The Hank Gathers Tragedy -- Death Of A Dream -- Death Puts Game In Perspective

The death of Hank Gathers, respected for his work ethic and intensity, put basketball in perspective for all who knew him as a friend or opponent.

``When everything is said and done, Hank Gathers epitomizes so much what life is all about,'' Temple Coach John Chaney said last night after his team defeated Duquesne 61-50 in Philadelphia, advancing to the semifinals in the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament.

``This basketball game meant nothing. To hear that news just devastates me,'' he said, tears streaming down his face.

Gathers, 23, one of the top college players in the country, died after collapsing during Loyola Marymount's West Coast Conference tournament game against Portland in Los Angeles.

The news devastated his high-school coach, his school and his buddies from his high-school days in Philadelphia.

Two of his closest friends - Lionel Simmons and Doug Overton, both veterans of Philadelphia high-school ball - learned of the death as their team, LaSalle, defeated Siena to advance to tonight's final of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.

Overton and Simmons broke down and wept on the LaSalle bench, and Simmons left the court with his mother.

``We'll play, but Lionel may not play; Doug may not play, and Randy (Woods) and Bobby (Johnson) may not play, and I can't blame them if they don't want to play,'' LaSalle Coach Speedy Morris said.

``We're going back to the hotel and we're going to talk about it. They're having a cry right now. Their feelings and emotions are pouring out. It's very difficult to talk to them right now.''

Morris took the same view expressed by Chaney.

``It just puts basketball in its proper perspective. What happened is meaningless when you lose the life of a kid,'' he said, referring to LaSalle's victory.

``These kids were 3,000 miles apart, but they were very, very close. When the semester ended the last couple of years, Hank would be at LaSalle playing basketball with Lionel and Doug. They were just like brothers. They're taking it very, very badly.''

Paul Westhead, Loyola coach, called the death ``the hardest thing I've experienced . . . to be so close to a player and see him fall and for it to be over. I feel a deep hurt for his family.''

Brian Quinn, Loyola Marymount athletic director called Gathers' death ``a tremendous loss for our university.''

``He was an outstanding young man and athlete as well as a human being,'' Quinn said. ``We're going to miss him. He's done so many good things for all of us and we're all grateful to have been a friend of his.''

Gathers' intensity and will to win earned him respect throughout the country.

``This makes me sick,'' said Coach Jerry Tarkanian of Nevada-Las Vegas. ``It's just devastating. What everybody respected about him was how hard he played. He was a 100-percenter.''

Gathers' high-school coach, Rich Yankowitz, said he had not seen a more intense, dedicated basketball player.

``His work ethic was outstanding,'' Yankowitz said. ``He always strived to do better.

``If there can be any good in this, at least he died doing the thing he loved best.''

A 6-foot-7, 210-pound center, Gathers was forecast as a first-round selection in this year's NBA draft. He passed up the draft after his junior season.

Yankowitz, who coaches at Dobbins Technical High School, said he talked with Gathers only three weeks ago, and the player said he felt good and looked forward to the rest of the season.

``He was pleased with the way everything was going,'' Yankowitz said. ``He seemed really happy, again focused properly on what was important to him.''

Yankowitz said he talked about Gathers' condition with Westhead and the player's doctors after Gathers had feinted in an earlier game. Yankowitz was left with the impression the player would remain on medication until the end of the season, when more tests would be conducted.

``The coaches and Hank told me everything would be fine,'' Yankowitz said. ``That's what makes it so alarming; he was playing with the doctor's blessing.''

``He was that type of kid who was really intense,'' Yankowitz said. ``He wanted to win at all costs - I'm talking in a positive way. If he had to go out and run 20 miles, he would. He was focused to win and to excel.''