There are roads athletes are supposed to follow in our society; former players can become coaches, commentators, insurance salesmen, agents, guest speakers, general managers, and a few other choices come to mind. State Supreme Court Judge is not, however, one that jumps to mind.
Tell that to the Honorable Plummer Lott, former Seattle Supersonic and current New York Supreme Court Judge, Appellate Division.
Lott, a Seattle U. grad, only spent two seasons with the Sonics, his only foray into professional basketball. A bit player (he only managed 67 games as a pro), the 6’5” Lott has gained considerably more fame as a judge, presiding over such noteworthy cases as the one involving David Harrison, the man who posed as Sidney Poitier’s son and inspired the film/play Six Degrees of Separation. He was honored in 2009 by New York with its Jurist of the Year award, narrowly edging out Vincent Askew and Scott Meents.
Lott’s selection in the fifth round of the ’67 draft owed as much to his alma mater as it did to his talent, at least in the eyes of most at the time. At a time when attendance mattered more than anything, having a local product in the green and gold had to have influenced the Sonics’ front office when they picked the defensive specialist from Seattle University.
Originally from Mississippi, Lott garnered All Big 8 honors in Jackson before coming to Seattle, where he wound up as captain of SU his senior year before turning pro, a special honor in its own right, even more special considering that the Chieftains had only elected two permanent captains prior to Lott in their history (Eddie O’Brien and Charlie Brown, for those counting). In 2009, to help commemorate a return to Division I basketball status, the school released a list of the top 30 players in Seattle U. history, and Lott proudly was able to count his name alongside such luminaries as O'Brien, Elgin Baylor and Jawaan Oldham.
Lott appeared in only 44 games his rookie season, hitting a woeful 31% of his field goals and only 61% of his free throws. Those numbers dropped even further the next year (26% FG, 40% FT), yet he was invited back to the 1969 training camp, Lenny Wilkens’ first as a head coach.
The writing was on the wall, though, Lott didn’t have to wait very long to find out his fate. After only one practice, Wilkens cut both Lott and Nick Jones (to be fair, Lott and Jones had been practicing with the team in pre-training camp action; Lenny apparently just wanted to see them go up against tougher competition to confirm what he already believed). Lott’s career on the basketball court was over, his career in that other type of court would now begin.
To ready himself in case his pro basketball life didn’t come together, Lott managed to obtain a B.A. in political science while at Seattle U. After his playing career with the Sonics ended, he moved on to the University of Washington, where he received a J.D. degree in 1974. He would begin his legal career with Matthew Bender Company before eventually becoming a criminal defense attorney in 1983 and a judge in New York Criminal Court in 1991.
Tell that to the Honorable Plummer Lott, former Seattle Supersonic and current New York Supreme Court Judge, Appellate Division.
Lott, a Seattle U. grad, only spent two seasons with the Sonics, his only foray into professional basketball. A bit player (he only managed 67 games as a pro), the 6’5” Lott has gained considerably more fame as a judge, presiding over such noteworthy cases as the one involving David Harrison, the man who posed as Sidney Poitier’s son and inspired the film/play Six Degrees of Separation. He was honored in 2009 by New York with its Jurist of the Year award, narrowly edging out Vincent Askew and Scott Meents.
Lott’s selection in the fifth round of the ’67 draft owed as much to his alma mater as it did to his talent, at least in the eyes of most at the time. At a time when attendance mattered more than anything, having a local product in the green and gold had to have influenced the Sonics’ front office when they picked the defensive specialist from Seattle University.
Originally from Mississippi, Lott garnered All Big 8 honors in Jackson before coming to Seattle, where he wound up as captain of SU his senior year before turning pro, a special honor in its own right, even more special considering that the Chieftains had only elected two permanent captains prior to Lott in their history (Eddie O’Brien and Charlie Brown, for those counting). In 2009, to help commemorate a return to Division I basketball status, the school released a list of the top 30 players in Seattle U. history, and Lott proudly was able to count his name alongside such luminaries as O'Brien, Elgin Baylor and Jawaan Oldham.
Lott appeared in only 44 games his rookie season, hitting a woeful 31% of his field goals and only 61% of his free throws. Those numbers dropped even further the next year (26% FG, 40% FT), yet he was invited back to the 1969 training camp, Lenny Wilkens’ first as a head coach.
The writing was on the wall, though, Lott didn’t have to wait very long to find out his fate. After only one practice, Wilkens cut both Lott and Nick Jones (to be fair, Lott and Jones had been practicing with the team in pre-training camp action; Lenny apparently just wanted to see them go up against tougher competition to confirm what he already believed). Lott’s career on the basketball court was over, his career in that other type of court would now begin.
To ready himself in case his pro basketball life didn’t come together, Lott managed to obtain a B.A. in political science while at Seattle U. After his playing career with the Sonics ended, he moved on to the University of Washington, where he received a J.D. degree in 1974. He would begin his legal career with Matthew Bender Company before eventually becoming a criminal defense attorney in 1983 and a judge in New York Criminal Court in 1991.
And one final nugget before I go ... in January of 2010, Lott received a ticket from the Dept. of Parks and Recreation for "playing golf in the handball court on the DeGraw Street side of the Double “D” Pool in Brooklyn, an area restricted to handball." Lott, who had been hitting some rolled-up socks with a golf club on said court, appealed the ticket by arguing that he wasn't bothering anyone and wasn't doing anything which cause anyone any physical harm, but the appeal was denied.
