Hot Rod Falls Back On Lakers Bench

In 1963 Hot Rod Hundley was coming to the end of his career and doing some pine riding for the Los Angeles Lakers. Fred Shaus, his old West Virginia college coach, was the Lakers’ coach that year, and the Lakers had just picked up Dick Barnett, one of the great NBA shooters of the day.

It was Hot Rod’s habit to sit next to Shaus on the Lakers’ bench and share his thoughts regarding how to manage the game.  Chick Hearn, the iconic Lakers’ announcer, had dubbed Barnett Fall Back Baby for reasons that soon became incredibly apparent to Hot Rod.

Shaus had been on the refs all night and was finally with time running out, given a final warning. “One more word and you’re in the locker room!”  Now, Hot Rod, always looking to see his own intelligence played out on the court, waited until the next time the ref passed the bench and---doing his best Fred Shaus voice impression---gave the ref an ear full.

With the game clock winding down, the game tied, whistle, rejection and Shaus was off to the locker room leaving the Los Angles Lakers bench in the “capable” hands of Hot Rod Hundley.  Hot Rod calls time out, designs an intricate winning play that will go from Jerry West to Frank Selvy who will take it to the hoop for the tie.

Problem!

West gets trapped with the inbounds pass, kicks it out to Dick Barnett who cuts lose a thirty-five-footer and as the buzzer goes off, Barnett is back peddling by Hot Rod and the Lakers’ bench, shouting, “Fall Back Baby! We B in overtime!”