Farewell, Dr. Jack

Sad to hear of the passing of the great NBA coach Dr. Jack Ramsay. A Perry Wallace connection: It was Dr. Jack and the 76ers who drafted Perry out of Vanderbilt. When it became obvious Wallace would not make a roster loaded with veterans, Ramsay set Wallace up with both a minor league basketball spot and a substitute teaching position at a high school in Philadelphia, where Wallace taught math and helped with the basketball team — a team that included Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, Kobe’s father. Ramsay also told Perry he had a bright future outside of basketball, and when Perry applied to Columbia Law School, one of his references was Dr. Jack Ramsay.