Imrem: Dean Smith revered in life and sports

We know the feeling around here and it's nearly as fresh.

Chicago and all of baseball lost former Cubs' slugger Ernie Banks a couple weeks ago.

North Carolina and all of basketball lost former coach Dean Smith on Saturday night.

Each died at age 83. Each transcended his sport. Each was beloved during and beyond his career.

Ernie Banks was known for so much more than his 512 home runs. Dean Smith was known for so much more than his 879 victories.

Most of all, Banks and Smith used a sports forum to forge positive relationships with people inside and outside athletics.

Smith and Banks made people happier and better simply by interacting with them. No wonder each was awarded America's highest civilian award — the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

That in no small part was due to their roles in integrating their sports and by extension their country.

In 1953, Banks became the first black man to play for the Cubs. In 1966, Smith made Charlie Scott the University of North Carolina's first black scholarship basketball player.

These were no small feats in those times. Remember, Smith overlapped with Adolph Rupp, the great Kentucky coach who to this day is portrayed as a racist.

I remember sitting with and listening to prominent black sports writers at NCAA tournament sites as they spoke of Smith in reverential terms.

The impression always was that Smith didn't recruit blacks to exploit them; he recruited them to advance them as players and persons.

In a way, the times were perfect for Smith to be both a college basketball coach and social activist.

The stakes in college sports weren't quite as high. The money wasn't as big. The spotlight wasn't as hot. Overall the pressure wasn't as intense.

Today, college coaches have to be careful of what they say and actually careful not to say too much.

Controversy always is a couple syllables from escalating into scandal, which might be why so many coaches allow themselves to be consumed by sports and insulated from bigger issues.

Smith didn't feel compelled to be that restrained. He opposed the war in Vietnam, the death penalty and segregation.

Regardless of anyone's social and political views, Smith's willingness to take stands has to be considered commendable.

Somehow, though, Dean Smith was able to blend conscience with competitiveness.

I sat nearby in the Hoosier Dome in 1991 when Smith drew two technical fouls and was ejected from a Final Four loss to Kansas coach Roy Williams, his former pupil.

So let's not forget that among Smith's varied qualities was a burning desire to win basketball games.

The man was an outstanding teacher who mentored players on how to be successful in life, including the likes of Larry Brown on how to be great coaches.

Smith developed Michael Jordan and other superstar players, won nearly 80 percent of his games, advanced to 11 Final Fours and celebrated two national titles.

An innovator, Smith's teams were the first to employ the four-corners offense. His players were the first to huddle at the free-throw line. His scorers were the first to point to teammates that assisted them.

Still, like Ernie Banks, in the end Dean Smith will be remembered as much for his victories in life as for his victories in sports.

That isn't a bad legacy for either, is it?

mimrem@dailyherald.com