How good was James Lee?
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Sixth man enforcer. Was drafted by an NBA team. Out of Henry Clay, I think. Beloved, that's for sure. I think he was All SEC his Senior year. Maybe not first team. He obviously will be known for the dunk that sealed the championship. He played on a loaded team obviously.
Not a good 3pt shooter. He was useless.
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Great teammate… Ky never lost a step when he checked in. Physical but could score. He is one of my Ky heroes as a kid.
Good enough to get a ring! No he a bigger version of Erik Daniels. Was limited offensively but good around the rim and a powerful banger. Not the passer Erik was but just a solid 4 guy that nobody wanted to mess with. Others will tell you the dunk he had against the Russian Nationals was one of the all timers. Threw down an absolute hammer down the middle of the lane on two 7 footers at the same time. Everybody in Memorial thought he'd killed somebody!
He wasn't a great player but he looked like Big Jim Slade from "Kentucky Fried Movie".
One of my all time favorite players. The Vanderbilt head BB coach said he was not only the best player on the 77-78 Ky team but said he was the best player in the SEC. He was 6'5"-6'6" and weighed 235-240. Had about a 40 inch vertical leap and absolutely no one could take a rebound from him if he could touch the ball. Very humble low key personality who gave a 110% every minute he was in the game.
He was a bad ass! We played the USSR national team in 1977. They had two 7’2” monsters who were great. Before the game the teams exchanged gifts and Lee went up to one of the monsters and stepped on his toes while exchanging gifts. After the game, reporters asked Lee why he did that. He said he did it to let the guy know he wasn’t scared of him. UK proceeded to kick their ass that game.
Phillips, Robey and Lee!!! Opponents were leaving with some bruises.
When Lee came in off the bench, things happened. One of the best 6th man Kentucky has ever had, and nobody pushed him around.
NO HE WASNT.....THERE WASNT 3 PT LINE THEN. he was a tough as nails defender and rebounder. i remember watching him and goose playing the state tournament at freedom hall. they played for lexington bryan station if i recall right. and wasnt skin and bones then he was a man among boys.
I played against him in the park in Lexington when he was 15. So strong. I went to see him when he played in the Ashland ky AIT later. he saw me and come over. Rough player but super nice guy. No let down when he come in.
He and Jack had some legendary games in high school. He was our first Charles Hurt type enforcer that was a better all around player than hurt. Say a Chuck Hayes type of guy. He and Jack with Roby and Phillips were some guys that would battle on the glass. Was not afraid to move you out of the way.
Lee played at Henry Clay, Jack played at Bryan Station (alumni).
I think Lee went head to head against Givens in the State Tournament. Henry Clay vs Bryan Station.
As the poster Festivus said above, James Lee was one of the inside enforcers on the 1978 National Championship team. He averaged 9.3 ppg, 7.3 rpg, as a sophomore in 1975-76; averaged 9.7 ppg, 5.2 rpg, as a junior in 1976-77; and averaged 11.9 ppg, 5.3 rpg, as a senior in 1977-78. He was on the AP All-SEC (3rd team) in 1978.
Although James Lee didn't start many games (if any) at U.K., and was thus considered "the sixth man", he played the fifth-most minutes on the team in '76, '77, and '78.
As Festivus also said, James Lee scored that last 2 points against Duke in the 1978 national championship game, with a thunderous tomahawk dunk at the buzzer. I remember it like it was yesterday !
Although James Lee didn't start many games (if any) at U.K., and was thus considered "the sixth man", he played the fifth-most minutes on the team in '76, '77, and '78.
As Festivus also said, James Lee scored that last 2 points against Duke in the 1978 national championship game, with a thunderous tomahawk dunk at the buzzer. I remember it like it was yesterday !
Nope. They were in the same regional tournament. Givens and Bryan Station beat Lee and Henry Clay in the regional final. Only Bryan Station went to the State Tournament. Givens was on the All-State Tournament team that year. In the State Tournament, Bryan Station lost in the semifinals to Male (Darrell Griffith and Bobby Turner).
My last game in Memorial in 1976. A nonsense game since we were so bad that year. MSU and their forward, Gary Hooker has been abusing Reggie Warford all game. There was a game stop and refs were on other side of court. James Lee was confronting Hooker and Hooker had his hands up saying, "who, me?" Lee looked at refs and saw they were not looking and popped Hooker with a straight left that left him on the floor. We came back to win the game and I had a new hero.
Really good high school player. He and Goose had some epic battles back when Lexington basketball really was good.
For the era, Lee was good. Unfortunately, IMHO, he is a guy who would not thrive in today's game. Because he was always used on the interior prior to college, his range was limited. Handle was more that of a 4, but at 6'6", today he wouldn't be that big for a 4 and no 3 skills.
But as 6th man, great motor. Mix it up with anyone for rebounds,, loose balls,, etc. Bulkier and better hands then Charles Hurt. Better skills around the block too.
For the era, Lee was good. Unfortunately, IMHO, he is a guy who would not thrive in today's game. Because he was always used on the interior prior to college, his range was limited. Handle was more that of a 4, but at 6'6", today he wouldn't be that big for a 4 and no 3 skills.
But as 6th man, great motor. Mix it up with anyone for rebounds,, loose balls,, etc. Bulkier and better hands then Charles Hurt. Better skills around the block too.
One additional comment about James Lee. Coach Hall during an interview a few days after the 78 championship game was talking about the different personalities on that team. Coach said he couldn't criticize or "get on" several players(particularly Macy) if the team wasn't playing up to par or a play broke down because they couldn't handle it and it had a negative effect on their performance. But he said to get the teams attention he would jump all over James on a broken play even though he wasn't the culprit because James could handle it. Coach also said he couldn't pass out many compliments or"atta boys"to the team or individual players because when he did they had a tendency to "let up." He said after one game where James had played an outstanding game he saw James alone and put his arm around him and said "James you know I can't bragg on you during a game or practice but I want you to know how much I appreciate your great effort and you played one of the best games i've ever seen."
May be the toughest player ever to wear the blue and white. When he would come in the game, the atmosphere and excitement level would go through the roof.
Great as a 6th man coming off the bench, brough energy and excitement when he walked out on the floor and the guy was a beast, I mean he was built and when he dunked you wondered if the rim would survive. I remember him in an exhibition game against Russia dunking over their 7'2" center with authority. Decent shooter, okay ball handler but knew his role on the team and played it well.
Built like a Mach truck, When he came steaming toward the basket, watch out. You've never seen anything like it if you have not seen him. Very, very physical. Loved to dunk. Almost snapped some massive 7'2" Russian's arm off. I loved how he was casually standing on the big Russian's shoes when all the players exchanged gifts at midcourt. Beat Moses Malone 1-on-1 at a HS All Star Game. Newspaper headlines were always saying James Lee sparked Kentucky to victory off the bench.
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One of my two favorite front lines ever. The other Bowie, Turpin and Walker.
He was more of a mix it up and throw around elbows guy.
He could do some thunderous dunks.
During Jack and James' high school careers the four public schools at the time, Bryan Station, Henry Clay, Lafayette and Tates Creek would have double-headers each year in the Coliseum when it would seat 11,500. Those games were terrific and almost always completely sold out - in some cases SRO. Great multi-sport athletes were on the floor at all times back then and it was a treat to see them compete and go head to head.
Actually, Bryan Station and Male played in the quarterfinals in 1974. Male won 84-75 and went on to beat Warren East on Saturday morning before losing to its cross-town rival Louisville Central in the championship game that night.
