Jan. 16—Maybe a picture is worth a thousand words, but the iconic photo of Dwight Clay from a famous NCAA basketball game played 50 years ago brings to mind just two:
"The Shot."
That was the tag put on Clay's memorable basket, which happened on a Saturday afternoon at Notre Dame University on Jan. 19, 1974.
Clay, who grew up in the Hill District and played for the old Fifth Avenue High School in the Pittsburgh City League, made the celebrated shot with 29 seconds left, giving Notre Dame a 71-70 victory against UCLA in a game that lives in college basketball lore.
The win broke one of the greatest winning streaks in all of sports. UCLA came in with an 88-game winning streak, led by legendary coach John Wooden and featuring future Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame center Bill Walton.
"I remember that weekend, people were calling it the 'shot heard round the world,'" Clay said. "It eventually became known as just 'The Shot."
good winner
Fifty years later, "The Shot" still resonates in the world of college basketball — and in Clay's life.
"I can't say it gets brought up to me every day, but at least a few times a week," he said in an interview with the Post-Gazette from his home in Stanton Heights.
"If I go to the gym to work out, if I go to a restaurant or bar, or anywhere that there's a crowd, somebody always seems to bring up that game and that shot. It's been that way ever since it happened."
Friday marks the 50-year anniversary of "The Shot" and the iconic South Bend Tribune photograph that captured it. Clay has had hundreds of copies of it made for himself and, on Thursday from 5-8 p.m. he'll celebrate the 50-year anniversary of the timeless moment with a public get-together and picture signing session at Fogo de Chão Brazilian Steakhouse, 525 Smithfield St., Downtown.
Clay also has a similar picture signing event planned this weekend at a Marriott hotel near Notre Dame.
Donations will be accepted for Clay's autograph, with proceeds benefiting an education fund for Clay and his wife Karen's five grandchildren.
"After 50 years, that shot and that game doesn't get the coverage on ESPN like it used to and I don't think it gets the fanfare anymore that it deserves," said Clay. "So I thought, let me just try and get one last hurrah with it and maybe do something for my grandkids."
The stakes
A young Digger Phelps was Notre Dame's coach in 1974 and in an interview with the Sporting News five years ago, he said, "That game, for me, did more for college basketball than any game. And don't take anything away from the UCLA-Houston game [in 1968].
"This game to me had more drama than any other game as you look at that time and that moment for college basketball. This was the moment."
Ten years ago, ESPN immortalized it further with a documentary about the game titled "88 and 1."
UCLA's 88-game winning streak started, coincidentally, a few years earlier after a loss to Notre Dame. In 1974, UCLA was coming off seven consecutive NCAA championships. The program was college basketball royalty, while Notre Dame was an up-and-coming program under Phelps.
Clay and some of his teammates are disappointed that Notre Dame doesn't have anything planned to celebrate anniversary of the game, when students and fans stormed the court at the final buzzer. Back then, storming the court wasn't a thing.
"I think Notre Dame dropped the ball on this. It really is unbelievable that they're not having something for us," Clay said. "All of my teammates are kind of disappointed."
Gary Brokaw was a standout guard on the 1974 team who made some key baskets down the stretch and threw the pass to Clay for the winning shot.
"Fifty years is a special occasion," said Brokaw, who played five years in the NBA. "We thought we might be hearing something from the university, but we haven't. But that won't take away the pleasure of anyone who saw that game and any of us who played in it."
The moment
Even before the shot, Clay, a guard, had developed the nickname "Iceman" at Notre Dame for making last-second shots. In 1973, Clay made a shot with two seconds left to break Marquette's 81-game home winning streak.
"He was the Iceman before [NBA great] George Gervin was the Iceman," Brokaw said.
Clay was a standout shooter at Fifth Avenue. He played on a great team in 1971, but the 1970-71 season also featured Schenley in the Pittsburgh City League. That Schenley team won a state title and is considered among the best in Western Pennsylvania history. It boasted legendary players Maurice Lucas and Ricky Coleman.
Clay went to Notre Dame, choosing the Fighting Irish over Pitt and Duquesne. Although he could always shoot, he also led Notre Dame in assists in three consecutive seasons.
But it was Clay's shooting prowess that would star in the final minute of the historic game that dripped with drama.
Notre Dame had fallen behind by 11 points with a few minutes remaining before making a furious comeback with its full-court press. UCLA led, 70-69, when Keith Wilkes was called for an offensive foul.
Brokaw, who had made a couple key baskets in the comeback, then got the ball on the left wing and dribbled to the right. UCLA's Tommy Curtis was guarding Clay, but left Clay to help on Brokaw. Clay drifted to the right corner.
"I had made two shots and I was ready to take the third one," Brokaw said with a laugh. "But when I saw Tommy Curtis come toward me, I said, 'I guess I can't take this shot. I have to do the right thing.'"
Clay was in the corner, waving his arms to Brokaw. Clay had made only 1 of 4 shots previously in the game.
"I should've coined the phrase, 'Just give me the damn ball' before Keyshawn Johnson did in football because that's what I was saying," Clay said with a laugh. "I was waving my hands."
Brokaw threw the ball to Clay, who immediately went up with his pretty jump shot. On the television broadcast, legendary sportscaster Dick Enberg exclaimed "That's Clay!" when he let the shot go. Walton stood underneath the basket with his arms out, ready for the rebound.
There wasn't one. There was only a spot in college basketball lore for Clay.
UCLA called timeout and missed three shots in the final few seconds — and Notre Dame's fans went bonkers.
Clay ended up having a nice career at Notre Dame, averaging 9.2 points over three seasons. "The Shot" might overshadow his accomplishments, but he's OK with that. He had two tryouts with NBA teams after college, but failed to make the team.
Present day
Clay, 70, got his economics degree in four years from Notre Dame. After his failed NBA tryouts, he went into the working world in Pittsburgh. He worked 21 years in the investment banking business and then 16 years with the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board until retiring a few years ago.
He has officiated WPIAL and City League high school basketball for more than four decades. He only does a few games a year now. After all, he is 70. But he said he officiates just to give something back to the game of basketball — and kids.
"The Shot" will always stay with Clay. It's part of his identity — and he's fine with that.
"I always say that shot was my 15 minutes of fame, and it's lasted 50 years."
Mike White: mwhite@post-gazette.com and Twitter @mwhiteburgh
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