Art Heyman Article

[Verga3]

DBR has warmed our hearts again with a nostalgic look back at one of our all-time player/characters from a great Duke era. SI writing was brilliant in those days. This should be a required historical reading for all Duke basketball fans.

I remember fragments of the "fight" game, but this piece adds plenty of texture. Would love to hear some comments from anyone that was there.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1072316/1/index.htm

[dukepsy1963]

I was a sophomore. It was an ugly time for the UNC-Duke rivalry.

I remember feeling sick on my stomach after the "fighting" calmed down. I could not believe that fans and players (both sides) could be so childish and stupid.

Basketball should make you feel good. It didn't that night.

The piece from SI brings it all back again.

[heyman25]

We could use some Art Heyman like players at Duke. In clutch time,you need guys like him oozing with confidence. Kyle could bring that this year I hope.

[dukeman28428]

I was at the Duke/Carolina game when Larry Brown and Art had the unfortunate incident. In my opinion, Art has taken the heat for this and it is not deserved. Clearly to me, Larry Brown started the mess and other circumstances led to intimidate Heyman and he had right to defend himself. In no way do I condone any such activities. But I am an Art Heyman fan as he was one of the earliest and greatest of the Duke players and I admire him for what he did for Duke basketball.

[Verga3]

I didn't realize that DBR has a treasure-trove of anecdotes and first-person accounts of Bubas-era players and games posted a couple of years ago, including the Heyman-Brown "fight" game in 1961......I didn't do my research. http://www.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5611&highlight=heyman+brown+fight&page=4

YouTube has a video as well....it wasn't even a hard foul. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0RroAH4vwU

[DevilDan]

It's great to look back at ART HEYMAN. No doubt, I was one of the few on this site to have witnessed it all -- the man was an ICON. He lit up the campus as a "Blue Imp" (freshman team), then joined the four seniors and propelled DUKE to a spot on the national map in 1961.

It's a shame the ugly incident with Carolina is one of the few leftover videos from his career. Few games were on TV at that time; I've seen some short clips here and there -- but again, that was ONLY 48 years ago. Few have worn the blue and white since then with the fire and passion that HEYMAN brought. Christian Laettner comes the closest, and Dahntay Jones comes to mind.

ART brought game every single night. Though not a great shooter, he was a great scorer--and on the rare nights his point production was down, he still played tough D and boarded like a mother. My one word description? RELENTLESS

We're about 10 weeks out, and I am getting STOKED, from 3,000 miles west of Durham. Our mix of veterans and freshmen is going to make this an exciting year. I hope the mags and pundits rank us around 8-12, so we can come on strong in Jan-Mar, and kick some BUTT ! GO DUKE ! !

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

It's great to look back at ART HEYMAN. No doubt, I was one of the few on this site to have witnessed it all -- the man was an ICON. He lit up the campus as a "Blue Imp" (freshman team), then joined the four seniors and propelled DUKE to a spot on the national map in 1961.

It's a shame the ugly incident with Carolina is one of the few leftover videos from his career. Few games were on TV at that time; I've seen some short clips here and there -- but again, that was ONLY 48 years ago. Few have worn the blue and white since then with the fire and passion that HEYMAN brought. Christian Laettner comes the closest, and Dahntay Jones comes to mind.

ART brought game every single night. Though not a great shooter, he was a great scorer--and on the rare nights his point production was down, he still played tough D and boarded like a mother. My one word description? RELENTLESS

We're about 10 weeks out, and I am getting STOKED, from 3,000 miles west of Durham. Our mix of veterans and freshmen is going to make this an exciting year. I hope the mags and pundits rank us around 8-12, so we can come on strong in Jan-Mar, and kick some BUTT ! GO DUKE ! !

Your description of where Art Heyman fits in the development of Duke Basketball as a program is absolutely on point. I concur regarding what some focus on as his legacy.. an incident which was carried around and enhanced by a spurious law suit brought by a Durham attorney. Artie's strengths were the very characteristics which drove others to seek any way they could to break his play or discredit him in any way they could. The spitting and other abuses he endured might have broken other players.

There have been many greats who have worn the Blue and White, but it's hard to think of one whose play approached that of Art Heyman. Let's hope this year's team is inspired to play at the same high level he brought to game after game!