Ridd bounced from the record book

Long before NBA talent such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Dillon Brooks, there was a time when Canada’s hopes at the FIBA Basketball World Cup were pinned on a young group of Winnipeggers led by the late, great Carl Ridd.

It was 1954 and Ridd, a standout forward at the University of Manitoba between 1947-51, and the Winnipeg Paulins earned the right to represent the country in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil after knocking off the Toronto Tri-Bells in a best-of-five-series to claim the Canadian senior men’s national title.

Unlike today, they didn’t send a roster of players from across the country to the world stage. The club that won nationals became Team Canada, and this was the first time it was one from Winnipeg.

Ridd was no stranger to the international game as he represented Canada at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland. His experience showed, and he finished the 12-team tournament in Brazil four points shy of being the top scorer at the event.

His most notable performance came in an 83-76 loss to the Philippines — who went on to win bronze — as he hit 14 shots and went nine-of-14 from the foul line to record 37 points.

For the next 69 years, it was the record for most points scored by a Canadian at the world cup.

Ridd’s mark is now No. 2 as Brooks — a small forward for the NBA’s Houston Rockets — scored a game-high 39 points to lead Canada to a thrilling 127-118 overtime victory over the United States on Sunday in Manila, Philippines to win bronze.

It’s the first time Canada has medalled at the world cup.

Gilgeous-Alexander also broke Ridd’s Canadian record for highest tournament scoring average (18.2) as the Oklahoma City Thunder guard led the way with 24.5 points per game

“He would’ve been thrilled to have his record broken. Absolutely thrilled. And particularly, he would’ve been thrilled in a game where Canada beat the United States. That would’ve been really, really pleasing for him,” said Ridd’s youngest daughter, Karen, who played for the University of Winnipeg Wesmen from 1979-84.

“You know what my dad would’ve done, and I’m going to try to make sure I do this, but my dad today would’ve been handwriting a letter to each Shai and Dillon to congratulate them on their accomplishment. So, I’m going to make sure that I do that.”

Ridd, who passed away in 2003 at the age of 73, was named a second-team all-star in 1954 in what ended up being a seventh place finish for the Canadians.

An impressive showing by anyone, let alone someone who could barely see what they were doing.

“My father was extraordinarily nearsighted and wore quite significant glasses all his life. But when he went to Rio as a young man, he didn’t have the money for purchasing a second pair of glasses so he never wore his glasses when he played basketball,” said Karen.

“And that wasn’t a huge handicap, apparently, in Canada because we still used those halfmoon white backboards at that time. Often outdoor courts at schools will have those backboards, not the square glass ones. But in Rio, my dad encountered the square glass backboards for the first time and of course, he couldn’t see it because it was clear. So, all he could see was the rim. The stories I remember being told was he didn’t play as well in Rio because of these backboards and it took him a while to (adjust).”

Brooks, a 27-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., had a legendary performance against the Americans. He was lights out from deep as he went seven-of-eight from the three-point line and shot 12-for-18 from the field. He was also named the tournament’s best defensive player en route to helping Canada secure their first Olympic berth since 2000.

“The three-point shot wasn’t around when dad was playing. So Dillon, on the strength of shooting, he gets an extra seven points from that, but that’s not really an asterisk comment,” said Ridd’s son Brian. Ridd’s third child is a daughter named Laurel.

“The game has changed. You got to shoot from further out to get that three-point shot. So, every one of those extra points he got, he earned by having to shoot a more difficult shot.”

For those who don’t follow the NBA, Brooks, who spent the first six years of his career with the Memphis Grizzlies, has a bit of a reputation around the league. He’s brash, borderline cocky, and plays with a lot of emotion. Brooks garnered a lot of attention for trash talking LeBron James to reporters in the opening round of the 2023 playoffs, only for the Los Angeles Lakers superstar to respond by leading the purple and gold to a 4-2 series victory over the No. 2-seeded Grizzlies.

“If you watch Dillon Brooks play, he has a pretty indomitable spirit,” said Brian.

“My dad and Dillon Brooks are very, very different people, but they have sort of a similar ‘You won’t best me. I’ll never back down. I’ll keep trying to the bitter, bitter end’ type of ferociousness inside.”

In 1952, Ridd was offered a contract by the NBA’s Milwaukee Hawks (now Atlanta) but he ultimately turned it down to further pursue his education.

As successful as Ridd was on the court, he made just as big of an impact, if not bigger, away from the game.

He went on to earn a Master’s Degree from United College (now the University of Winnipeg) and a PhD from Drew University in New Jersey in Religion and Literature. He served as a minister before helping start the Religious Studies Department at the U of W, which is where he would teach for 29 years. He was also an activist for many issues relating to the environment, peace and religion.

Since 1970, Basketball Manitoba has awarded an annual scholarship in Ridd’s name to two graduating Grade 12 students who excel in basketball, academics, and are heavily involved in the community.

“He really did touch a lot lives,” said Karen. “Even yesterday, I was at the Hard Ash Canoe Paddling Festival up at Old Pinawa Dam and a couple people mentioned my dad to me. Still 20 years after his passing, he’s still made that kind of impact on people’s lives and I think that’s the mark of a life truly well-lived.”

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Twitter: @TaylorAllen31