BU Great Anthony Parker

[tornado]

Anthony Parker is the General Manager of the Orlando Magic G-League affiliate, the Lakeland Magic
and he just missed being named Executive-of-the Year in the G-League! - LINK
His team went 34-18 and was 2nd best in the Eastern Conf., overcoming lots of injuries and setbacks - LINK
They have already advanced past the first round and into the Eastern Conference Finals - LINK
That game is tomorrow night against the Long Island Nets and winner goes to the G-League Finals.

[it's boogie time]

How much more do you think AP would have had to do to get his number retired at Bradley? That was a big topic of conversation at the pregame party in Des Moines.

[Da Coach]

How much more do you think AP would have had to do to get his number retired at Bradley? That was a big topic of conversation at the pregame party in Des Moines.

Anthony Parker was honored by inducting him into the Bradley Athletics Hall of Fame during a game back on November 12, 2012, but his honoring did not include retiring his number-

https://bradleybraves.com/news/2012/9/23/205691083.aspx

And note that I asked the same question then- Why wasn't Parker's number retired?-
https://www.bradleyfans.com/forum/sp...125#post361125

I found out later that was a specific decision by Joanne Glasser and Mike Cross, neither of whom had ever seen him play, not to retire his number.
And as we saw a few weeks ago, Parker was also inducted into the Missouri Valley Conference Hall of Fame prior to the 2015-16 season-
https://bradleybraves.com/news/2015/8/7/210255787.aspx

Recall that there was some controversy and displeasure by fans about the way the induction of Parker into the Bradley HOF was handled by Joanne Glasser and Michael Cross back 2012. The ceremony was very brief and held at halftime of an early-season meaningless non-conference game in the Renaissance Coliseum on November 12, 2012 against a low-level, 300+ RPI opponent, Texas-Pan American. And the most amazing factor was the choice by Glasser and Cross to hold the Bradley HOF honor at halftime of a game that was not included in the season ticket package and to charge fans an extra charge to buy separate tickets for that game ($20 per ticket, $15 for season ticket holders, even for the worst seats in the arena!). Plus, the game that night was played at the much smaller Renaissance Coliseum rather than at Carver Arena, in an effort by administration to push for all the home games to be played at the smaller on-campus arena. And thus, a lot of fans missed the event. Renaissance Coliseum (capacity 4,200) was not capable of holding every season ticket holder since at that time Bradley still had over 6,000 season ticket holders.

So most fans, including me, considered it a shame, and an embarrassment for one of Bradley's all-time greatest players to finally be honored and inducted into the Bradley Hall of Fame, but to insult him by choosing to hold the event in a brief halftime ceremony during a game against a lowly 300+ RPI opponent, and in a smaller than usual venue guaranteeing that there would be a small crowd, and that many of the dedicated Bradley fans and season ticket holders wouldn't even be there to honor him. Only 3,151 fans were reported to have attended the game.

I don't know if AP will ever have his jersey number retired, but I sure hope he does.
The problem now is that there are few people left at Bradley who even remember Anthony and none who was there to see his HOF career at Bradley

[tornado]

to their credit- Glasser and Cross were able to get Chet Walker back to Bradley to be honored - altho it also was during
a meaningless preseason Red-White scrimmage that was sparsely attended. - LINK

All these ceremonies should be at important games and at the Civic Center

[it's boogie time]

I found out later that was a specific decision by Joanne Glasser and Mike Cross, neither of whom had ever seen him play, not to retire his number.

i didn't realize they had the power to block his number from being retired the ten years before they showed up on campus and the four years after they left the hilltop.

The previous AD was at Bradley for 13 years and saw AP play and never retired his number. There was a perfect opportunity in 2003. I wonder how much more it would have taken AP to accomplish to get that honor. 1,683 points, 643 rebounds, 355 assists, 159 steals & 78 blocks. 3 NIT teams and 1 NCAA team. AP is the best player I have seen at Bradley in my 27 years of being a fan.

[Da Coach]

i didn't realize they had the power to block his number from being retired the ten years before they showed up on campus and the four years after they left the hilltop.

The previous AD was at Bradley for 13 years and saw AP play and never retired his number. There was a perfect opportunity in 2003. I wonder how much more it would have taken AP to accomplish to get that honor. 1,683 points, 643 rebounds, 355 assists, 159 steals & 78 blocks. 3 NIT teams and 1 NCAA team. AP is the best player I have seen at Bradley in my 27 years of being a fan.

