Edgar Eddie Lacy (August 2, 1944 – March 22, 2011) was an American

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player who won two NCAA championships at

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, then played one season in the

American Basketball Association The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a major men's professional basketball league from 1967 to 1976. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger, American Basketball Association–National Basketball Association merger in 1976, ...

with the Los Angeles Stars. In public printed media, his last name was generally rendered as Lacey. However, at the time he signed his professional contract, he indicated the correct spelling had always been Lacy. Lacy was a highly decorated player at

Jefferson High School This is a list of memorials to Thomas Jefferson, the 3rd president of the United States and the author of the United States Declaration of Independence. Buildings Elementary schools *Jefferson Elementary School, in Cammack Village, Arkansas *Thoma ...

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. He was twice named a high school

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n by

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and was Los Angeles city player of the year as a senior in 1963. Lacy chose to attend hometown UCLA and play for future

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coach

John Wooden John Robert Wooden (October 14, 1910 – June 4, 2010) was an American basketball coach and player. Nicknamed the Wizard of Westwood, he won ten National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) national championships in a 12-year period as head ...

. In his sophomore season, he was a starter on the Bruins' 1964–65 championship team. After a strong junior season, Lacy redshirted what would have been his senior year with a broken leg in 1966–67 as the Bruins won their third championship. In 1967–68, Lacy opted to return and was again a starter for the Bruins. However, in a highly anticipated match-up between the Bruins and the

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—a contest dubbed the " Game of the Century" by the media—Wooden benched Lacy after 11 minutes and he never re-entered the game. Upset with Wooden's public comments implying that he did not want back into the game, Lacy quit the team three days later, missing what would be another UCLA championship run. "I've never enjoyed playing for that man," Lacy said of Wooden after quitting. In 2008, Wooden stated, "I'm sorry I said that. It hurt him, and that's why he quit. I was very disappointed. Edgar was a fine boy." Lacy was drafted by the San Francisco Warriors in the fourth round of the 1968 NBA draft (he had also been drafted by the

Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...

the previous year). However, he instead played in the ABA for the Los Angeles Stars. Lacy played one season for the Stars, averaging 5.1 points and 3.9 rebounds in 46 games. Prior to the next season, he retired from professional basketball, stating his intention to return to college to pursue a law degree. Lacy ended up playing his entire basketball career—high school, college and pro—for teams based in Los Angeles. Edgar Lacy lived in West Sacramento, California where he died on March 22, 2011.Edgar Lacey: Basketball star who lost his shine in 1 night
accessed August 1, 2011

References

External links

Press-Telegram News Obituary for Edgar Lacy
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lacy, Edgar 1944 births 2011 deaths American men's basketball players Basketball players from Los Angeles Boston Celtics draft picks Los Angeles Stars players Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) People from West Sacramento, California San Francisco Warriors draft picks Small forwards UCLA Bruins men's basketball players Jefferson High School (Los Angeles) alumni