By Alex Restrepo
Athletic Communications
C. Vivian Stringer stood at the podium in Symphony Hall overcome with emotion. Standing under the backdrop of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame logo, she prepared to speak while her trembling right hand held her tear-soaked speech.
“Wow!” was the first word she could force out as the crowd of 2,600 gave her a standing ovation.
Stringer’s Hall of Fame week began with her being recognized at halftime during Rutgers’ football season opener on Sept. 7 and ended with her enshrinement into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass.
It was a week of sleepless nights and memories of triumphs and tragedies that brought Stringer’s 38-year coaching career full circle. She has coached hundred’s of student-athletes, or ladies as she eloquently calls them, with her vision and philosophy on not only the game of basketball but on the game of life.
After helping so many young women achieve new levels of success on and off the court, this was a week to honor the hall of fame coach.
RUTGERS SEND OFF
Rutgers Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Tim Pernetti joked at the beginning of the week that the athletic department would take every opportunity to “embarrass Vivian” as she prepared for her induction.
The newly expanded Rutgers Stadium was filled to capacity for the season opener against Cincinnati. At halftime, Stringer was walking to midfield with Pernetti to be recognized in front of the 52,000 fans and a nationally-televised ESPN audience.
“I am really not comfortable in the spotlight,” Stringer confessed to Pernetti.
A surprised Pernetti responded “Well you picked a heck of a profession to stay out of the spotlight.”
Stringer struggled to sleep Monday night. She got up at 6 a.m. and all she could think about was her induction speech. She texted her media relations contact Stacey Brann informing her how “wound up” she was about Friday night’s enshrinement and suggested adjustments she wanted to make to her ever-changing speech.
Later that evening, Rutgers President Richard L. McCormick hosted a reception at the university’s new welcome center to honor the school’s hall of fame coach. Many Rutgers administrators and alum attended the event to toast Stringer the night before she left for Springfield.
Stringer was scheduled to fly to Springfield out of Newark Airport at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday. Heavy traffic on the interstate prevented her from making the flight. With no other direct flights heading to Springfield until 9 p.m. that night, Stringer took the three-hour drive to her hotel. The drive up I-95 and I-91 ended up being a blessing in disguise as it gave the coach some time to relax and prepare for what she would later call “the most humbling experience” of her life.
Thursday: Oral History and Memorabilia Signing, Family Reunion
Stringer began Thursday with an interview with the Hall of Fame’s Archivist Matt Zeysing for the hall’s library. When Stringer arrived for the interview, fellow coach inductee Jerry Sloan of the Utah Jazz was just wrapping up his interview. The two coaches embraced and shared their thoughts on the upcoming weekend, particularly how nervous each of them will be the next night when they give their induction speeches.
“I have been up all week thinking about it,” said Stringer.
“We will get through it together,” said Sloan with a smile.
During Stringer’s interview, she touched on the success and adversity that has shaped her career.
Stringer discussed her decision to choose Hall of Fame coach John Chaney as her presenter.
“I am here (at the hall of fame) because of John Chaney,” she said. “There isn’t a significant basketball decision I have made without his input.”
Stringer and Chaney both began their collegiate coaching careers at Division II Cheyney State.
Stringer said the two “wore a lot of hats” taking on a number of responsibilities to take care of their players. When the teams use to stay on campus during the winter breaks to practice, the school cafeteria was closed so the two coaches would cook meals for them on two small burners in the concession stand.
Stringer’s teams had two leather balls and four rubber ones for practices. The ever optimistic Stringer spun the lack of equipment into a positive.
“Some of the rubber balls had eggs in them so you didn’t know where they would bounce,” she explained. ”You had to have great hand-eye coordination to keep up with them.”
Stringer also recalled how her friend was one of the pioneers in women’s equality although many never knew it.
“Coach Chaney always made sure my team had the same things his did. From sharing gym time to little things, like making sure my ladies ate the same meals. I have so much respect for him that I continue to want to satisfy his high standards. And the compassion that he has for people is just special.“
After the interview, Stringer signed more than 100 memorabilia items that would go to the Hall of Fame, auctions and charities.
