..and that's (thank the lord) going back to my dad's youth.
Rambis most certainly wore them. Didn't Kareem wear goggles (not glasses) because he was getting poked in eye all the time by shorter centers?
linked below is a bio of George Mikan -with a picture of him wearing glasses
Per the bio -already 6'8 Mikan tried out as a HS Frosh for the Joliet Catholic team but was told 'people with glasses could not play hoops'
Mikan transferred as a soph to Archbishop Quigley Prep Seminary school in Chicago...deciding that he wanted to be a Catholic priest
By his senior yr. Mikan had changed his mind &
"really wanted to attend Notre Dame & worked out for (ND) coach George Keogan. Keogan felt the youngster was too raw for the Fighting Irish, and advised him to enroll at a smaller school where his deficiencies would be less likely to be exposed."
Mikan went to DePaul. Mikan, now 6'10 played on the Frosh team.
The next year as a soph. DePaul got a new coach -former ND BB captain & then ND assistant BB coach Ray Meyer.
Meyer sometimes gets credit for recruiting Mikan to DePaul...but Meyer inherited Mikan..who was already there & a soph when Meyers left ND to become HC at DePaul
DePaul made the Final 4 in Mikan's 1st varsity season
Finished runner up in the NIT the next season(NIT was as big as the NCAA tourney at the time)
Then won the NIT in Mikan's senior yr
then was off to the Lakers
Yep, WAY MORE info than anyone really wanted to know. :)
I had no idea about the Mikan-ND connection and thanks for reminding us how much of an ND guy Ray Meyer was.
When I was at ND in the mid-70's, the connections between ND, DePaul and Marquette were numerous, right and tight and the b-ball coaches all showed it. You would always see Digger, Ray and Al McGuire out after a game, whether it was in the Morris Inn or even Senior Bar (particularly Al and Digger in the latter).
I would say the NIT was a better tournament than the NCAA.
recall an ND women's player who wore glasses while playing.