The men’s basketball team will play its next home game on Feb. 6 against LeMoyne. But it will be anything but a normal game.
The program will honor Kevin Porter that evening. Porter played at Saint Francis from 1968-72 before enjoying a successful 11-year career in the NBA. He led the league in assists four times and became the first player in NBA history to record 1,000 assists in a season.
Most SFU basketball fans consider Porter, 74, to be the greatest Red Flash basketball player still alive. He is one of only three players in SFU history to have his jersey retired (Maurice Stokes and Norman Van Lier are the others).
Porter ranks fifth on SFU’s all-time scoring list and holds the record for most career points per game in school history at 22.9 ppg. Porter averaged 23.0 or more points in his final three seasons, including a 24.7 scoring average as a senior in 1971-72.
Making this even more impressive is the fact that there was no three-point line during his collegiate career.
After graduating from Saint Francis, Porter was drafted by the Baltimore Bullets. He led the NBA in assists in 1975, 1978, 1979 and 1981.
Following his 11-year NBA career, Porter returned to Loretto and coached the Red Flash men’s basketball team from 1983-87.
“His whole career was defining,” said Art Hunter, Porter’s teammate for all four of his years as a player in Loretto.
“The University has made us all feel so welcome, especially Coach (Rob) Krimmel. He’s really put an emphasis on bringing back former players.”
Porter had originally planned to be in attendance for the event on Feb. 6, but due to health issues his doctors have advised him not to make the trip from his home in Chicago.
Despite Porter’s absence, many of his former teammates plan on making a trip back to campus next week to celebrate his legacy.
“He’s the last living legend,” Krimmel said. “Any opportunity you can bring alumni back, especially from the Golden Era, is special. I wish we could (honor alumni) every home game.”
The “Golden Era” of Saint Francis Basketball is considered to be the period from 1947 to 1972.