A Family Reunion Dinner at the Hall of Fame on Thursday night was the first event of the enshrinement weekend.
A number of NBA dignitaries attended the dinner, but no one attracted more fanfare than 2009 inductee Michael Jordan. When Jordan arrived, as would be a current theme during the week, pandemonium ensued. The iconic basketball figure made his way through the hall escorted by a bubble of security guards as dozens of people shoved cameras, cell phone and sharpies in his direction. All eyes were on No. 23 but he wanted to avoid the spotlight by heading straight to the waiting room to see his family. However, Jordan’s route took a detour when he spotted an old friend.
“There she is,” said Jordan as he spotted Stringer. “What time did you get in Viv?”
The two embraced and discussed the organized chaos of the Hall of Fame festivities. Jordan made sure to say hello to Stringer’s sons, David and Justin.
Stringer, still nervous about her induction speech, asked Jordan if he was ready for his turn at the podium.
“You are going ahead of me, so that will take some of the pressure off,” Jordan laughed.
Stringer and Jordan’s long-term friendship started through their affiliation with Nike. Nike hosts trips each summer, a haven where coaches, players and their families can gather and catch up on the past year. During those trips, Jordan and his parents would stay up talking about basketball with Stringer and her family. Jordan calls Stringer a ‘confidante to the family.”
The two pioneers can relate to each other beyond basketball and Nike. They both grew up in large families and both credit their families with producing their work ethic and drive. Both lost their fathers early in their lives and the understanding of each other’s background only strengthens the bond.
As Jordan made his way to the waiting room, Stringer continued to mingle among the guests. As she turned a corner, she was embraced by another fellow inductee – John Stockton.
After receiving a motherly hug from Stringer, Stockton expressed how happy he was to see her.
“You are my favorite one of the class,” Stockton said. “Because you are the only one that makes me feel tall.”
The reunion was capped off with a dinner on the center court of the facility where the new class was introduced and old classes were celebrated.
Many stopped by the table to greet Stringer and her family and friends; Charles Barkley, Sam Jones and Pat Riley were just a few.
Friday: Press Conference, Pep Rally, Enshrinement
The 2009 Hall of Fame class took part in a press conference Friday morning where the five inductees received their Hall of Fame jackets.
“I am here perhaps because of the success -- the wins that we've had," Stringer said at the podium when called upon to answer questions from the crowded room. "But the truth of the matter is that the reason that I continue to coach is because I'm trying to create young women that are leaders and role models. So my work is never done."
A touching moment came at the end of Stringer’s portion of the press conference. From an eight-year old student reporter from a Springfield middle school. She asked coach “Mrs. Stringer – you have gone through a lot of difficult times. What advice do you have for inner-city girls who think there is no way out?’’
Stringer paused before answering. She knew the student was not looking for a quote for a story; this was a teaching moment for her.
“The opportunities that you have are only limited by your dreams and your visions.” Stringer said. “The key to all success is through your education. You are extremely important. You must know there are special things that you want to do. You just have to work hard.”
The conviction in her voice left the student assured her dreams are as reachable as the dreams the Hall of Famer standing in front of her once had.
Following the press conference, there was a pep rally at the MassMutual Center that gave hundreds of children the opportunity to show appreciation for the induction class.
After the rally, Stringer went back to her hotel hoping to get a chance to rest prior to the enshrinement ceremony. However, she never got that chance.
If her speech wasn’t stressing her out enough, Stringer found out at 3:30 p.m. on Friday afternoon that Chaney’s flight had been cancelled- the initial one and a subsequent rebooking- and her mentor would most likely not be able to walk her on stage. Stringer would later say in her speech that she thought Chaney was pulling a joke on her because everything to him was a test – this was no test.
Hall of Famers Ann Meyers and Lynette Woodard ended up taking Chaney’s place in presenting Stringer.
After last second changes to her speech to reflect Chaney absence, the wait was over – it was time for the induction.
