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Post by azteca on Sept 5, 2020 11:09:44 GMT -8
Just saw reports where Smokey recently passed as the result of cancer. Made Aztec basketball exciting, even though not totally successful. Brought in some serious talent like Michael Cage and Leonard Allen, among others. RIP Smokey😢
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Post by Gundo on Sept 5, 2020 11:22:01 GMT -8
Rest Peacefully. Smokey was our Aztec coach for my 5 years of college. Good Years for Aztec MBB. NITs in 1982 & NCAAs in 1985.
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Post by aztecmusician on Sept 5, 2020 11:29:36 GMT -8
Very sad to hear of Smokey’s passing. He owned Monk’s, a nightclub near SD Stadium....great guy!
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Post by Gundo on Sept 5, 2020 11:43:40 GMT -8
From Rodney Hawkins
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Post by Gundo on Sept 5, 2020 11:54:47 GMT -8
Good story in the SDUT
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Post by AzTex on Sept 5, 2020 12:08:22 GMT -8
Just saw reports where Smokey recently passed as the result of cancer. Made Aztec basketball exciting, even though not totally successful. Brought in some serious talent like Michael Cage and Leonard Allen, among others. RIP Smokey😢 Smokey's teams didn't have the win/loss record we would have liked, but they were always fun to watch. Smokey did bring a lot of excitement to the program. He will be missed. |
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Post by frustratedfan on Sept 5, 2020 12:15:19 GMT -8
Rest Peacefully. Smokey was our Aztec coach for my 5 years of college. Good Years for Aztec MBB. NITs in 1982 & NCAAs in 1985. Same with me. Had good memories going to Aztec basketball games during Smokey’s tenure as our coach. Sad to hear of Smokey’s passing. My prayers go out to his family. Rest In Peace Coach Gaines. |
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Post by RiffelBooks on Sept 5, 2020 12:28:54 GMT -8
Aztecs basketball was fun back in those days, playing in the Sports Arena, with coach bringing in some very good players. Besides Cage and Allen, he brought in Anthony Watson who I still think is one of the better guards we've had. I wish he had some facilities, because he could have made SDSU a great program. RIP coach.
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Post by Den60 on Sept 5, 2020 12:55:31 GMT -8
RIP Smokey. Had some good teams despite having to recruit out of a trailer. We've come a long way from that.
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Post by jdaztec on Sept 5, 2020 12:55:47 GMT -8
Really enjoyed Smokey as a coach, he was "bigger than life". His teams were very athletic and fun to watch. Thank you Coach Gaines
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Post by MontezumaPhil on Sept 5, 2020 13:00:37 GMT -8
With his Globetrotters showmanship he made the Aztecs visible to the local media and the community in a way they hadn’t been before. He was the first coach who made me believe hoops weren’t a hopeless cause at State.
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Post by Gundo on Sept 5, 2020 13:43:56 GMT -8
Brought in great talent, Tony Gwynn, Mike Dodd, Micheael Cage, Anthony Watson, Eddie Morris and Leonard Allen Enjoyed Aztec MBB in th 1980s!
I know Dodd played Volleyball, Gwynn Baseball.
