• All-time great Larry Reed passes away


    Larry Reed, the only Milwaukee Panther with 1,500 points and 1,500 rebounds to his credit, passed away Saturday after a long bout with cancer. He was 72.

    Instead of writing the simple obituary, I'll share my own thoughts about the man and point to excellent work by Tom Enlund of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Kevin O'Connor of Milwaukee Athletics.

    I only met Mr. Reed a few times, so I'm probably not the best person for this. But I can tell you, that despite getting to know him over a brief time, my life is better for it.

    Always greeting with a smile, despite his obvious discomfort from his ailments, Reed was one of the few people I have come to known that truly bleeds black and gold in the best sense. He never wanted to talk about himself, or his exploits on the court. The most I ever got about his playing days was that he once almost took a nasty spill chasing after a loose ball at old Baker Fieldhouse.

    He was an avid fan of the Panthers, and he talked about them often. He was a big fan of Anthony Hill and Ricky Franklin, and he was genuinely appreciative when he found the student section chanting his name at the 2011 championship game.

    He was, of course, much more than one of us. His work in MPS and mentoring of young African-Americans made him much more important than a sports figure.

    He was the consummate alum, someone who cared about his alma mater but more about the people in it. He is Larry Reed, a legend of Milwaukee, basketball, and life.