The family of Merv Lopes didn't plan for the coincidence, but the sports world was given yet another reminder of the mark he left just days prior to his celebration of life on Saturday.
As part of its "50 States in 50 Days" tour, ESPN's SportsCenter highlighted Chaminade University of Honolulu's historic 1982 victory over Virginia in its Tuesday episode. Chaminade, coached by Lopes, was an NAIA school at the time, but somehow managed to defeat the Cavaliers, the top-ranked team in the country.
Virginia, led by three-time national player of the year and eventual top NBA Draft pick Ralph Sampson, fell to Chaminade 77-72 at the Honolulu International Center, now known as the Neal S. Blaisdell Center. The game is considered by many as the greatest upset in collegiate sports history. The game gave Chaminade and Lopes such national exposure that plans to change Chaminade's name to the University of Honolulu were canceled.
Lopes died on May 8 in Waikōloa. He was 92. Chaminade's McCabe Gym hosted his celebration of life on Saturday, which had approximately 150 attendees. The impact he left on players, coaches, family and friends was evident throughout the celebration, which lasted three-and-a-half hours.
With his nephew, former NBA agent Jarinn Akana, emceeing the event, over a dozen speakers shared their fond memories of Lopes.
A Nānākuli native, Lopes excelled in football as a youth and also enjoyed hunting and fishing. After graduating high school from ‘Iolani, he played football collegiately for Compton College and San Jose State. He was drafted into the Army before returning home and earning a master's in education at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.
Lopes coached basketball locally at the high school level at Kailua and Kalaheo before eventually making his way to Chaminade. He remains the school's all-time winningest coach at 238-118, helming the Silverswords from 1977 to 1989. In addition to his signature win over Virginia, he also led the Silverswords to victories over NCAA Division I schools such as Louisville and SMU. He was inducted into the Chaminade Hall of Fame in 2009.
Chaminade's victory over Virginia inspired the creation of the Maui Invitational, considered for decades as the country's top early season collegiate basketball tournament. Beginning with the tournament's inception in 1984, the Silverswords were part of the tournament every year until it was decided by organizers that Chaminade would only play in the tournament every other year, starting in 2017, due to the blue-blooded nature of the tournament. Chaminade, which made the jump to NCAA Division II status in 1989, has gone 8-97 in Maui Invitational games, which routinely feature multiple ranked teams.
Former players who spoke at Lopes' celebration of life on Saturday noted how his demanding practices would get the team adequately prepared to play. A common sentiment shared was how Lopes and his staff cared for their players, who came from various backgrounds across the country.
Keith Whitney, who played for Lopes from 1983 to 1985, recalled how the scholarship offer he received from Lopes allowed him to leave the projects of Orlando after junior college. Whitney, now a substance abuse counselor, told a story about how he drove with Lopes through Nānākuli, and how his coach was often stopped by those who recognized him from his upbringing, leading to long conversations. Whitney realized that even though he and Lopes grew far from each other geographically, they both came from humble beginnings.
In his speech on Saturday, Merv Lopes Jr. recalled his father's kindness and the way he got his players to believe in themselves, even as they readied to play the top college basketball team in the country.
"People put people on pedestals," Merv Jr. recalled his father telling the Silverswords before the Virginia game. "Get them off them."
Christian Shimabuku can be reached at christian@alohastatedaily.com.
