Henry Bibby, Mike Bibby, Jim Bibby,
My cousin Henry Bibby is a legendary basketball player and his amazing skill in the game in the past won millions of hearts all over the world. He was sharp and he was a nightmare to the opponents,he could really handle the ball.
Charles Henry Bibby was born in Franklinton,North Carolina November 24, 1949. He had the interest to be a professional basketball player from his childhood and he pursued his dreams to become one of the legendary figures in the world of basketball. He played basketball at Person-Albion High School in Franklinton.
In college He won three consecutive NCAA championships in 1970, 1971 and 1972 playing for head coach John Wooden at UCLA. This will problely never happen again. He was a former point guard who played in the NBA from 1972 to 1981, winning an NBA championship in 1973 as a member of the New York Knicks. He was a basketball champion 4 years in a roe.
In the 1972 NBA draft, Bibby was drafted in the fourth round by the New York Knicks and in the second round of the 1972 ABA Draft by the Carolina Cougars. Bibby opted to play for the Knicks and was with the team for two-and-a-half seasons, which included an NBA title in 1973.
Bibby spent nine seasons in the NBA, and was a part of the 1977 and 1980 Philadelphia 76ers teams that made the NBA Finals but lost both times.
Henry Bibby's son Mike Bibby became a standout NBA point guard as well, excelling with the Sacramento Kings and eventually playing for the Knicks just like his father. Michael Bibby was born May 13, 1978 in Cherry Hill,NJ.
Bibby attended Shadow Mountain High School in Phoenix, Arizona , and won an Arizona state championship as a point guard under Coach Jerry Conner.
Bibby played college basketball for the Arizona Wildcats, with whom he won the 1997 NCAA Championship. He was drafted second overall by the Vancouver Grizzlies in the 1998 NBA draft. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in his first season with the Grizzlies. He also played for the Sacramento Kings, Atlanta Hawks, Washington Wizards, Miami Heat and New York Knicks.
Mike more than made a name for himself. Bibby started his professional career with the Grizzlies, where he averaged 13.2 points, 6.5 assists and 2.7 rebounds per game, earning NBA all-rookie honors. In Sacramento, he helped lead the Kings to an NBA-best 61-21 record in his first season. His clutch shooting and performance under pressure made Bibby a fan favorite with every team he played for.
Before Henry Bibby became a star on the seen his older brother James Blair Bibby October 29, 1944 – February 16, 2010 was an American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He pitched from 1972 to 1984 with the St. Louis Cardinals, Texas Rangers, Cleveland Indians, and Pittsburgh Pirates, with whom he was a member of its 1979 World Series Champions. He pitched a no-hitter against a team in the midst of a three-year dynasty. Also, in 1981, as a member of the Pirates, he missed out on a perfect game by just one hit, allowing a lead off single, before retiring the next 27 batters he faced.
Bibby attended Fayetteville State University on a basketball scholarship, and also pitched for its varsity baseball team. His professional career began when he was signed by the New York Mets as an undrafted free agent after his junior year on July 19, 1965. With Fayetteville State having discontinued its baseball program in the late-1970s, he was the only player from the university to reach the major leagues
Everything about Jim Bibby was big. His frame: 6’5” and 235 pounds, with “legs like oak trees.”1 His hands: he could fit eight baseballs in his right hand — palm down — one more even than Sandy Koufax and Johnny Bench.2 His fastball: “vicious ... serious heat ... would scare the bejesus out of most batters.”3 His appetite: as his older brother Fred said, “Jim’s the only guy I’ve ever known who has to have two plates in front of him. One for meat, one for greens.”4 And most of all, his heart — so many fond memories flowed in after he died in 2010.
The burly righthander didn’t make it to the majors until he was nearly 28. He was wild, and it took him time and effort to harness his ability. His development was also delayed because he missed three full seasons in the minors — two in Vietnam and one after a back operation. Yet eventually he won 111 games as a big-leaguer (against 101 losses). He was an important part of the staff for the World Series champions of 1979, the Pittsburgh Pirates “Fam-a-lee.” He followed up with his career year in 1980, at the age of 35.
After his big-league career ended in 1984, Bibby spent 16 years as a minor-league pitching coach — 15 of them in Lynchburg, Virginia, the area where he lived much of his life. He also pitched in the Senior Professional Baseball Association in 1990. Upon his death, the Lynchburg Hillcats issued a statement saying, “Bibby was a foundation for baseball in the Lynchburg area, an institution in the Carolina League and his #26 is the only retired number in Lynchburg baseball history. Anyone who knew Bibby would tell you, you could not find a more jovial soul.”5
Bibby was an older brother of Henry Bibby and uncle of Mike Bibby. He was married to Jacqueline Ann (Jordan) Bibby and had two daughters, Tamara Bibby of Washington, D.C. and Tanya Bibby (McClain) of Charlotte, North Carolina. He died in Lynchburg General Hospital on February 16, 2010 due to bone cancer.
Drea Avent interviews Henry Bibby
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