Before the World Series titles, before beating the Yankees, before being a National League MVP and all-star shortstop, there was Duke basketball for Dick Groat.
“I was a better basketball player than I ever was a baseball player,” Groat said. “Basketball was always my first love.”
At 87, Groat has a lifetime of memories, sharing a few Saturday before Duke’s ACC game against Pittsburgh. Standing courtside at Cameron Indoor Stadium, the Blue Devils warming up just a few feet away, his eyes twinkled as he talked of days gone by and moments that mattered, gazing about the arena.