Inductees

If you think about it, he is perhaps one of the most trusted folks within Springfield’s rich basketball tradition.

After all, for more than four decades, Jimmy Wright has been asked every year to work the shot clock for NCAA Division I basketball games, or handle the scorebook or scoreboard for the city’s most historic tournaments.

And he has handled them all like a pro’s pro.

“People would come up to me after (college) games and say, ‘You’ve got the best seat in the house.’ I’d say, ‘Well, you didn’t hear fans yelling at me how to run the shot clock,” Wright said with a laugh, referring to home fans wanting more time for their team, less for their opponents. “You’ve just got to put that out of your head and do your job.”

He’s done that job incredibly well, and it’s why the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame proudly inducted Wright with the Class of 2021.

You see, this winter marks Wright’s 41^st of working for basketball table crews and, combined with handling duties for other sports, his count of events worked is right around a whopping 6,000. He has missed only two games – one because of an illness, the other because he was out of the country.

Primarily, he has given his time to Missouri State Bears and Lady Bears basketball games. He also works two major annual high school tournaments – the Greenwood Blue & Gold Tournament and the Bass Pro Shops Tournament of Champions.

That’s notable because his time with the Bass Pro Tournament – known for showcasing D-I blue-chip recruits — dates to its inception in 1986. And, when the Blue & Gold concludes in December 2021, Wright will have worked 35 of its 75 years.

Along the way, he also has handled scoreboard and timing functions for Missouri State football, volleyball, baseball, men’s and women’s soccer, field hockey, outdoor track, beach volleyball and MSU Team Handball (MSHOF 2011).

He also has been part of crews for Greenwood Preparatory Academy boys and girls basketball games, Mid-Lakes Conference boys and girls basketball tournaments, and MSHAA football and basketball postseason games.

That said, the shot clock job is among the most challenging. In essence, Wright must become a contortionist, moving his head or seating position whenever his view of the ball is blocked by a referee, action on the court or whenever players jog from the bench and run to check in at the scorer’s table.

“You’ve got to keep focused,” Wright said. “You get yourself in trouble when you when you think about going to la-la land. And when you get focused again, hopefully you didn’t do anything crazy.”

That’s not all. He also meets with the officiating crews before and after games.

“They tell us (the table crew) we are part of their team and to check your loyalty when go through the door,” Wright said.

A Kickapoo High School graduate, Wright attended Missouri Southern State University, where he was the equipment manager and student trainer. He also had worked a season on the women’s basketball table crew.

Thus, shortly after being hired as an MSU equipment technician by Dr. Tommy Burnett (MSHOF 2008) for the university’s Health and Physical Education Department, he was asked to work the shot clock for Lady Bears games. He took on same role for the Bears in 1985.

Think of all the history he has witnessed since: The coaching eras of Cheryl Burnett (MSHOF Legend 2015) and Charlie Spoonhour (MSHOF Legend 2019), the blue-chip recruits of the Bass Pro Tournament, and the local boyhood heroes of the Blue & Gold.

He also wants others to love it as much as he does. For instance, upon the inaugural 2008 season of JQH Arena, he invited MSU employee Tom Allen to work the scorebook. That gesture allowed Allen to say he handled the book for MSU basketball games at McDonald Arena, Hammons Student Center and JQH.

Other friends of game-day staffs include Dan Bernard, Tony Loudis, Charlie Pentecost, Doug Willson, Gabe Isaacson, Gary Ward, Brian Heaton and Brian Lafluer.

Wright also earned the support of coaches and ADs such as Bill Rowe (MSHOF Legend 2016), Mark Fisher (MSHOF 2019), Edsel Matthews (MSHOF 2005), Darren Taylor and Casey Hunt, the MSU Senior Association Director of Athletics.

Which explains his inductions into Halls of Fame for Missouri State and Missouri Southern Athletics, as well as the Missouri Valley Conference.

Said Wright, “I’ve always said, ‘They’ll have to tell me when they don’t need me anymore. I feel pretty fortunate.”