My Kevin Ollie Story

[SoCalCanine]

I'm usually mainly a lurker here but have been following this board for years and years through various incarnations. I recently retired from working at Ventura College, a community college here in SoCal that has had a storied basketball program for many years. Years back I became kind of friendly with a player on our men's team named Willie West. Willie had been a teammate of KO's at Crenshaw High in LA, he was the point guard that followed him by two years, so for two years KO mentored him as the backup PG, then went off to UConn. Willie found out I was a huge UConn BB fan and we talked about KO often. When Kevin was graduating, we discussed his NBA potential and whether he would be drafted. Willie told me then that, while Kevin may not get drafted, he had no doubt that not only would he make it to the NBA, but that he would have a long NBA career, never a star, but that he would hang around. I admit at the time I was a bit skeptical despite being a big KO fan. But Willie told me he had never seen a player work harder and that Kevin was very smart and determined and that one day he would be a great coach! Willie went on to be a coach himself, last I knew he was a head coach at a another SoCal community college, though I have since lost track of him. But over the years I have often been reminded of these conversations as I have followed Kevin's NBA career. And of course, this past week, I have been thinking about Willie again! I am fully in Kevin's corner, I learned over the years how true Willie's perception was!

 

[Hoophound]

Good story. Thanks for sharing.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Cool story, I always enjoy it when fellow Boneyarders share some personal experiences they have had over the years with people associated with the program.

 

[Scot-e]

Thanks for sharing. Great story.
I have had the pleasure of meeting KO in the past and there really is not a nicer or harder working person that I have met in sports in the last 20 years. However-we are about to find out if he can coach. I am betting he does about the same he has done in the past- excellent.

 

[ctchamps]

Thanks for sharing the story. My bet is KO will have a storied career as a coach. I'm hoping it's at UConn.

 

[CAHUSKY]

Willie's dad, Willie West Jr. was the Crenshaw coach for 30 years and is a legend in high school hoops. I didn't know he had a son, let alone one who played for him and with KO.

 

[SoCalCanine]

Willie's dad, Willie West Jr. was the Crenshaw coach for 30 years and is a legend in high school hoops. I didn't know he had a son, let alone one who played for him and with KO.

Yeah, that's something I never knew either! After posting this, I got curious about the Willie I knew, so I googled him. All I found was stuff about, I guess, his dad, who apparently was a Crenshaw legendary coach for like 30 years. I need to ask around, since I retired I don't see the folks at the college hardly. But someone will probably know what the guy I knew is up to and can verify that his dad was his coach back then. BTW, Willie was a pretty darn good baller when he was here on a REALLY good team, if I remember right one of his years here we won the State Championship and in those years we were always in the hunt! About two years earlier Rafer Alston played for us at Ventura College, we were big fish in the small pond in those years!

 

[TracerBullet]

Cool story. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Huskies4ever]

Thanks for sharing. Great story.
I have had the pleasure of meeting KO in the past and there really is not a nicer or harder working person that I have met in sports in the last 20 years. However-we are about to find out if he can coach. I am betting he does about the same he has done in the past- excellent.

I have no doubt KO will be a great coach. Whether it is here or not, we will find out. But he seems to have so many great attributes: leadership, dedication, toughness, work ethic, loyalty, perseverance, fearlessness. Not too mention, he has learned from great coaches and knows the UConn institution well. It seems that a lot is in place for him to succeed, and I believe he will push his players to get the best out of them, and make them better men.

 

[mauconnfan]

Really nice story SoCal thank you!!

Quick one from me........KO had an annual camp at Loomis Chaffee (which was run by a fellow Boneyarder) and my son went 2 years in a row.........there were 75-100 kids every year and the first year because of my "ties" I was able to get a great pic and signed by KO........but the impact on me, besides the speech which I have talked about here on the 'Yard since, was my son walking to the door the 1 YEAR LATER and KO out there greeting people and saying hi to parents, and he saw my son and said "Look at you Patrick, you grew buddy...looking good (handshake and hug).." Let me tell you it meant a lot to a no name kid from Agawam MA for him to remember his name and let me tell you it was genuine........it's a gift and if you don't think this type of genuine passion for people will win over parents and kids,, stay tuned!!