kansas Hall of Fame, and I’m pretty sure his could be the only such case. He is in the Marine Corps Hall of Fame and the St. Louis Hall of Fame. Then finally, after long and controversial absence, the Naismith Hall of Fame. Five Halls of Fame. Five.
I don’t know much more about the man than what I have written here. He started the Jo Jo White foundation for brain cancer research in 2012, and finally succumbed to complications from brain tumors in 2018 after an 8-year battle. For 8 years he stared brain cancer down and didn’t flinch. 8 years, every day, every minute, he showed up and fought till the final buzzer sounded. Courage, competitiveness, and never missing a day of work.
From the cradle to the grave.
That was Mr. White.
