This is the latest post for an ongoing media project — SoCal Sports History 101: The Prime Numbers from 00 to 99 that Uniformly, Uniquely and Unapologetically Reveal The Narrative of Our Region’s Athletic Heritage. Pick a number and highlight an athlete — person, place or thing — most obviously connected to it by fame and fortune, someone who isn’t so obvious, and then take a deeper dive into the most interesting story tied to it. It’s a combination of star power, achievement, longevity, notoriety, and, above all, what makes that athlete so Southern California. Quirkiness and notoriety factor in. And it should open itself to more discussion and debate — which is what sports is best at doing.
The most obvious choices for No. 52:
= Keith Wilkes: UCLA basketball
= Jamaal Wilkes: Los Angeles Lakers/Clippers
= Marv Goux: USC football
= Jack Del Rio: USC football
= Khalil Mack: Los Angeles Chargers
The not-so-obvious choices for No. 52:
= Happy Hairston: Los Angeles Lakers
= Burr Baldwin: Los Angeles Dons
= Eddie Piatkowski: Los Anglees Clippers
The most interesting story for No. 52:
Keith Wilkes: UCLA basketball forward (1971-72 to 1973-74)
Jamaal Wilkes: Los Angeles Lakers forward (1977-78 to 1984-85); Los Angeles Clippers forward (1985-86)
Southern California map pinpoints:
= Santa Barbara; Westwood (UCLA); Inglewood (Forum)
Before he was Jamaal, he was Keith. And before that, Jackie.
Before he was smooth as “Silk,” he was a little corny as “Cornbread.”
Two weeks before Keith Wilkes’ UCLA No. 52 was retired at Pauley Pavilion in January 2013, Jamaal Wilkes’ Lakers’ No. 52 was put up on the wall at Crypto.com Arena in December of 2012. Somehow, the No. 52 he wore for the Clippers in the waning days before his retirement from the NBA isn’t worthy of retirement also.
It was 18 years before he was inducted into Springfield’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012 that he was already in Westwood’s UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame.
Most all of it, the deadly results of aside-winding shot that looked as if he was flyfishing made Lakers broadcaster Chick Hearn used to call it another “20-foot layup.”
Continue reading “No. 52: Keith Wilkes / Jamaal Wilkes”
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