Former BU player and coach and Hall of Famer to be honored

[Da Coach]

Jim Les, who is currently the head coach at UC Davis is among several former Sacramento Kings players and guests that will be honored guests for one of several "Legends Nights" that the Kings celebrate this season. This one will be at the Sacramento Kings game Thursday, Dec. 11 at the Sleep Train Arena (formerly ARCO Arena) in Sacramento for their game against the Houston Rockets.
Jim Les, LaSalle Thompson, Harold Presley, and Regina Tisdale (widow of former Kings' great Wayman Tisdale) will be honored.

Jim discusses it briefly in this radio interview from Monday. The part about the Legends Night is about 5 minutes into the interview-

http://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2014/12/09/the-grant-napear-show-dec-8th-2014-seg-3/

This game, The Kings hosting the Rockets, is televised on TNT tomorrow (Thursday, Dec. 11) at 9:30 PM.

BTW, UC Davis won last night at home against Eastern Illinois 80-70 to go to 7-1.

http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/boxscore?gameId=400595923

[tornado]

IMO, his jersey should be retired by the school that he led to some great years, great memories, and records that still stand to this day.
Seriously - how many Bradley players have won the MISSOURI VALLEY PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD?
(Beating out numerous other guys in 1986 that also went on to play in the NBA)

Wonder if I am alone in thinking that?

[Chico]

IMO, his jersey should be retired by the school that he led to some great years, great memories, and records that still stand to this day.
Seriously - how many Bradley players have won the MISSOURI VALLEY PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD?
(Beating out numerous other guys in 1986 that also went on to play in the NBA)

Wonder if I am alone in thinking that?

Never thought about it before, but I'm all for it.

[Dubl R 1]

They played Eastern at home and away in the same season?.... That's kinda odd

[Da Coach]

They played Eastern at home and away in the same season?.... That's kinda odd

Yes. From what I heard, Jim Les wanted to schedule a game back in the midwest before Tyler graduates. So they arranged the deal with Eastern, but EIU needed a road game this season. So they worked out a deal where they would do the home and home in this same season. It is uncommon, but not unheard of among D1 schools.

[Da Coach]

IMO, his jersey should be retired by the school that he led to some great years, great memories, and records that still stand to this day.
Seriously - how many Bradley players have won the MISSOURI VALLEY PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD?

I think a lot of fans would consider this reasonable, though a couple might object solely and unfairly based on their misperceptions about Jim's coaching career at Bradley, not his playing career. But we all know this won't happen until there is a complete change in the Bradley administration.

Jim is one of only 19 Bradley players ever to play in the NBA (20 if Danny Granger is counted). No other MVC school has more. But only 5 BU grads have played more NBA games than Jim (Chet Walker, Hersey Hawkins, Anthony Parker, Barney Cable, and Roger Phegley*). And only 3 former Bradley grads had a longer NBA playing career than Jim (Walker, Hawkins, and Parker) and all of them have had their numbers retired by Bradley or have been installed individually into the Bradley Hall of Fame.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/friv/colleges.cgi?college=bradley

*Steve Kuberski started his career at Illinois, transferred and played 1 season at Bradley, then left early to enter the NBA. And Al Smith played exclusively in the old ABA before the merger, and never actually played in the NBA.

[Buesch N Chips]

I agree with DC that it ain't happening with this administration. Nor should it. JL deserves the honor based on his resume as a player, but not by the people who fired him as a coach.

[Da Coach]

Also note that Joe Stowell has not yet been inducted as an individual into Bradley's Hall of Fame. I think it is long overdue.

I heard that the Hall of Fame committee recommended Joe be a member of this year's Hall of Fame class, but it was vetoed by administration.
Can anyone else confirm this is true?

[tornado]

Jim Les, who is currently the head coach at UC Davis is among several former Sacramento Kings players and guests that will be honored guests for one of several "Legends Nights" that the Kings celebrate this season. ...

Coach Les honored as a Legend

http://www.nba.com/kings/blog/kings-slip-houston-ot

[Bobby Parker]

Also note that Joe Stowell has not yet been inducted as an individual into Bradley's Hall of Fame. I think it is long overdue.

I heard that the Hall of Fame committee recommended Joe be a member of this year's Hall of Fame class, but it was vetoed by administration.
Can anyone else confirm this is true?

What?! Joe Stowell was inducted into the Bradley Athletics Hall of Fame March 7, 1959 and upgraded to photo status Feb. 8, 1973. So, I am confirming that Joe was not recommended to be a member of this year's Hall of Fame class, thus the administration had no reason to veto anything.

And as for the thread topic, pretty cool honor for Coach Les and I am sure he enjoyed a great and deserved night in Sacramento.

[tornado]

BP - I think we started out talking about retiring players' jerseys...
but it got confused by HOF talk
...Jim Les is also in the Bradley Athletics Hall of Fame but is not among those with retired jerseys - nor is Joe Stowell...

[Bobby Parker]

Correct, just responding to an apparent confused and definitely incorrect statement and query regarding Coach Stowell's Hall of Fame status. Feel free to debate the jersey retirement topic at will.

[tornado]

BTW - one other induction this year of interest to Bradley fans...

Roger Phegley has been selected to be enshrined in the MVC Hall of Fame in their Class of 2015.

http://www.pjstar.com/article/20140808/Sports/140809189

http://www.bradleybraves.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=209606217

This will take place ...
during the Hall of Fame Breakfast Friday, March 6 at the Peabody Opera House, adjacent to Scottrade Center in downtown St. Louis.
Personally I think Joe Stowell, AP & Coach Les deserve this honor as well.....