023 - Kevin Joyce

Team USA crunch-time player … Gold medal game—Sept. 9, ’72. Americans vs. Soviets. Munich, Germany … At stake? Seven straight golds. And a perfect 63-and-Oh Olympic win streak dating back to ’36 … Uncle Sam’s team trailed by as many as 10 points in the second half ... Keyed the comeback—sinking three baskets down the stretch. “I’m a streak shooter. If I’m hitting, I’ll keep shooting.” … Clinging to its first lead at 50-49, with three ticks left. Thanks to a pair of free throws by Doug Collins … The Soviets are then gifted T-H-R-E-E chances to inbound. Courtesy of FIBA head man William Jones. And the refs went along with it. “It was unheard of for a guy to come out of the stands and put time back on the clock.” … The first two inbounds went nowhere: Whistle. Reset … The third time? The harm … Playing safety with guard Jimmy Forbes in Coach Hank Iba’s prevent defense. Couldn’t stop 6-foot-8 Aleksandr Belov from hauling in Edeshko’s full-court Hail Mary pass—and the bank-shot for two. At the buzzer. Final: 51-50 … Turned America’s golden dream into a silver-lined nightmare … No replay ordered—this time … “It was a shock to look up from the floor and see the ball through the basket.” … “They’ve been trying to rook the Americans in the Olympics and they’ve finally done it.” … Fourteen hours later: Protest denied—another one-point decision. This time 3-to-2—split according to Cold War lines … “Everybody in the world, except those poor deprived people in Russia, knows that we are still Olympic champions.” … Medal ceremony? No-show. No-way. No-how ... “We voted quickly and unanimously not to take the silver medal since we legally and morally won the gold.” … The silver? Still locked in a Swiss vault—somehow only seven left, five missing. And nobody cares ... Before Munich? A Queens legend … Bob Cousy called him “the best high school player I’ve ever seen.” … Put up 32 points and 18 boards as an undersized 6-foot-3 center. At Archbishop Molloy. Coached by the legendary Jack Curran … All-City. All-America. All-winner—68-5 over three seasons … Next stop? South Carolina—via coach Frank McGuire’s packed New York City railroad … Dropped 20.4 a night as a senior—Captain’s Trophy, team MVP, second-team All-American, jersey No. 43 retired … Defining college moment? Outjumped UNC’s 6-10 Lee Dedmon, tapping it to Tom Owens for the game-winner and the ’71 ACC title. “Tom was open because nobody expected me to win the tip! It was probably the biggest win in state history up to that point.” … After three NCAA bids, it was time to look to the pros … Drafted by both leagues in ’73. Taken by Golden State with the No. 11 overall pick. And by San Antonio in the ABA’s secret draft—somewhere in the first six rounds. Details as always were hazy … Busted for pot in May ’73. The Warriors played hardball … “First round picks back then got no-cut contracts but Golden State refused to give me one.” … Inked a two-year, $60K deal with Indy instead—after the Spurs’ negotiating rights had expired ... First big purchase? A Corvette. Why? A Pacer needs a fast car … Rode the pine in year one—Slick didn’t trust rookies … Year two? Doubled his scoring—14.9 a night after Slick traded Freddie Lewis and Rick Mount … “When you start, you can’t complain about anything. It’s up to you to do it. I’d just like to be consistent and produce every night. That’s what the great ones do.” ... Demanded Pacers double his salary in ’75—despite the two-year contract. Slick’s answer? A ticket to San Diego … Disillusioned fast. “It’s a business. Your body is a piece of property” … The Sails sank after nine games. Kentucky’s defending champs offered a bench spot—backing up Dampier and Averitt ... Witnessed the end: Appeared in Kentucky’s final regular season and playoff games. Both blowout losses to the Nuggets. On the road ... Returned to Indiana in ’76, ready to make its NBA debut ... Same uniform. Different league ... But he tore ligaments in his left knee during a pre-season game—denying him a chance to witness the beginning ... “I was very disappointed when I got hurt.” … Born Kevin Francis Joyce, June 27, 1951, Bayside, NY … After pro ball? Assistant at South Carolina for four years, then worked as a stockbroker on Wall Street for 35 … Inducted into the South Carolina HOF in ’98, NYC Basketball HOF in ’99 … “I wanted to be an Olympian since I was a kid and watched The Jim Thorpe Story.” Got his wish—but not the gold. Or silver.

Sources: Columbia Record, 9/13/1972, 2/22/1973, 5/12/1975, 10/20/1975, 12/5/1980; Evansville Press, 12/7/1976; Florence Morning News, 3/22/1973; Fort Smiith Times Record, 9/11/1972; Greenville News, 3/20/1973; Marion Chronicle Tribune, 9/19/1975; Los Angeles Times, 9/5/1982; Louisville Courier-Journal, 9/23/1975; Miami Herald, 9/28/1988, Newport News Daily Press, 3/13/1972; Newsday, 9/15/1992; San Francisco Chronicle, 10/3/1973; 10/27/1973 [Signed with Indy; Spurs’ claim expired Sept. 10]; South Carolina Index-Journal, 9/11/1972; Sports Illustrated, 3/24/1969; Standard-Star, 1/10/1975; Sumter Item, 9/11/1972, 3/8/1973; The State, 9/12/1972, 5/8/1998; Trenton Times, 12/30/1971; USA Today, 6/5/1987; West Lebanon Valley News, 9/28/1988; https://hoopshd.com, accessed 11/8/2025; from-way-downtown.com, accessed 11/9/2025 [torn ligaments; quotes].

Edited 11/9/2025. At 9:46 a.m.