No discussion about the best scoring swingmen in NBA history is complete without the mention of George Gervin . He is one of only five players to have clinched at least four scoring titles. The other four are Allen Iverson, Kevin Durant, Wilt Chamberlain, and Michael Jordan.
What some might not know is that the San Antonio Spurs icon had a peculiar route to the pros. Gervin nearly jeopardized his basketball career after landing an ill-advised punch to an opponent during a national semifinal matchup in the NCAA in 1972.
He opened up about the incident in his book, " Ice: Why I Was Born To Score ," recounting what led to the event and the consequences that followed.
"We have those moments where you wish you could take something back. Our jails are full of people who wish they could take something back, take that moment in their lives back. When I hit Jay Piccola in college, I snapped. I went blank. I went dark. All I could think of is being mistreated and reacting. And that cost me my college career," Gervin wrote.
Pent-up frustration
Things weren't going George's way during that fateful day despite him shooting lights out against Roanoke College. Did "Iceman" snap because his squad, Eastern Michigan University, was down by more than 20 points at halftime or due to the prejudice and cheating he said he felt—but didn't expound on—in Evansville, Indiana, where the game was held?
Perhaps it was a combination of various factors, making it a perfect storm for the Michigan native.
What was sure was that his college-ending punch was unnecessary and uncalled for. After being ejected for a scuffle, which stemmed from Gervin and Piccola jostling for a rebound, the then-18-year-old star saw himself watching from the sidelines.
He remembered Piccola approaching him, and just like that, his fist went flying toward his erstwhile tormentor.
Interestingly, Gervin didn't know if Piccola would make peace with him, but his natural instinct took over his common sense. The former Roanoke standout probably forgot why he had gone to the opposing bench. According to George's account, he was knocked out "completely" on the floor.
The aftermath
The punch resulted in an all-out brawl, with the police having to escort Gervin out of the floor to the locker room. To appease the crowd, his coach, Jim Dutcher, assured everyone through the arena's sound system that "the players who got involved in this, they will never play for me again."
Gervin managed to laugh about the abrupt end of his college career in a conversation with Michael Jordan more than a decade later. However, right after the incident happened, he was in disbelief about what would happen to his life.
The nine-time NBA All-Star was surprised to hear that Eastern Michigan was suspending him the following season and couldn't commit to reinstating him for his senior year. After all, Gervin was then one of the top-scoring collegiate players as a sophomore, averaging 29.5 points per contest in the 1971-72 season.
So, to get it over with, he withdrew from the program.
Related: Michael Jordan on why guys shouldn't be able to jump from high school to NBA: "Something is affected by leaving college early"
The birth of "Iceman"
At 18, Gervin found himself lost in his once-promising basketball journey. Not only did he give up the opportunity to continue playing college hoops, but his invitations to try out for the national team for the Olympics and Pan-American Games were also taken away.
Fortunately, plenty of good came out of the ordeal, as GG learned not to lose his composure or cool whenever things weren't going his way. Thus was born his "Ice" persona.
He also got the chance to continue playing, joining the Pontiac Chaparrals in the now-defunct CBA for the 1972-73 campaign. It was there where Johnny Kerr discovered Gervin, bringing him to the ABA to suit up for the Virginia Squires.
The rest, as they say, is history, as the all-time ABA great helped Julius Erving put the league on the map. After years of playing as a star for the Squires and eventually the Spurs, the legend finally realized his NBA dreams in 1976.
All's well that ends well
Gervin's career turned out probably better than he expected it would after his life-changing punch in 1972. While George never became an MVP or champion, he did come close to accomplishing either feat a few times. Still, many players would probably covet being a part of the 50th and 75th NBA Anniversary teams and a famed ABA trailblazer, both of which George has on his resume.
In addition, he managed to make up with Eastern Michigan, with the university even putting up a statue in his honor inside the campus. The former Eagles star's effigy stands tall outside the school's basketball arena, showing him attempting his signature shot, the finger roll.
Perhaps equally important is that Gervin and Piccola have been on good terms for a long while now. The seven-time All-NBA member said he wrote a letter of apology, which Piccola even read in one of GG's documentaries.
The retired swingman became a long-time executive for Puma, helping transform it into one of the largest sportswear manufacturers in the world. The Hall of Famer made a surprise appearance during his retirement party, illustrating how far the two have come since their slugfest more than five decades ago.
Gervin's story also shows that no matter how dark someone's circumstances may be, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
Related: "I was just showing you how it used to be" - When "old man" George Gervin dropped 35 at halftime to Michael Jordan's amazement
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