Iceman To The Rescue

When he founded the George Gervin Youth Center in 1989, “The Iceman” chose an appropriate motto for the facility for underprivileged and at-risk youth: New Birth. For Gervin, his retirement from the game of basketball constituted a new birth as he immediately looked for ways to serve the San Antonio community that idolized him and his sweet signature finger roll shot for so many years.

“A lot of guys playing in the NBA today think they’re living the life, but let me tell you life really begins after your career,” Gervin explains. “I have more opportunities to do things I like to do, which involves helping people in the community, so it’s been fun because I didn’t know what to expect at first when I retired.”

As part of Gervin’s San Antonio youth center, the George Gervin Academy gives high school dropouts a second chance at educational success. An experienced team of teachers and counselors helps at-risk students earn their high school diploma or GED. In April, The Iceman was busy helping motivate students to pass the TAKS test, which is required in order to receive a high school diploma in the state of Texas.

“We work with kids who quit school and then find out they need an education to get a decent job in the future,” Gervin says. “I try to motivate them not to get a criminal record because if they’re on the wrong side of the law, that follows them through life and I don’t think they get to hear that enough. In our society there are certain criteria that you’ve just got to have to give yourself a fair chance.”

Due to his immense popularity as a hardwood hero, Gervin was selected to join the NBA Legends Tour during the 2005 Playoffs. Teaming up with former greats such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Clyde Drexler, Tiny Archibald and Bob Lanier, Gervin travels the nation with the Larry O’Brien championship trophy in celebration of the playoff season. The Legends Tour also entails community service, including a trip to the Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington, D.C. to visit troops returning from Iraq and express gratitude for their efforts on behalf of the league.

Gervin maintains yet another connection to the community through Iceman’s Pub, located at the Willow Springs Golf Course clubhouse across the street from the SBC Center. For Gervin, it’s a place to reconnect with the locals and enjoy a tasty hamburger at the same time.

“I try to stop by there about once a week and I enjoy it because it’s a more traditional golf club,” Gervin says. “There are guys who have been playing there for years, so some of the older people come to hang out at Iceman’s Pub.”

Regarding basketball, Gervin laments the lost art of the jump shot in today’s game, but expresses admiration for Tim Duncan’s ability to use the backboard on a regular basis. As for Gervin’s signature finger roll, he claims it was not even his best attribute as a player. The Iceman averaged an incredible shooting percentage of 51 percent in his career, and hopes to one day have the chance to use his expertise to cultivate a return of the jump shot to NBA basketball.

“The finger roll was created by players before me like Julius Erving and Wilt Chamberlain, but I really think my greatest strength was the jump shot and going to the basket,” Gervin admits. “Guys were more worried about my shot, so that created opportunities to use the finger roll.”