Dick Versace 1989-90 Hoops #292 Indiana Pacers Autographed Basketball Card

Description

Dick Versace Autographed 1989-90 Hoops Basketball Card #292
Great looking autographed basketball card of former Indiana Pacers Coach...Dick Versace.
This is a nice-looking autographed basketball card, which I had in my own personal collection.  Over the past 30 years, I have accumulated a number of autographed baseball, football and basketball cards and now I am beginning to part with a few duplicates.
Great looking autographed basketball card signed with a blue Sharpie.
We have acquired these autographed cards either in person, thru the mail, at shows or as part of large autograph collection purchases.
In most cases the autographed cards that we have are in excellent condition.
We are putting together our own autographed card sets for our personal collection and these in inventory are duplicates.  We intend on someday obtaining the other cards that we don't have in our own personal collection.  The sale of any of these autographed cards will go back into financing our own autographed set collections.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia...
Richard Patrick Versace
(April 16, 1940 – February 25, 2022) was an American
basketball
coach and executive. He was also the first American of Puerto Rican descent to have coached a
National Basketball Association
(NBA) team.
[1]
Early life
Versace was born in
Fort Bragg, North Carolina
. His parents were Colonel Humbert Joseph Versace, an
Italian American
and
Marie Teresa Rios
, a Puerto Rican-
Irish American
author. The 1960s television
sitcom
The Flying Nun
was based on one of her books. He attended the
University of Wisconsin–Madison
, though he did not play basketball.
[2]
Versace coached at the high school and collegiate level and in the NBA. Versace coached at
St. Joseph High School
in
Kenosha, Wisconsin
, and
Gordon Tech
in
Chicago
. Oddly, his first coaching position after college was at Forrest-Strawn- Wing High School in the small Central Illinois community of Forrest during the years of 1964 and 1965. The odd thing being that he was the head football coach. He led the team to an 8-1 record and a Vermilion Valley Conference championship. He coached junior varsity basketball that winter. Versace began his college coaching career at
St. Louis University
in 1973, after compiling a 204-66 record at the high school coaching level. He then moved to
Michigan State University
, where he was heavily involved in the recruitment of
Magic Johnson
. Versace's first head coaching assignment was at the Jackson Community College in 1976. In the early 1980s, he was head men's basketball coach at
Bradley University
, where he led the team to the
1982 NIT
championship. In the
1985-86 season
, he was named National College Coach of the Year by the U.S. Basketball Writers' Association. That year, his Bradley Braves went 32-3 and were ranked as high as #7 in the nation during the season. His back court players included future NBA star
Hersey Hawkins
and future Bradley Head Coach
Jim Les
.
College
Versace became the head coach at Bradley University in 1978 and remained at Bradley until 1986. In his second season at Bradley the team finished first in the Missouri Valley Conference and qualifying for the NCAA tournament. Losing in the first round to
Texas A&M
. In 1981-82 Bradley finished first in the MVC but lost in the semifinals of the MVC tournament. They were not selected to the NCAA tournament but won the NIT championship. In Versace’s final season at Bradley they finished 32-3 for the season and 16-0 in the MVC. Losing in the second round of the NCAA tournament to eventual champion
Louisville
.
NBA
He later served as an assistant coach for the
Detroit Pistons
under head coach
Chuck Daly
. Versace then became head coach of the
Indiana Pacers
for two years, from
1988
through
1990
. After leaving the Pacers job, Versace became a
sportscaster
on
TNT
and on WMAQ TV in Chicago. Versace served as an assistant coach for the Milwaukee Bucks during the 1997-98 season.
In
1999
, Versace was named President of Basketball Operations for the then-
Vancouver Grizzlies
. After Versace's first season in Vancouver, the Grizzlies were relocated and became the
Memphis Grizzlies
. And in 2002, the Grizzlies hired NBA legend
Jerry West
as President of Basketball Operations, and Versace assumed the role of General Manager and remained with the team through the end of the
2004-2005 season
. Prior to joining the Grizzlies, Versace worked for
Michael Heisley
's acquisition team as Versace oversaw Heisley's pursuit and ultimate purchase of the Vancouver Grizzlies.
Later years
On October 8, 2007, Versace announced that he would run as a
Democratic Party
candidate for Illinois' 18th Congressional District seat, then held by
Republican
Congressman
Ray LaHood
who was retiring. On December 8, 2007, however, Versace announced that he would not be running due to "unforeseen personal circumstances."
[3]
Personal life and death
Versace was the brother of
Vietnam War
posthumous
Medal of Honor
recipient
Rocky Versace
, who was executed by the
Viet Cong
while a Prisoner of War in 1965.
[4]
He had two other brothers, Dr. Stephen Versace (his twin) and Michael Versace Rios, and a sister, Trilby Versace. Versace was divorced and had two children, David and Julie. He died on February 25, 2022, at the age of 81.
[5]
Lifetime guarantee in regard to the authenticity of this autographed basketball card, which is being brought to you by Gearhart Enterprises, Inc. Member of the UACC. UACC Registered Dealer #RD189.
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On September-18-22 at 01:46:47 PDT, seller added the following information: