Old video of MU exhibition game

[BillVol]

MU vs Chilean Nationals during Chile's 40 game, 40 day tour of the US in 1972.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzH31TcsH5k

[Texas Western]

MU vs Chilean Nationals during Chile's 40 game, 40 day tour of the US in 1972.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzH31TcsH5k

Thank You for posting this. It brought back some great memories.

[GooooMarquette]

Yeah, thanks!  

Cool watching the guys I watched as a kid.  Even the old Milwaukee Arena floor (in the pre-MECCA days) brings back memories.

[brandx]

Wow. Mo Lucas was almost as skinny as McNeil

[BillVol]

I was wondering what the name of the arena was then.  I remember the MECCA from the old Bucks days.  Jack Sikma, Don Nelson.  I loved those teams!  As I recall, it was one of the smaller NBA arenas.  Glad to know that the Milwaukee Arena and MECCA are the same building!  My dad was coach of the Chile team.  He resigned at Delaware and somehow wound up in Chile the next year.  My dad's Delaware team played in the Milwaukee Classic not long before the game I linked, and he and Coach McGuire became lifelong friends.  Was anyone here at this game?  

[Anti-Dentite]

Awesome! It's like finding a time capsule, a moment in time captured.

[GooooMarquette]

I was wondering what the name of the arena was then.  I remember the MECCA from the old Bucks days.  Jack Sikma, Don Nelson.  I loved those teams!  As I recall, it was one of the smaller NBA arenas.  Glad to know that the Milwaukee Arena and MECCA are the same building!  My dad was coach of the Chile team.  He resigned at Delaware and somehow wound up in Chile the next year.  My dad's Delaware team played in the Milwaukee Classic not long before the game I linked, and he and Coach McGuire became lifelong friends.  Was anyone here at this game?  

Cool history.  Loved those Bucks teams too.  As for the names, it was the Milwaukee Arena from its opening in 1950 until 1974, when the name was changed to the MECCA.  It is now UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena.

I don't recall that game for certain, but there's a decent chance I was there.  I started going to games when I was 8 (in 1970).  My dad had season tickets, and I got to go to about half of the games.

[Johnny B]

no 3 pt line is weird

[#UnleashSean]

no 3 pt line is weird

It looked super weird saying their spacing without the 3 point line. As someone who has never seen the game without it. So weird.

[MU82]

Cool history.  Loved those Bucks teams too.  As for the names, it was the Milwaukee Arena from its opening in 1950 until 1974, when the name was changed to the MECCA.  It is now UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena.

When I was there (1978-82), we called it the Arena, as in, "We have a game tonight at the Arena."

Isn't MECCA an acronym for Milwaukee Exposition Convention Center and Arena, meaning the Arena was just part of the overall complex?

[wildbill sb]

Me, too.

Yep.

[muwarrior69]

no 3 pt line is weird

No! The 3 pt line is weird for us purists.

[Anti-Dentite]

I still remember when the NFL moved the goalposts from the front to the back of the end zone, I thought to myself, this is so stupid and will never work....and yes, I'm serious. I was a kid, what can I say.

[StateStreetMission]

No shot clock and dunking the ball was not legal in 1972. There was also a one shot personal foul until a team went over the limit and had a one and one opportunity.

[Anti-Dentite]

No shot clock and dunking the ball was not legal in 1972. There was also a one shot personal foul until a team went over the limit and had a one and one opportunity.

No dunking was the Lew Alcindor rule correct or was that already in effect when he got to UCLA?

[StateStreetMission]

The dunk was banned in college basketball after the 1967 season, primarily because of Alcindor's dominant use of the shot. It was not allowed again until 1976.

[rocket surgeon]

No shot clock and dunking the ball was not legal in 1972. There was also a one shot personal foul until a team went over the limit and had a one and one opportunity.

that's right-forgot about that too-al and the warriors would live and die by the 4 corners stall/taking the air out of the ball-was very nerve racking

[GooooMarquette]

When I was there (1978-82), we called it the Arena, as in, "We have a game tonight at the Arena."

Isn't MECCA an acronym for Milwaukee Exposition Convention Center and Arena, meaning the Arena was just part of the overall complex?

Yeah, people still referred to it as the Arena long after the name officialy changed to MECCA.  And I think you're right about the reason for the name change.

[rocket surgeon]

lots of memories at the arena-dad had bucks season tix, 6th row at entrance where players would walk in, guy next to us had a cigar and a blow horn.  saw the big O playing for the cincy royals against lew alcindor, flynn robinson and jonny mack, et.al.  big plume of smoke over the scoreboard as you would enter   makes ya think everything was in black n white yet.  first thing al would do when he entered the arena- look to the 4 upper corners of the arena-to see if he was worthy

[Nukem2]

When I was there (1978-82), we called it the Arena, as in, "We have a game tonight at the Arena."

Isn't MECCA an acronym for Milwaukee Exposition Convention Center and Arena, meaning the Arena was just part of the overall complex?

Yeah, no one ever called it the MECCA.  We just called it the Arena.  Still call it the Arena (with all due respect to those Panther fans who cherish their "traditions" there.... ).

[brandx]

No dunking was the Lew Alcindor rule correct or was that already in effect when he got to UCLA?

His "money shot" - the sky hook - was a direct result of that rule.

[muwarrior69]

No shot clock and dunking the ball was not legal in 1972. There was also a one shot personal foul until a team went over the limit and had a one and one opportunity.

...and the player who committed the foul had to raise his hand. I can remember (UCLA I believe started this) where some fans in the stands had these gigantic hands with the index finger pointing out and when someone committed a foul the crowd would shout you, you, you with the large hand pointing at the player.

[MU82]

His "money shot" - the sky hook - was a direct result of that rule.

If he only developed the sky hook because of the no-dunk rule -- and I'm not doubting that was the case at all; I really don't know -- he owes the NCAA quite a debt of gratitude because that might have been the single most unstoppable shot in basketball history.

[brandx]

If he only developed the sky hook because of the no-dunk rule -- and I'm not doubting that was the case at all; I really don't know -- he owes the NCAA quite a debt of gratitude because that might have been the single most unstoppable shot in basketball history.

IIRC, it was John Wooden that told Lew that he needed to develop a hook shot.

People forget that he was as dominant in his 20's as MJ. He went for 30 pts/16 reb/ 4.8 assists/ 4 blocks over his first 7 years in the league.

[BillVol]

Here is the account of the game that the Marquette U. Archives sent to me.  They really made an exception in allowing me to post that to YouTube.  I think it was a humanitarian gesture.  I told them that nobody on that team has any video of them playing basketball at all.  So they are all going nuts being able to see this game.