The theme behind the statue is that it is the people’s statue and parents could bring their kids into the coliseum and go by [the statue] and know they didn’t have to donate $10,000 or $100,000. They donated $20 so they had a part in building it. – Jeremy Posey
He called 3,051 games, providing the soundtrack for some of the greatest moments in Utah Jazz history.
A banner honoring him hangs next to retired numbers of Utah Jazz legends John Stockton, Karl Malone, Jerry Sloan and others.
The Utah Jazz’s media room now bears his name as well.
In sports, it’s become a common practice to immortalize a select few in bronze as a way to remember and honor their legacy.
Jerry West, the late Lakers broadcaster Chick Hern, John Stockton and Karl Malone are just a few who have received this honor.
For the past two years, fundraisers across West Virginia have been held at cocktail parties and special events in an effort to give Rod Hundley this distinct honor — a statue in front of the West Virginia Coliseum.
“The theme behind the statue is that it is the people’s statue and parents could bring their kids into the coliseum and go by [the statue] and know they didn’t have to donate $10,000 or $100,000. They donated $20 so they had a part in building it,” according to Jeremy Posey, who oversees Hundley’s social media pages on Facebook and Twitter.
The statue, which is planned to be unveiled next month, will depict Hundley doing a hook shot. He was one of the first players to ever use that shot, and was well known for it.
The road to immortality of a statue started way back in 1934 when Rodney Clark Hundley was born on Oct. 26.
His parents were Louis and Cora Hundley, but in his book "You Gotta Love it Baby!" Hundley said, “I had parents in the biological sense, but I never had parents.”
That’s because his father was never there for him, preferring to spend his time out drinking and hustling pool in Charleston, West Virginia.
His mother tried to provide for him, but this was difficult in the midst of the Great Depression with no support from her husband.
So she did the only thing she could think of. She went from place to place trying to find somebody to take her baby in.
Hundley couldn't remember much of his parents. “I spent my whole life growing up with strangers,” he said.
He felt out of place. “It was hard to fit in as a kid. All my friends had mothers and fathers and brothers and sisters. And homes. I didn’t have any of that. I felt strange in other people’s homes, so I never developed any real close friendships.”
At the age of 10, Hundley was taken in by an elderly couple, Amy and George Sharp.
Hundley’s life began to turn around when he saw the game of basketball as a means to a better life.
It was on the courts of the YMCA in Charleston that Hundley developed his talent.
In a Home Court magazine article in January 1996, he said, “I used to talk to the ball and say, 'You’re going to get me out of here,' and I’ve been riding that ball ever since.”
Hundley attended West Virginia University from 1954-57.
His fancy style of play earned him notoriety and the nickname Hot Rod.
Charleston City Councilman Andy Richardson, who was a close friend of Hundley, said, “His ball handling skills and entertainment gift and personality have always made him quite iconic.”
Hundley averaged about 35 points a game as a freshman and had a reputation as a clown on the court. Hundley often told fans, “I’m No. 33 in your program and No. 1 in your heart.”
Hundley averaged 24.5 points during his three seasons as a Mountaineer.
He scored 2,180 points in his college career, good enough for second highest in school history behind Jerry West.
He holds the single-game record for points scored (54) among other records that still stand today, and this was all before the 3-point line.
“He put big-time sports on the map at West Virginia,” said Quintie Smith, who is spearheading fundraising for the project.
The Cincinnati Royals selected Hundley with the No. 1 overall pick in the 1957 NBA draft. He was then traded to the Minneapolis Lakers, where he signed a contract worth $10,000.
Hundley retired after six years in the NBA.
West Virginia retired his No. 33 on Jan. 23, 2010, when the Mountaineers faced the Buckeyes. The Mountaineers trailed Ohio State 28-40 at halftime. At the end of the halftime retirement ceremony, the crowd cheered for Hundley to take “One more shot.” Dressed in a full suit, Hundley put up one of his signature hook shots, which tickled the twine. The Mountaineers rallied in the second half, putting up 43 points en route to a 71-65 victory.
Many believe Hundley’s shot sparked the comeback effort.
Hundley was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s about 18 months after his retirement as "the voice" of the Utah Jazz in 2009, and there was a push to finish the statue so he would be able to enjoy and remember the honor.
Social media not only allowed fans to know when and where Hundley would be for fundraising events, but it helped them connect with him.
In addition to attending fundraisers, Hundley would go on bucket-list trips.
“We used social media to make people feel a little closer to him and the end result was they followed his 14-day excursion through Europe and at the end of the day most people donated something to the cause,” Posey said.
Hundley passed away in March 2015.
Ken Kendrick Jr., who is the general partner of the Arizona Diamondbacks and a native West Virginian, recently stepped up to cover the remaining cost to construct the statue.
Kendrick has promised to match any donations up to a total of $500,000.
The leftover donations will be put into the Hot Rod Hundley Scholarship Fund to benefit up and coming Mountaineer basketball players.
Posey is proud of what the scholarships do for the Mountaineers basketball program. “The scholarships in his name mean so much from a guy who came from so little.”
If you would like to make a donation, send a check or money order payable to the West Virginia University Foundation and specify it’s for the Hot Rod Hundley Statue.
Donations should be sent to
P.O. Box 0877 Morgantown, WV 26501
All donations are tax deductible.
The statue will help the people of West Virginia to enjoy and remember the player who will always be No. 1 in their hearts.
Contact Steven Hummer on Twitter @sdhummer.