RIP JoJo White

Kansas All-American, Celtics Hall of Famer and legendary iron man, who once played 488 consecutive games and played 60 minutes in the famed triple-overtime win over the Suns in Game 5 of the 1976 NBA Finals.

Celtics great, HOFer Jo Jo White dies at 71

Had been suffering from dementia since surgery for a brain tumor in 2010. He was 71.

 

He was inbounds against Texas Western.

 

I was a Bucks fan so I should have hated those Boston teams. But I had to plead with my dad until I got a pair of green Pro Keds like Jojo and the next year a pair of green Nike like Charlie Scott. The first pair of good shoes was in 6th grade, red Chucks like Pistol Pete (I think he wore Keds but I couldn't find Keds).

 

It is somewhat sad that a majority of people probably only know about him from that movie.

 

Met him once and interviewed him at a basketball camp and he was incredibly accommodating to a cub reporter, very quotable and, most importantly, really good with the campers. None of them knew who he was, but the dads all did. He lapped up the attention, but gave really good, personal instruction to the players.

I didn't know about the dementia, which is sad. He was lively and entertaining when I talked to him (this was about '03).

 

He was a good competitor.

 

Always hated the Celtics but always liked JoJo White.