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On memorable evening, Ohio State pays tribute to Jerry Lucas with statue unveiling
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- On memorable evening, Ohio State pays tribute to Jerry Lucas with statue unveiling
No detail escapes Jerry Lucas , and a few in particular stood out to him as he gazed upon his own likeness.
The sun was setting over Ohio State's Value City Arena on Nov. 14, and moments earlier Lucas had wrapped up the outdoor portion of an hourlong celebration of his athletic accomplishments with the unveiling of his own statue. The sculpture showcases Lucas launching a hook shot, his personal favorite and a trademark of the Buckeye men's basketball legend's game.
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Lucas said he practiced it for countless hours, starting when he picked up the game as a fourth grader at Sherman Elementary School in Middletown. Five thousand shots a day, he reckons.
The secret was all in the wrist.
"It's not a jump hook but one you lift from your side," Lucas said. "They don't shoot it anymore. I don't understand why. It's unguardable. It's totally different than flipping the ball with your wrist because it rolls off your fingers. You don't have to flip a wrist to shoot it, so that's a very important pose."
Now it's one preserved for as long as they play basketball at Ohio State.
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The statue is based on a photo of Lucas shooting over Cincinnati center Paul Hogue in the 1961 national championship game, and it was unveiled after a litany of speakers took their turns honoring Lucas. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and men's basketball coach Jake Diebler were among those who paid their respects to the first player to win a state prep championship, a collegiate national championship, an NBA title and an Olympic gold medal.
Surrounded by family, fellow former Buckeyes and friends from every stage of life, Lucas called the statue "the highest honor I've ever gotten in my life." His wife, Cheri, sat to his right at the ceremony as his kids took up the front row on the left side of the audience. At one point, Lucas introduced a friend from kindergarten.
"I've only known him for 80 years," the 85-year-old Lucas said, drawing laughter from the crowd.
With his wife, Fran, seated in the front row, DeWine told fellow Southwest Ohioan Lucas that he was on hand to represent the people of the state but also to pay tribute.
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"I'm still a fan," DeWine said, recalling listening to Middletown Middies games on the radio and on Dayton television while in junior high and becoming enamored with Lucas. "We're grateful for all that you've done."
As he kicked off the event, emcee Bill Hosket pointed out that Lucas' is one of only five full statues on Ohio State's campus, putting him in the same company as football coach Woody Hayes, two-time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin, university president William Oxley Thompson and track star Jesse Owens. Griffin sat in the front row next to Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork.
"He was a household name," Hosket, a Dayton native, said. "As (coach) Fred Taylor used to say, 'If you could hear thunder and see lightning, you knew who Jerry Lucas was.' There's a lot of truth to that."
Jerry Lucas points toward the sky while standing with his statue and surrounded by Ohio Gov. Mike Dewine (glasses) and Ohio State dignitaries outside Value City Arena on Nov. 14, 2025.
When it was his time to speak, Lucas spoke at length not just about his athletic accomplishments but his other life pursuits. Although Lucas said he's had a difficult year health-wise, most recently dealing with a heart issue, he remains sharp "from the neck up." He demonstrated his impressive memory by rattling off the names of his homeroom and English teachers from grades 7-9. He also told DeWine that there are 132 paint strips on every mile on Ohio's highways.
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His desire to help improve child literacy and education through pictures remains a lifelong passion that Lucas still spends time on daily.
"I'm glad God gave me the strength to be here today, and I'm not finished," he said. "There's more to do, and I'm going to get it done. It's going to make a tremendous difference."
The statue is just the beginning of a weeklong celebration of Lucas' achievements. On Nov. 15, he will be honored with the pregame victory bell ringing at Ohio Stadium before the Buckeyes host UCLA. On Nov. 16, he will dot the 'i' when the fall athletic band performs "Script Ohio" at Value City Arena during halftime of the men's basketball team's game against Notre Dame. His No. 11 jersey already hangs in the rafters of the arena.
With more honors still to come, Lucas was appreciative of the Friday ceremony, even if the unveiling hit a literal snag when the green parachute used to shroud the statue got stuck on one of his fingers. Eventually, a knife was procured, the covering was cut down and Lucas posed for photos with a long list of friends, family and donors who helped make the honor possible. The scarlet jacket Lucas wore with a Block 'O' on the left breast was courtesy of BCKR, a clothing line former Ohio State men's basketball walk-on player Eric Hanna is involved with.
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After snow hit the area at the beginning of the week, the sunshine and relative warmth for this time of year felt fitting for the moment.
"I had a bad year this year," Lucas said. "I feel better today than I've felt in quite a while. I wonder why? Because God is good, and He allowed me to feel well for this special day in my life."
Ohio State men's basketball beat writer Adam Jardy can be reached at ajardy@dispatch.com, on Bluesky at @ cdadamjardy.bsky.social or on Twitter at @ AdamJardy .
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Jerry Lucas receives 'highest honor' as Ohio State unveils his statue
