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As a star
at Hall High in Little Rock and the high-flying ace of
Arkansas's Final Four team of 1978, Sidney Moncrief became
known throughout the Ozark State as Sid the Whiz Kid and
Sidney the Incredible. His 11 years as an NBA guard--10
with the Milwaukee
Bucks--only enhanced his standing back home. The
6'3" Moncrief was among the most complete players of his
era: a smooth jump shooter, an explosive dunker and a
ferocious rebounder and defender. His pro
résumé includes a career scoring average of
15.6 points, five All-Star appearances and back-to-back
defensive player of the year awards, in 1983 and '84. "If
I had to pat myself on the back, it would be for the
consistent high level of play," Moncrief says.
"And the focus
... and the ability
... and the
talent...."
And the relentless—but ultimately fruitless—pursuit of a
title. After losing to Kentucky in the semifinals of the
1978
NCAA tournament, Moncrief and Arkansas fell to Larry Bird and
Indiana State in the '79 Midwest Regional final. The
results were no
more satisfying in the NBA: The Bucks never made it to the
Finals, losing to the Philadelphia 76ers four times and to
the Bird-led Boston Celtics thrice in the Eastern
Conference playoffs. Moncrief is still taking a backseat to
Bird. On
Feb. 2 he was nominated to the Basketball Hall of Fame for the
second straight year, yet Bird, a first-time candidate,
stole the headlines. "He keeps popping up, doesn't
he?" Moncrief
says.
The owner of a car dealership
in the Little Rock suburb of Sherwood, Moncrief spends much of
his time these days doing community service. For his 40th
birthday in September he held a free basketball clinic at
Central High, where 40 years earlier federal
troops had to be deployed to force the integration of nine
black students. With his wife, Debra, he has also
championed adoption awareness among African-Americans. The
Moncriefs have four boys (three adopted): Brett and Jon,
both 9; Jeffrey, 6; and
Jason, 2. "As you grow older," Sidney says, "your
life must be summed up by more than what you did
athletically."
Moncrief's good works and popularity earn him frequent
mention as a potential candidate for public office. An
independent, he campaigned for unsuccessful Republican
gubernatorial candidate Sheffield Nelson in 1990 and '94,
but he says he tries to stay
away from politics these days. Would he ever throw his hat
into the ring? "Not right now," Moncrief says,
"but I don't rule out anything in life." Sounds
just like a
politician.
—by Kelvin C. BiasCover photograph by Manny Millan
Issue date: February 16, 1998
Past Editions of Catching Up With...
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