Thursday, March 28, 2024
46.0°F

Northwest Notes April 6, 2010

| April 6, 2010 9:00 PM

Vandal legend inducted to Naismith Hall of Fame

INDIANAPOLIS - The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced eight individuals and two teams among its 2010 Enshrinement Class on Monday, including University of Idaho legend, Gus Johnson among its honorees.

Johnson, who played for Idaho in the 1962-63 season, was honored in a class that also included Jerry Buss, Cynthia Cooper, Bob Hurley, Sr., Dennis Johnson, Karl Malone, Maciel "Ubiratan" Pereira, and Scottie Pippen, as well as the 1960 USA Men's Olympic team and the 1992 USA Basketball "Dream Team.""The Basketball Hall of Fame's Class of 2010 represents everything that is great about the game of basketball," said Jerry Colangelo, Chairman of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Board. "From the two gold medal winning USA Olympic Teams, to a high school coach who dedicated his life to the game, to a diverse group of individuals who have excelled as collegians, professionals and great contributors to our sport, this group of hall of famers will be known as one of the great classes in history."

Johnson's No. 43 jersey was retired at Idaho in 1987, and he was inducted into the inaugural class of the Vandal Athletics Hall of Fame in 2007. He holds Idaho single-season records for rebounds (466) and rebound average (20.3), which ranked second in the NCAA in 1963. Johnson owns 12 of the top 14 single-game rebounding totals in Idaho history, including the record of 31 on Feb. 9, 1963 against Oregon.After leading the Vandal men to a 20-6 record in 1963, the NBA's Baltimore Bullets selected Johnson with the 10th overall pick in the 1963 NBA draft. He went on to play an 11-year professional career that included five NBA All-Star games, four selections to the all-NBA second team and two NBA all-Defensive Team selections. He finished second in the NBA Rookie of the Year balloting in 1964.

Johnson was known as one of the first high-flyers in the game of basketball and one of the pioneers of the dunk. He was a gritty defender and a strong rebounder, but he was also one of the game's first great showmen. He wowed crowds with his behind-the-back passes and thunderous dunks - he shattered three backboards during his NBA career.Johnson led the Bullets to five playoff appearances in nine seasons, including a 1971 NBA Finals appearance against the Milwaukee Bucks. He also played for the Phoenix Suns and helped the Indiana Pacers win the 1973 ABA Championship. The Bullets retired his No. 25 jersey in December of 1986.

Indians looking for New team membersSPOKANE - The Spokane Indians are not only working to fill their on-field roster for the upcoming season. The Indians are also currently scouting outstanding individuals to fill the team's many game night positions at Avista Stadium.

Game night positions for the 2010 season will be filled primarily from applicants who attend the Spokane Indians Annual Job Fair, which will take place Saturday, April 17th. Interested applicants can attend the Job Fair at Avista Stadium anytime between 10:00am - 12:00pm. The job fair will consist of a 30 minute tour of the facilities that include a description of the open positions. It will conclude with an opportunity to sign up for an interview time for all participants that bring a resume.

The Indians are searching for employees who are outgoing and dedicated to great customer service. This includes working in a team environment at a summer job that has part-time hours. These positions appeal to a variety of people including students, teachers and retired individuals.Several game night positions are available including concessions staff, servers, hawkers, section leaders and security. All employees will undergo job specific and customer service training before the beginning of the season.

Applicants are asked to bring a resume to the Job Fair. All applicants that bring a resume will receive an interview, either on the day of the Job Fair or during the following week. Avista Stadium is located at the Spokane County Fair & Expo Center. For more information, contact the Spokane Indians Office at (509) 535-2922 or visit www.spokaneindiansbaseball.com.