Leroy Loggins

HTML <h2><strong>No</strong><strong> 76 LEROY LOGGINS</strong></h2>

HTML <h2><strong>6 feet 5 inch (195cm) Guard/Forward</strong></h2>

HTML <h2><strong>1992 Olympic Games</strong></h2>

HTML <p>The skinny kid and his friend were walking along the mean streets of Baltimore, USA in the black ghetto area known as Cheery Hill. Suddenly a car screeched to a halt near them and a gunman leaned out the window and started shooting at the youngsters. “I don’t know if he was shooting blanks or what ...we just started running. I guess you have to be smart to survive. You learn to be tough growing up where I did,” recalls Leroy Loggins.</p>

HTML <p>Leroy Jay Loggins was born December 20th, 1957 in New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA. He grew up in Baltimore, Maryland in a family of one brother and three sisters. His family lived in a housing project in a tough neighbourhood on the south side of the city. Drugs, crime and violence were an everyday occurrence in his part of the city. “I was lucky, because I had my basketball. That’s what kept me out of trouble,” remembers Leroy. He credits his father as being a big influence on his future in life and basketball. “Mynumber one fan and PR man!” says Leroy</p>

HTML <p>Leroy was developing his skills and love for basketball in the “street ball” of the recreation centres and playgrounds. At high school he couldn’t make the Junior Team and it was not until his senior year that he made the school Varsity Team as the sixth man, only to be dropped off the team before the season end. He enrolled at a Junior College, withdrew, and went back again as he just wanted to play. His coach believed in Leroy, gave him a chance and he scored 47 points in his first game for the College. </p>

HTML <p>At the end of the season Leroy was named All American and All Tournament and at the end of the next season the team won the National Junior College Championships and he was named tournament MVP. A scholarship at Fairmont State, a four year university, followed and he had great success there making the All Conference Team, being named MVP and going to the National Championships. His final year was 1980 and was when he had a chance to try out for the US Olympic team but he declined and explains. “It was a great honour, of course, but I just didn’t know how to handle it...being from a small school.”</p>

HTML <p>Picked in the eighth round of the NBA draft Leroy received tryouts with the Detroit Pistons and Washington Bullets but was not selected for the NBA. He had to look elsewhere. The NIA All Stars had travelled to Australia in 1979 and he was a member of that team and he liked what he saw. He came to Australia and played for the Gold Coast in the Queensland State League established by American David “Doc” Adkins. </p>

HTML <p>Leroy returned to Australia in 1981 to play in the National Basketball League (NBL) with the Brisbane Bullets. He made the 1981 NBL finals with the Bullets but they were eventually pushed to fourth place after the playoffs. The next year 1982 Leroy moved to the West Adelaide Bearcats in the NBL. The Bearcats won the NBL title and Leroy was named in the NBL All Star team.</p>

HTML <p> In 1983 West Adelaide was defeated by the Canberra Cannons in the Grand Final of the NBL. After a contractual dispute with the Bearcats Leroy moved to the Brisbane Bullets in 1984 under Coach Brian Kerle and again made the Grand Final to once again lose to the Cannons. That year Loggins was named MVP of the NBL, his first of three such awards.</p>

HTML <p>In 1985, Leroy and the Bullets won the NBL title. A “Golden Period” followed for Leroy and the Bullets as the team won the 1985 and 1987 NBL Championships, and wererunners up in 1984, 1986, and 1990.</p>

HTML <p> Leroy Loggins had one of the greatest careers in NBL history. He was three times MVP, ten times a member of the All NBL First Team, five times named to the NBL Second Team, appeared in six consecutive grand finals, and in 1987 and 1990 was named NBL Defensive Player of the Year.Leroy has led the NBL in All Time Steals, played 657 games, scored 13,106 points, secured 3,897 rebounds, gave 1,547 assists and made 537 blocks. He led the NBL in many categories and is second to the great Andrew Gaze in many of them.</p>

HTML <p>In recognition of his distinguished NBL career Loggins was named to the NBL’s 20th Seasons Team and the NBL 25th Anniversary Team.</p>

HTML <p>“Leaping Leroy” Loggins was a 195cms (6’5”) small forward/shooting guard. A very willowy athletic player who constantly battled against much bigger players with his 80kg frame, he was the master of the “fall away” jumper, the “floater” and spin moves all around the basket, and became a highly prolific three-point shooter. An excellent defender, passer and rebounder he was perhaps one of the greatest all round players the NBL has ever seen as he was “good at everything”. He was a great crowd favourite not only for his skills, but also his demeanour. He rarely questioned a referee call, he “just played”. A self-confessed “gym rat” he was never happier than just “hooping” and playing. With that however he was renowned as a great trainer and played hard and expected others to do the same everyday at practice. He was also the consummate team player, always supported his mates and the coaches and just wanted to win!</p>

HTML <p>Loggins became an Australian citizen as he loved Australia, it loved him, and here is where he wanted to stay. His Australian citizenship allowed him to be eligible for selection for the 1992 Barcelona Olympic basketball team. As the team was only allowed one naturalised player his selection was not automatic despite his ability. He was in competition with the giant naturalised Australian Dean Uthoff who put together a tremendous series of games to stake his cause for selection. Leroy’s first taste of competition with the Boomers was on a tour to Europe at the end of 1991 and the beginning of 1992. Loggins impressed with his play and attitude, as did Uthoff. “I was nothing short of nervous for my first game for Australia (in Italy) when we went to Europe. I was throwing up before the game. Before the second game Coach Adrian Hurley told me to relax and play my game, and I felt better. Playing for Australia was very satisfying.”</p>

HTML <p>Back home Leroy played games for the Boomers against domestic All Star teams and early in the year against the Chinese National Team. He was then named to the 1992 Barcelona Olympic team.</p>

HTML <p>Even though he was now 34 years of age his presence on the Olympic Team added a great two pronged scoring weapon with Andrew Gaze. The 1992 Olympic Team had very limited preparation prior to the Games and players played in the NBL the weekend prior to the Games and the full potential of the Gaze-Loggins duo was never developed to where it might have been. Nevertheless the Boomers gained an outstanding 6th position the second best in their history to that time.</p>

HTML <p>Leroy did not play for the Boomers again after Barcelona. He would eventually retire at the end of the 2000/01 season after 21 seasons in the NBL despite still being an integral part of the Bullets line-up at 43 years of age. He retired with a then record 567 NBL games played, and a scoring average of23.11 per game. To this day he leads the Brisbane Bullets Club in nine All Time categories. That is a record that will probably never be beaten at that Club.</p>

HTML <p>The number 30 jersey worn by Loggins throughout his career was retired by the Bullets in his honour. He was inducted in the NBL Hall of Fame in 2006.“You don’t play to be inducted into the Hall of Fame you play to win games and win championships so this type of honour comes as a bonus, “commented Leroy.</p>

HTML <p>Loggins has been awarded “The Keys to the City” in Brisbane and the 2000 Sports Australia Medal.</p>

HTML <p>In retirement Leroy has concentrated on his Foundation work. The key driver to his Foundation’s development is Leroy’s desire to help the community and provide sporting, social and educational development and opportunities to children from disadvantaged backgrounds, and in particular within the Indigenous community. </p>

HTML <p>(The Basketballer Magazine)</p>

HTML <p>Leroy Loggins shoots over an opponent (L. Loggins)</p>

HTML <p>Leroy Loggins playing in the NBL for Brisbane (SWISH Magazine/National Basketball League)</p>