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Post by aztecmichael on Sept 5, 2020 15:38:06 GMT -8
Brought in great talent, Tony Gwynn, Mike Dodd, Micheael Cage, Anthony Watson, Eddie Morris and Leonard Allen Enjoyed Aztec MBB in th 1980s! I know Dodd played Volleyball, Gwynn Baseball. Smokey was one of the nicest people I ever met. I was a student from 77-82 and he brought such energy and excitement, all while working out of a crappy trailer. They guys he brought in were always accessible and fun and would even shoot around with me once in a while. Eddy Gordon, Eddie Morris, Anthony Watson, Cage, Leonard Allen, Zack Jones, Mike Kennedy, Andre Ross, Donnell Plummer, Keith Smith.......what memories. (not to nitpick, but Tim Vezie recruited both Dodd and Gwynn.) Smokey brought hope, positivity and joy wherever he went; he will be missed. |
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Post by obboy13 on Sept 6, 2020 16:05:42 GMT -8
Just saw reports where Smokey recently passed as the result of cancer. Made Aztec basketball exciting, even though not totally successful. Brought in some serious talent like Michael Cage and Leonard Allen, among others. RIP Smokey😢 Smokey's teams didn't have the win/loss record we would have liked, but they were always fun to watch. Smokey did bring a lot of excitement to the program. He will be missed. And exciting to watch too. Who wasn't on the edge of their seat wondering if Eddie Gordon from the free throw line was going to miss everything......except the floor. Season tickets at the Sports Arena, two for $90. Good times. Thanks for the memories Smokey. |
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Post by AzTex on Sept 6, 2020 16:23:02 GMT -8
Smokey's teams didn't have the win/loss record we would have liked, but they were always fun to watch. Smokey did bring a lot of excitement to the program. He will be missed. And exciting to watch too. Who wasn't on the edge of their seat wondering if Ed die Gordon from the free throw line was going to miss everything......except the floor. Season tickets at the Sports Arena, two for $90. Good times. Thanks for the memories Smokey. I was considering whether or not to tell this story, but since you brought up Eddie Gordon's adventures at the free throw line. It is my favorite story about Smokey that I personally witnessed. There are lots of great stories, including the one where, because the entire team was so bad at free throws that he would challenge them to a free throw contest, and he'd do it blindfolded. I was told that Smokey won. Not sure he he cheated a little or if it was something he carried over from his Harlem Globetrotter days.
Now for the one I, and some of you here may have witnessed. Late in a close game (don't remember who it was against) Eddie Gordon was fouled. Now, you have to remember that a coach can't substitute another player to shoot free throws for the fouled players. That is unless the player was injured on the play and can't shoot the free throws. Well, as I said, Eddie had been fouled and we really needed the points. I look over at Smokey on the sidelines and he's signaling Eddie. He's holding his arm just above the wrist and shaking it as if to tell Eddie to tell the referees that he had injured his wrist on the play. Sure enough Smokey was able to substitute one of the bench players, who undoubtedly was a better free throw shooter than Eddie, to take the free throws. Sadly I don't remember if the sub made the free throws or even if we won the game. I was just amazed at the gamesmanship (con job) that Smokey pulled that night.
Always fun watching Smokey and his teams.
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Post by Gundo on Sept 6, 2020 22:16:02 GMT -8
Nice story out of Detroit on HC Gaines.
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Post by 🥸 Hopeless Aztec on Sept 7, 2020 4:59:46 GMT -8
A lot of nice comments and thoughts around Smokey. It is great to see all of this positivity from Aztec Mesa psoters. This is the reason I like to come to this board. Unfortunately, now I will get back to the other 90% of the negative side of this board. Anyways, it was nice to see all the positive comments on Smokey as he has brought the best out of people. RIP Coach!
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Post by AzTex on Sept 7, 2020 7:46:34 GMT -8
A lot of nice comments and thoughts around Smokey. It is great to see all of this positivity from Aztec Mesa psoters. This is the reason I like to come to this board. Unfortunately, now I will get back to the other 90% of the negative side of this board. Anyways, it was nice to see all the positive comments on Smokey as he has brought the best out of people. RIP Coach!  |
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Post by mojo56 on Sept 7, 2020 9:16:10 GMT -8
I've recounted this story before on here but with Smokey's passing it wouldn't hurt for a encore. My first and only 'court storming' was after T Gwynn hit the game winning shot to beat BYU and Danny Ainge. I was one of the first people on the court and got to Gwynn at the same time as about 10 other people. We were jumping around and more people joined in so I looked for someone else to hug. To my right was Smokey Gaines and nobody was hugging him. I grabbed Smokey and we started jumping up and down and then some more fans joined in. To this day it is one of my greatest sports memories.
It was also a tradition to hang out at the bar in the bowels of the Sports Arena (Captain's Galley?) after the game for Smokey's post game show. He was very approachable and answered questions one on one. I had a nice talk with him one night about recruiting Michael Cage and how he missed out on Ennis Whatley who wound up starring at Alabama: 'Just imagine how good we'd be if I got Whatley'. RIP Smokey.
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Post by AztecPhil on Sept 7, 2020 9:58:09 GMT -8
RIP Smokey Gaines, and thank you for your contribution to our sports history.
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