Remembering Marv

by Ernie McCray

Lost my favorite teammate
of all time:
Marv Dutt.
We haven’t, over the years,
kept in touch
but I have fond memories
of how he could,
no matter what,
get the ball to me
with that instinct
great passers have
of rewarding you
as long as you keep
moving to a great
spot on the floor to be.

Like on my 46 point night
he dished me so many passes
in stride,
in between
double teams
and triple teams
and downright
assault and battery,
with precision,
making it a night
of history
and fun
and we’d
get back on defense
on the run,
flashing each other
that nod
that says
“Great play!”

In those moments
we were happy
as two workers
cashing checks
full of bonuses
on payday.

Oh, we chalked up
a few doozies
in our day
and I’m blessed
to have had him
as a teammate,
as a major contributor
to the accolades
I’ve enjoyed
since we played,
so, his spirit
is with me
in the
Hall of Fame
and “Ring of Honor”
at the U of A.

In a big way.

I can hear, Fred Enke,
our coach, yelling his frequent mantra:
“Get the ball to Ernie, dammit!”
Marv more than heard him,
I would say.

RIP, buddy.
You left it all on the court
the way you played.