Ken Kavanagh is a friend and I still talk to him occasionally. I know for a fact that Ken Kavanagh wanted to honor Anthony and tried several times to arrange for Anthony to return to honor him while Ken was AD (from 1996-2009). But realize that Anthony Parker played in the NBA or overseas from 1997 until the end of the 2011-2012 NBA season (AP announced his retirement June 27, 2012). The NBA season happens to coincide with the college season, and runs from training camp in September until mid-April, May, or June. Anthony was not able to accomodate Bradley as he was not able to take days away from his team or fly back from Europe during his playing career. I doubt there are many such HOF honoring ceremonies by colleges that occur until the player retires and ends their playing career. So what you are suggesting would have been impossible.

The only way it could have happened is if AP was honored during the NBA offseason. That would have had to be Bradley's basketball season ended, or during the summer when few people are on campus, almost no students, and no basketball or other sports event. Obviously, that wouldn't work. So Anthony Parker told Ken Kavanagh that he would agree to be honored after he retired. He was finally honored at the earliest possible time at the beginning of the 2012-13 season, just a few months after he retired. I give the admin credit for doing it, but there were dozens of other games they could have chosen to honor AP properly, instead of the ridiculous way it was handled, which was an insult to Anthony. I happened to be a member of the Braves Scholarship Society then, and could list a number of other insulting amateurish things that were done regarding the Anthony Parker event, but I'll leave it here.
If it had been possible for the ceremony to be done under Ken Kavanagh, it would have been done the right way.

[tornado]

It should be done again and done right.. No preseason game, no exhibition, not during Christmas break and not at Ren-Col.
There should be a big halftime ceremony at center court, at an important conference home game - when the students are in town and the
expectation for a big crowd is there - also his teammates should be invited to be at courtside and his coach, Jim Molinari, & staff should
also be present for the award. It would also be nice if his family, sister and friends could all be invited. Plus - a special deal where
every fan who was from Naperville Central HS gets in free.

AP should then be escorted to the team's locker room for a halftime speech to spark the team to a great 2nd half - with AP & his family sitting courtside or at the end of the bench with the team. The ceremony should show all the Bradley players how the school and the fans treat our heroes so that they know what is in the future for them as well.

[Dubl R 1]

It should be done again and done right.. No preseason game, no exhibition, not during Christmas break and not at Ren-Col.
There should be a big halftime ceremony at center court, at an important conference home game - when the students are in town and the
expectation for a big crowd is there - also his teammates should be invited to be at courtside and his coach, Jim Molinari, & staff should
also be present for the award. It would also be nice if his family, sister and friends could all be invited. Plus - a special deal where
every fan who was from Naperville Central HS gets in free.

AP should then be escorted to the team's locker room for a halftime speech to spark the team to a great 2nd half - with AP & his family sitting courtside or at the end of the bench with the team. The ceremony should show all the Bradley players how the school and the fans treat our heroes so that they know what is in the future for them as well.

Exactly!

[tornado]

Anthony Parker announces via FACEBOOK that he will be active, and dressed for tonight's Lakeland Magic playoff game vs. the Long Island Nets

https://www.facebook.com/lakelandmagic/photos/a.326395427818868/651425415315866/?type=3&theater

...BUT - I would be a bit skeptical of the truth to this statement given it was posted on April 1st

[Da Coach]

I'm sure it was a joke.
Here is the box score from tonight's Lakeland Magic game. Anthony Parker is not playing, nor is he on the roster. I doubt that it is even allowed for teams to add to their roster once the playoffs begin.

https://gleague.nba.com/games/20190402/LAKLIN/

G-League Bracket-

https://gleague.nba.com/news/playoffs-2019-schedule/

Btw, the Lakeland Magic 3rd round playoff game tonight is on ESPNU. They lead the Long Island Nets late in the 3rd quarter 77-64.

[tornado]

it was an April Fool Day joke

[MikeCash]

Hadn't seen this posted...Anthony Parker was the the feature image for an Americans Abroad piece in the most recent issue of Sports Illustrated for Kids.
(No Bradley mention...)

KSCN0001b.jpg

KSCN0001a.jpg

[LittleBrave]

AP definitely in my Top 3 favorite Braves all time!

[Dub]

I love Anthony Parker. It was a crying shame how weak of a response he got for his BU HOF night game at the Ren Col a few years back. I’ll never forget how he kissed the CC floor on senior night.