Why you're a UK fan

[liveblue92]

Just curious who everyone's favorite player is and who made them fall in love with UK Basketball? I'm 36 and mine is definitely Jamal Mashburn! He made me love Kentucky basketball

I’m 32. The first year I can remember watching UK basketball was probably 2000-2001. Chuck Hayes is my favorite player of all time. I remember playing as Jared Lorenzen on NCAA CFB ‘02. Excited for NCAA 25 to come out. I bought a PS5 this weekend just to play it. UK football and basketball consumes an unhealthy amount of my life to be honest.

 

[lazycat75]

48 here the 84 team got me hooked. 1992 team is my fav team Kenny Walker fav player

 

[BlobUK]

49 here. Born into it. Dad was a huge fan. Pitino's teams were the first teams I really followed. 92 was my senior year in high school. Loved Mashburn but my favorite players are Tony Delk and Ron Mercer.

 

[FinancialPlannerZac]

I'm 38... which is a weird year for me because my dad passed at the age of 38, just 5-6 weeks after we won the 1998 title (not a bad way to go out). Tony Delk, Scott Padgett, and Jeff Sheppard were my early-time favorites. Can't tell you how much I loved those early 2000's teams... Prince and Bogans, Fitch, Hawkins, Hayes, Erik Daniels. Was lucky enough (and spent money I didn't have) to be in New Orleans for the 2012 Final Four when I was 26 years old. More recently, guys like Immanuel Quickley, PJ Washington, and Antonio Reeves have been guys I've really loved cheering for. It's funny that you measure times in your own personal life by the players/teams we watch in Rupp. Life is simply better when it's college basketball season. Going to be fun seeing the beginning of the Pope era unfold as well. Go CATS!

 

[PoBilly]

It's so hard for me to pick a favorite player. I just turned 60 in March, so I've been a die hard for a long time. I was born into being a Kentucky fan, even though I was born in Louisville and we lived there until I was 6. There was never any thought of being anything other than a Kentucky fan. We used to listen to Cawood on the radio and it was a bonus if we could watch the games on television, but I have always bled blue and that won't ever change. I remember shooting around on our goal and pretending to be Jay Shidler (the blonde bomber), Kyle Macy and many others. I love my Cats and it really feels like we're on the way back to being Kentucky again! GO BIG BLUE!!

Thought Bo Lanter was going to be Blonde Bomber part 2 but was wrong.

 

[Bill - Shy Cat]

Dan Issel. Loved how he used the backboard for many of his 10 footers.

 

[jedwar]

First memory of UK was the '75 team.

As far as favorites, I'll do it by decade:

70's
Grevy
Roby
Phillips

80's
Bowie
Turpin
Walker

90's
Mashburn
Delk
Epps

2000's
Bogans
Fitch
Crawford

2010's
Wall
MKG
Fox

2020's
Dillingham
Oscar
Sheppard

Added for bonus my favorite teams:
78
1984
1996
2003
2010
2024

 

[Kats23]

I’m 43. Was born into the fandom. I watched UK basketball as a kid but it was Jamal Mashburn that made me live and breath it as a 12 year old

 

[know1]

I moved to Kentucky in 1985 while I was in middle school. I attended and graduated from UK and started there in Pitino's first year.

Honestly, if I was 25 years younger, I likely wouldn't even be a fan. But in the 80s when you didn't have the internet and you only had the newspaper, radio and Sports Center, you pretty much were destined to be a UK fan. And then having a front row seat as a UK student during the rise from the ashes that Pitino engineered just solidified it that much more.

My favorite players were pretty much all during the Pitino years with the exception of Darius Miller. If forced to choose, my favorite was Epps. Most of the players since Cal got here haven't stayed long enough to be favorites.

 

[Dillenger1914]

Love the topic OP. Mine is simple. Kenny Sky Walker. Kenny is from my Dad side of the family (Roberta, Ga). One of my aunties was a cheerleader for his High school when they won the State Championship. I was (still is..lol) a HUGE Kenny fan. Followed him to Kentucky in 1983 and have been bleeding Blue since.

 

[Bluegrassking]

Grace of God, I reckon.

I'd say the 78 run but since I already cared enough to follow it I can't really say what the actual origin story of my fandom was.

It wasn't family, nobody cared or if they did they were nominal Louisville fans or only cared about gambling.

I don't have any recollection of learning to read either so some stuff from being knee high to a grasshopper is beyond a veil for me no matter how important.

My favorite player is still Anthony Epps and Mace and Goose were my first "loves".

 

[JPFisher]

I don't know why, but I really got into Kentucky basketball when Joe Crawford and Ramel Bradley were playing. I liked Derrick Jasper and thought Patrick Patterson was awesome.

My dad had loved the Pitino years, and got kinda down on Tubby ball, so I was a bit of a late bloomer, all things considered. We had a goal post beside the driveway, so you better believe I bricked about 200 shots on my way to besting Jodie Meeks' record against them damned Volunteers.

Then Calipari came in to the picture and I understood the power of a revitalized BBN, of which, I was a part. We won the last title when I was in high school. Those were good times.

And now we're here. Let's kick some ***, Pope!

 

[Rockford]

Just curious who everyone's favorite player is and who made them fall in love with UK Basketball? I'm 36 and mine is definitely Jamal Mashburn! He made me love Kentucky basketball

By the Grace of God and Dan Issel

 

[mtman58]

I am 66 years old and a 5th generation Kentuckian. I was born in Benham, Harlan County, Kentucky. So you can
definitely say Kentucky is and always will be, in my blood.

I shed my first tear but not my last when we lost to Jacksonville 106-100. I can still see Dan Issel getting
his 5th foul at mid-court.

So proud of my Kentucky mountain roots!!!