On the way to the enshrinement, each inductee’s family took portraits in a downstairs’ ballroom at the hotel.
Stringer’s niece Tesha Stoner was taping the evening’s festivities but wanted to keep the film rolling while she stood with the family – a large contingency of about 50 strong - for portraits. She noticed a small well-dressed man sitting behind the photographer. She asked the man if he would tape the family while she stood for the photos. He happily obliged.
After the photos, Tesha’s dad Tim noticed Tesha getting the camera back from the helpful man.
“Do you know who that man is?” Tim asked. “That is John Stockton!”
The same John Stockton that was an hour away from being inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame with Tesha’s aunt. Stockton, the NBA’s career leader in assists and steals, was happy to give a helping hand.
Stockton’s wife, Nada, would later joke that her husband should have turned the camera around to showcase the photographer and surprise Coach Stringer.
The enshrinement ceremony kicked off at 7:00 p.m. The order of speeches would go Robinson, Stockton, Stringer, Sloan and end with Jordan. ESPN was broadcasting the event live to its 98 million households and more than 200 countries and territories.
Stringer would later say Robinson and Stockton’s speeches were a blur because she was so nervous. To her, it seemed like the program just started when host Mike Breen announced “Ladies and gentlemen – C. Vivian Stringer.”
Her time had arrived. Her seven months of anxiety had come to end.
She opened by saying she was seldom lost for words – this was not one of those times.
Stringer spent most of her 15-minute speech thanking the people that got her to the podium.
She discussed how her desire to coach was sparked when she joined the Germantownship High School cheerleading squad because it was only way she could get on the field and court at the time. She thrived on encouraging the boys and yelling out pointers – “keep your head down, don’t you know how to follow the blockers”. However, deep down she knew she was not meant to be a cheerleader.
“I couldn’t understand why I wasn’t allowed to play the game I loved,” said Stringer. “For those of you that know me know I am not a cheerleader. ‘2-4-6-8-who-do-we-appreciate, no, that was not me.”
As her family looked on, she thanked each of them for their contribution, particularly her children. David and Justin wouldn’t allow their mom to call it quits despite the tragedies that have plagued her life. Justin, she noted, raised the question ‘what else can you do.’
After reaching the first-ever NCAA Women’s Final Four in 1982, her daughter Nina was diagnosed with spinal meningitis, leaving her handicapped for life. Her husband Bill – her rock, the wind beneath her wings and the love of her life, as Stringer noted in her speech- died from a heart attack on Thanksgiving Day 1992.
In 1999, she won a battle with breast cancer.
At each bump in the road, it was her children and family, who were her source of strength,
To help keep her emotions in check on stage, Stringer would flash her sense of humor.
“I was in the Naismith Hall of Fame before,” Stringer said. “I paid however.”
Stringer concluded her speech by thanking her players.
“It was you, you were the ones that worked hard, persevered, sacrificed and made it all happen. I want to thank you as I walk into the Hall of Fame, we all walk into the Hall of Fame.”
After the ceremony, the newest inductees remained on stage to interact with past hall of famers.
Hall of Famers Barkley and George Gervin were talking on stage when Barkley was asked if he could take a photo with Stringer whenever he was free. Barkley is an old friend of Stringer and had great respect for her late husband Bill.
Unaware Stringer was still on stage, Barkley responded “I am always ready for coach – let’s shoot.”
“You look good girl,” a boisterous Barkley told Stringer.
Stringer couldn’t help but smile at Sir Charles. Barkley will always hold a special place in Stringer’s heart, particularly for a phone call he made nine year ago.
On Sept. 2 2000, Justin Stringer was on his way to watch his older brother David play in his first football game at Rutgers when the car he was riding in was broadsided and rolled 40 yards. Justin was seriously injured and suffered brain damage. The doctors warned Vivian to prepare for the possibility of Justin ‘not functioning normally” after he woke out of his coma.
Heartbroken over another family tragedy, Vivian thought Justin would benefit from some outside support, so she reached out to Barkley.
