The significance of playing in the gym that Big House Gaines built might have been lost on some of the NBA players at Chris Paul's all-star pick-up game, but locals Josh Howard and Paul were very much aware of their surroundings.
The Saturday night game attracted a full house of at least 3,200 to the Gaines Center — named after the coach who led Winston-Salem State to 828 victories and a Division II national championship.
Paul remembers Gaines, a man he says he greatly admired, and the game exemplified a lesson Gaines taught often during his 47-year career — give back.
A Lewisville native whose parents, Charles and Robin, attended WSSU, Paul organized the game to raise money for his charity and WSSU athletics, and he presented the school with a check for $25,000.
"This right here is an historic gym because coach Gaines used to coach here," Paul said.
Paul said that Gaines, who died in April 2005 at the age of 81, watched him play at West Forsyth High and Wake Forest. Paul's relationship with Gaines can be traced to Paul's late grandfather, Nathaniel Jones.
"I used to have AAU practice here when I was a kid," Paul said. "For a lot of kids who are here at this game, they probably don't know much about coach, but I knew coach Gaines personally, and he used to come by my granddad's service station all the time."
Paul said he often thinks of his relationship with Gaines because it's closely tied to his grandfather, who was killed in a robbery in November 2002.
"At my house, I have a big picture of coach Gaines because when I was in high school, he used to come watch me play," Paul said. "I know he's in heaven smiling down and wishing he could be here, and he probably is wishing some of these guys would have gone to (Winston-Salem State)."
There were other links to Gaines at Saturday's game, played during homecoming weekend. Teddy Blunt and Earl "The Pearl" Monroe, who played for Gaines, attended, and the public-address announcer, disc jockey B-Daht, introduced Monroe to the crowd.
Paul and Baron Davis, who was there to support Paul's cause but didn't play, rushed over, shook Monroe's hand and posed for pictures.
"Any time you are giving back, it's all good," said Monroe, a former NBA star. "So I'm happy this worked out, and they were able to be here and play."
Monroe said it was great to see so many NBA stars on the campus he ruled in the mid-1960s.
"I'm quite sure he would be happy about it," Monroe said when asked what he thought Gaines would have thought of the game. "I know there's a big legacy with coach Gaines, and the NBA guys are helping Winston-Salem State out so that's great to see."
Gaines, who retired in 1993, had a long line of great players — including Cleo Hill, Jack DeFares, George Foree, Sandy Smith, Carlos Terry and Reggie Gaines — but the lessons he taught his players and students were what made him a bigger-than-life presence.
"I grew up here, and I know all about coach Gaines," Howard said. "I'm sure some of the other guys knew about him as well. Just to be able to come back to my hometown and play in this building was great."
Howard said seeing Monroe courtside was a bonus: "It was cool to see Earl the Pearl."
Paul said he learned a great deal from his grandfather and his parents about the importance of giving back.
"The influence of my grandfather is he was about community and home and giving back," Paul said. "Everybody always says 'Why here, why here?' But it's home for me, and growing up as a kid I never got this opportunity, so I'm so grateful for my friends and the guys who came here to play."
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement