Bill Sharman's ball boy son

Jerry Sharman is in his early 60s now, just a few years away from being a scratch golfer and many years out on his own, away from the household of one of the most famous players and coaches of the '50s and '60s in the NBA.

It is hard for a son, even an athletic one such as Jerry Sharman, to measure up to a superstar father. Jerry remembers well one of the first times he realized how his father had become the best.

"I was probably 9 or 10," Jerry recalls, "and my dad would take me out to practice free throw shooting with him. He was always one of the best in the NBA at that, and I soon learned why.

"We would not end any practice session, ever, until he had made 50 free throws in a row. I was the ball-chaser.

"He'd get to 46, 47, then miss No. 48. So we'd start over. And this time he'd miss No. 49. He wouldn't even blink. He'd just start over. Sometimes, it'd take hours.

"So after a while, knowing the routine like I did, when he came to me and asked if I wanted to go and practice free throws with him, I'd just tell him I had a ball game or something."

-- Bill Dwyre

Photo: Former Los Angeles Lakers Coach Bill Sharman is shown at his Redondo Beach home on May 1. Credit: Jay Clendenin / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Steve Bronte]

Amazing, but true. I remember the first time I saw (other than at a Laker game) Bill Sharman in person. He had just retired from the Celtics and was looking for a new house in the area. He came into the Covina High gym on a Saturday morning with son Jerry in tow, and proceeded to take on all comers. He didn't lose a single game all day. As I recall, he hardly missed a jump shot, let alone a free throw. What a spectacular athlete he was, and a real gentlemen as well. That afternoon, I spoke to Jerry briefly and remember asking him if he knew my idol, Bob Cousy, angling for info about Sam Jones and Bill Russell, and I can still recall asking and asking about other players he knew and his Dad played with. Eventually, Bill bought a house a very nice area of what is commonly referred to as Charter Oak. Jerry starred there as a Prep scoring machine. As a junior in high school, I played against Jerry in the Covina Tournament, and although we defeated his team by well over 10 points, Jerry scored nearly 30 that night. What I remember most about Jerry though, was his uncanny ability to hit freethrows. He was just an incredible, much like his Dad, shot and could sink freethrows in his sleep. When playing against Jerry in a game, you DID NOT want to foul this man...for it was a foregone conclusion when he stepped up the that 'charity' line. He was just a marvelous shooter. Years later, I ran into Jerry at one of his girlfriends house, and he had just come from a 'party'. He had been drinking only slightly, but felt confident enough to challenge me then and there to a freethrow contest. I was thrilled at the prospect of beating Jerry. And what sounded even more enticing, was that Jerry wanted to bet $20.00 that he'd win. We all quickly drove over to Jerry's Dads house, which naturally had a basketball court in the backyard. My turn came first. I hit 9 out of 10 shots, which was very unusual for me as I was an average freethrower. I was absolutely certain then, that the $20.00 was going to be mine. Next came Jerry's turn. Now mind you, he had been drinking a 'little' ... but to my astonishment, he never missed a shot. Not even one! I couldn't believe my eyes. But, there you have it. Like Father, like Son. Bill and Jerry were just unconscious when it came to shooting...especially those free throws.