Editor’s note: Throughout the tribute, former players, friends and family members reminisced, telling their fondest stories of legendary head coach Lute Olson to the crowd of more than 6,000. Here is a brief compilation of the stories and thoughts about Arizona’basketball’s former leader:
• Olson’s grandson, Matt Brase, discussed trips to the beach with his grandfather, who challenged his grandchildren to guess which times they would reach certain checkpoints during the road trip. Olson would guess his own times, always managing to speed up and slow down the car to hit his time perfectly.
“”We thought he was the smartest man in the world,”” Brase said.
• Former Wildcat Sean Elliott reminisced about a time when a “”cheap”” Olson lent him money for a few McDonald’s cheeseburgers. Before Elliott got a chance to order, Olson added, “”Bring me my receipt and change.””
• At least three of the day’s speakers brought up Bobbi Olson’s famous apple pancakes. Elliott jokingly said that Olson didn’t need to do recruit illegally – the pancakes got the job done.
• A longtime friend of Olson, former ASU coach Bill Frieder talked about the friendship their wives had and their expensive shopping habits. They would spend so much money together, Frieder said, that if their credit cards had been stolen they would not bother to report it; the thieves would spend less than their wives.
Frieder also said that Bobbi once let guard Steve Kerr and his teammates “”sit in the hot tub with a six-pack”” while Olson was on a recruiting trip. True or not, Frieder said more seriously that Olson “”did it the right way.””
• Philadelphia 76ers guard Andre Iguodala claims to be the first man to make Olson curse. After complaining about the lack of foul calls in one practice, Olson stopped play and told Iguodala to “”Stop female dog, female dog, female dog,”” the Sixer put it, keeping the language clean.
• Iguodala also credited Olson for Mike Bibby’s “”colossal earrings”” along with the Bentleys and Rolls Royces in the parking lot.
“”The checks we cash on the 1st and 15th… It’s not just today (that Olson affects us), it’s everyday of our career, everyday of our lives,”” Iguodala said.
