TicketsDerrek Dickey was born on March 20, 1951, in Cincinnati to John and Ola Dickey. He attended Purcell High School (now Purcell Marian), where he starred on the Cavaliers' basketball team. He was named Team MVP as a junior in 1968 before switching his focus to track and field for the remainder of the school year. Competing in the high jump, Dickey helped Purcell claim both the Catholic League title and the Class AA district track title.
Back on the hardwood, the Cavaliers were named the “hands down” favorite to be the best basketball team in the Cincinnati area for the 1968-69 season solely because they had Dickey on their roster, according to the Enquirer. His talents were on full display all season, putting up monster stat lines while dominating the paint. In a win over McNicholas High School, he put up 32 points and 29 rebounds. A week later, he dropped 29 against St. Xavier, giving the Cavaliers first place in the Catholic League.
Dickey would claim the season’s high school scoring title in large part due to an unbelievable 54-point, 28-rebound performance against Walnut Hills. He capped off his dominant senior season by claiming the district championship against LaSalle in a game that took place at UC’s Armory Fieldhouse. “It’s the only way to go out in our senior year,” Dickey said after the game.
He seemed to enjoy playing at the Armory, as he signed a National Letter of Intent with Cincinnati in April, choosing to stay home to play for the Bearcats. Head coach Tay Baker said Dickey was his first recruit for the 1969-70 class, saying he was “our most highly sought boy – the one we wanted most of all.” Dickey shared the same sentiment about UC, saying that being able to be close to his parents and play in his hometown were deciding factors.
He spent his first year on campus on the freshman team, leading the Bearkittens in points, rebounds, and field goal percentage. As he did at Purcell, Dickey continued to showcase his talents across multiple sports, competing in the high jump for the Bearcats’ track and field program as well.
Expectations were sky-high for him as a first-time player on varsity, with Baker calling him “as good as any sophomore I’ve ever seen come in here.” In a game against California-Riverside early in the season, Dickey gave proof to those claims, dropping 31 points and 18 rebounds in an easy 98-75 win.
Against defending Big Ten champions Iowa, he moved to center and responded with a 23-point, 21-rebound outing as the Bearcats shocked the Hawkeyes in overtime. Those types of games would become commonplace for UC fans to witness, as Dickey was already seen as the star of the team in just his first varsity season. He led the team in both scoring and rebounding in a year that the Enquirer described as “one of the fine sophomore seasons in history.”
He was elected as team captain ahead of his junior season and continued his elite play in the paint, while also gaining some support from varsity newcomer Lloyd Batts. The two would prove to be an elite duo, giving opponents fits on offense and on the boards. In a game against BYU, the two combined for 48 points, 28 rebounds, and 10 assists. His greatest individual performance came against Rutgers in Madison Square Garden, where he put up 40 points in a moment that Dickey called “just another game” to reporters.
When he wasn’t teaming with Batts to fill up stat sheets in a way that would please modern-day fans, Dickey was still finding new ways to showcase his skills both on and off the court. He was apparently so good in an amateur baseball league in the city that Dickey told the Enquirer that the Braves were interested in signing him.
“I’m certain that I can hit, even the curve,” said Dickey.
Back on the basketball court, he continued to shine, earning team MVP honors once again for the 1971-72 season. He averaged a double-double for a second consecutive year, while shooting almost 50% from the field.
He started off his senior season by joining Cincinnati’s career 1,000-point club in December, with the university’s president joining courtside to celebrate the achievement. Dickey’s response to the celebration? “I am really sorry, but it was just another game.”
In his last Crosstown Shootout in February, Dickey had 23 points and nine rebounds as the Bearcats knocked off Xavier for the second consecutive year. He closed out his Cincinnati career with an 83-57 win over Butler, putting up another of his typical double-doubles. His 1,328 points were good for fifth all-time in program history at the time of his graduation, solidifying himself as one of the greatest big men to ever play for the Bearcats.
He was selected in the 2nd round of the 1973 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors, joining a forward room that included the legendary Rick Barry. When he moved to the Bay Area following his selection, he brought a friend with him.
Bacchus, a boa constrictor that was six feet, six inches long, was his companion. When asked if he was allowed to have such a giant snake in an apartment, Dickey responded, “There is a regulation for dogs and cats, but it doesn’t say anything about boa constrictors.”
His teammates were scared to visit his apartment after meeting the snake, but Dickey had him under control. “I play with him a lot, so he won’t get mean. If they don’t get to play, they get mean,” said Dickey.
Off the court, he was an excellent snake charmer. On the court, Derrek carved out a role on a Warriors squad that finished first in the Western Conference in the 1974-75 season. Golden State was able to ride its momentum all the way to the NBA Finals, setting up a showdown with the Eastern Conference’s Washington Bullets.
Dickey made a big impact off the bench in the series, shooting an amazing 71.4% from the field while contributing on defense against future Hall of Famer Elvin Hayes. The younger Warriors roster proved that experience wasn’t everything, as they swept the Bullets 4-0 for their first title in franchise history.
Dickey would play four more seasons in the NBA (three with Golden State, one with Chicago) before coming back home to Cincinnati as a color commentator for Bearcats basketball games. He was inducted into the University of Cincinnati Athletics Hall of Fame in 1988, then went on to become an analyst for the Sacramento Kings, the Chicago Bulls, and ESPN.
Dickey suffered a stroke in 1997 but fought back to return to his broadcasting duties just five months later. “From day one, there was never a doubt in my mind I’d be able to go back to work,” he said. He would later launch a program with the American Heart Association called “Saving Strokes”, dedicated to assisting stroke victims in their recovery through golf.
Dickey passed away unexpectedly in 2002 at his home in Sacramento. He was survived by his three children, Derrek Jr., Dana, and David, and his wife, Sally.