The next day, Barkley called Justin’s hospital room and a nurse held the phone to Justin’s ear and although he couldn’t respond, hearing his idol’s words of encouragement did wonders for his spirit.
Riley, who had presented Stringer with an autographed copy of the 50th anniversary Hall of Fame book the evening before, stopped the chat with Stringer’s sons at the bottom of the podium steps. The three-time NBA Coach of the Year told them they had a wonderful mother, opened his wallet and pulled out the Old Irish Blessing to pass along to her.
Following the ceremony and post-enshrinement gala, Stringer and her family took a tour of the Hall of Fame with the organization’s President John L. Doleva. Stringer introduced Doleva to her family as “the one who calls to say yes or no” to the hall’s finalists.
As the group reached the top level of hall, they saw a case of memorabilia from the 2009 class. In the case was Stringer’s game ball from her 600th career victory, the net from her 800th win along with her warm up jacket from her time as an assistant coach on the 2004 U.S. Gold-Medal Olympic team.
As Stringer walked around the hall, she looked up and there in the north end of the ceiling was her head shot among the other hall of famers.
“That’s me!” said Stringer smiling from ear to ear.
She stared in amazement as she soaked in her place among basketball royalty.
Saturday: Ring Ceremony
A ring ceremony was held Saturday night at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn. to conclude the weekend’s festivities.
Stringer was holding court with the media on the red carpet when she was interrupted by a big bear hug from Karl Malone.
“Sorry I missed you last night,” said Malone, who missed the induction due to an illness in his family. “Before you get out of here let’s talk.”
“I promise,” Stringer assured the former Jazz forward.
Stringer made good on her promise to Malone and sought him out before the ring ceremony. Malone picked Stringer’s brain on coaching, parenting and dealing with adversity for nearly a half hour. Here was one of the 50 greatest NBA players of all-time, who ranks second on the NBA’s all-time list in points, was hanging on every word Stringer was telling him.
As Malone began to praise Stringer on how well she guides her teams through adversity, the altruistic coach tried to pass on the praise to her players. Malone saw it differently.
“You don’t give yourself enough credit,” said Malone. “Those 18-19 year-old girls didn’t handle themselves like that on their own. They see you. They feed off you and respond how you respond.
“Watching you speak from afar I have always admired this about you – that it is never about you. You are old school. A lot of today’s players and coaches are different. It’s about ‘me’. They always have an excuse why it went wrong. You never make excuses, just like coach Sloan.”
As they ended their conversation, Malone began to walk away but wanted to get one more thing from Stringer. He turned around and saw she had started talking to someone else.
“Malone was eating up everything you were saying,” a member of Stringer’s party told the coach.
“Oh, no!” said the selfless Stringer. “He just likes talking basketball.”
Not wanting to interrupt Stringer’s conversation, Malone traded contact information with Stringer’s sons to continue the conversation down the road. Stringer was oblivious to the impact she made on the future Hall of Famer.
The ring ceremony began with every Hall of Famer in attendance being introduced to a crowd of 1,400. Following a three-course dinner, the 2009 class took the stage for a final time. Each inductee was joined by family members as they participated in a question and answer segment.
To cap the historic weekend, Doleva called each inductee to the front of the stage to receive their hall of fame ring.
After each member received their newest piece of jewelry, they huddled at the center of the stage for a final time. Stringer’s emotional rollercoaster of a weekend had finally come to an end.
Although her 825 wins and four Final Four appearances may have sealed her Hall of Fame induction, it is the immeasurable influence she has on her players and the sport of women’s basketball that gives her the greatest sense of accomplishment. Although the daughter of a coal miner in Edenborn, Pa. has reached the pinnacle of the basketball world, her indomitable spirit, contagious leadership and tremendous drive ensure she will continue to influence the sport for years to come.
“To all my basketball daughters, I love you and thank God for you,” Stringer said to close her induction speech. “I thank all of you for the privilege you have given me to stand here and be a basketball coach here tonight. I love you. Thank you.”
Words her former and future players would echo about this amazing woman.
