a SPORTS The Michigan Daily Friday, October 3, 1980 Page 11l NOW OPEN 18 E. WASHINGTON (NEXT TO BIMBO'S) Featuring CcLIVEENTT l AdE-NOlCOVER Cocktails, English Ale 663-9757 I Rudy T. . By BOB WOJNOWSKI The numbers are impressive. He is second on Michigan's all-time scoring list with a 25.1 career average, trailing only Cazzie Russell. He was All- Ten in 1969 and 1970, and was a con- sus All-American in 1970 when he averaged 30.1.points a game. He even has a Michigan most improved player award named after him. But the road has not been smooth for Rudy Tom- Aanovich. He still looks for that elusive championship, and he still feels the pain from the after-effects of one of basketball's most tragic moments. NOW, AS A member of the Houston Rockets for whom he has played all of his ten yers in the NBA, the man they @11 Rudy T. ponders his career, the game, and where they both are headed. plays through hard times preparation as for college games. In college, you usually play twice a week, while here, we play three, sometimes four games a week. You just go from one city to the next." Almost invariably, when one speaks of Rudy Tomjanovich, the conversation ultimately turns to "the punch." IT WAS December 9, 1977, and the Los Angeles Lakers were playing the Rockets in Los Angeles. Midway through the game, a fight broke out between Kermit Washington of the Lakers and Kevin Kunnert of the Rockets. Tomjanovich attempted - to break it up. Washington whirled and threw what the then Lakers' assistant coach and current Detroit Pistons' general manager Jack McCloskey would later call "the hardest punch in the history of mankind." Washington would only say, "Rudy was just a blur. Why did he have to run at me?" Tomjanovich suffered several frac- tures of the face and skull, as well as a broken nose, separated upper jaw, cerebral concussion, and severe lacerations around his mouth. In effect, the bone structure of his face was knocked loose from his skull. He lay in a hospital bed for two weeks with towels over the miror so he would not have to look at his crushed face. Washington was fined $10,000 and suspended for 60 days. A lawsuit later failed by Tom- janovich against Washington and the Lakers was successful. But the painful memories of the punch still exist. Today, Tomjanovich speaks softly about his feelings toward Washington. "That's a personal matter. I'm a human being and I react to things the same way other people do." He also talks defensively when asked about the effect the incident has had on his performance on the court. "I can only go out and play the game like I always have. People say they can see a difference, but I haven't noticed it." TOMJANOVICH now enters his 11th See more sports, pages 12, 13 and 14 year of pro ball at the age of 34 with a new three-year contract which he ad- mits he is "very happy about." And he looks forward to playing for a team which has treated him well in a city that he loves. "I feel honored that I've never been traded. All Yof the great players-Chamberlain, Russell, Jab- bar-have been traded. I'm glad the Rockets think highly enough of me to have kept me for ten years. "I've been living in Houston since I first started playing here and I love it. I expected it to be all tumbleweeds, but it's really a beautiful, growing city." TOMJANOVICH is also optimistic about this year's Rockets. "We're in a new division now and we'll be playing teams that we only faced twice last year, about six times this year. I think we'll have as good a team or better than last year. We've kept the basic nucleus together, although we did lost Rick Barry to retirement." When asked about his own retirement, he cites his new contract as proof that it is not imminent. But when it does come, he's undecided as to what. will follow. "I've been working on basketball camlps, which have been going really well, and I've thought a little about coaching. But coaching is such a stressful job. I want something with very little stress involved." Tomjanovich looks back on his college years with mixed emotions. He recalls fondly his all-time record 48- point game versus Indiana and his all- time record 30 rebound effort against Loyola. But he regrets never, having been on a contending te4m and never having made it to the NCAA's. He cites an upset win over National Championship finalist Marquette as a big thrill, but his biggest thrill of all came in the pros. It was the day he stepped onto the court for the first time following recovery from his massive in- juries. Most said he would never play the game again, but he has. And that, more than anything, exemplifies the type of man we are talking about. The man, like the numbers, is impressive. Fan-Fare Beginning this Friday and continuing each week thereafter, you'll be able to submit letters to our Fan-Fare column. But first, a few ground rules. (1) Let- ters should not exceed 250 words, (2) Include your name, address, and phone number, in case we need to contact you. (3) Address your letters to The Michigan Daily-Sports, 420 Maynard, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109. Remem- ber, this column can only be a success with YOUR support, so we hope to hear from you soon. GRADUATE STUDY IN PUBLIC POLICY The LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin emphasizes public policy analysis, inter- disciplinary research and summer internships in govern- ment agencies in its graduate programs: - Master's Degree in Public Affairs - Joint Degrees Program with the UT Law School - Joint Degrees Program with the UT College of En- gineering - Joint Degrees Program with the UT Graduate School of Business Financial aid and fellowships are available based on merit or need. MEET WITH A REPRESENTATIVE AT: Career Planning and Placement University of Michigan OCTOBER 8,1980 9:00 am - 12 noon THE POPULi AR S LL. S ,, t I ... comeback stuns critics "The game is getting better and bet- ter. With great players such as Magic Johnson and Larry Bird coming into the league, I think the NBA has a great future." nd Tomjanovich stresses that cent reports of widespread drug abuse in the NBA are in error. "The numbers are exaggerated. You can't see into a guy's private life, but I don't think our team has any problems." Tomjanovich also feels that the basic differences between the college and pro game today are much the same as they were ten years ago. 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