This story was originally published on my northwest website
The University of Washington (UW) has officially retired the jersey of Detlef Schrempf, star men’s basketball forward from 1981 to 1985.
Schrempf’s No. 22 jersey was hung from the rafters at Alaska Airlines Stadium on Saturday to commemorate his legacy and impact as a Husky, joining several other UW greats such as Brandon Roy, Isaiah Thomas, Bob Hubregs and Christian Welp, according to the UW Athletic Department.
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“The story of Washington basketball cannot be told without Christian Welp and Detlef Schrempf,” said athletic director Pat Chun. “Both were pioneers in international basketball, elevated the game of basketball around the world and had extraordinary careers at Montlake. We look forward to honoring their impact and celebrating their lasting places in UW history later this season.”
Fans celebrate Schrempf with replica jerseys and bobbleheads at Alaska Airlines Arena
To commemorate Schrempf’s time as a Husky, UW athletics provided replica jersey towels to all fans and a Detlef Schrempf bobblehead to the first 2,500 fans to attend the Huskies’ home game against the Wisconsin Badgers.
In Schrempf’s junior and senior seasons as a starter for the Huskies, he led the team in points, rebounds and assists, averaging 16.3 points and 7.7 rebounds per game while shooting nearly 55% from the field. Schrempf was also a two-time Pac-10 All-Conference selection.
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Schrempf finished his collegiate career with 1,449 points, ranking 18th in the Washington Huskies’ all-time scoring list.
After playing for the Huskies, Schrempf was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks with the eighth overall pick in the 1985 NBA Draft and then played six seasons with the Seattle SuperSonics, helping the team reach the NBA Finals in 1996.
Schrempf played a total of 16 years in the NBA, winning numerous honors, including two Sixth Man of the Year awards, becoming the first European player to participate in the NBA All-Star Game, and being named to the NBA All-NBA Third Team in 1995.
Schrempf was inducted into the Huskies Hall of Fame in 1995 and was described as “one of the all-time greats to wear a Washington uniform.”
