Large man, big impression
Pollard's father left quite a mark
SALT LAKE CITY - Not far from the main entrance of EnergySolutions Arena, where the Jazz play, is an enormous trophy case. All of the retired Jazz jerseys, including ones from John Stockton and Karl Malone, are in there. Basketballs used during the gold-medal men's basketball games from the 1992 Barcelona and 1996 Atlanta Olympics rest inside. There is even a trophy from the 1984 Hall of Fame Game between the Celtics and Jazz.
But of all the memorabilia inside, none means more to Celtics center Scot Pollard than a mammoth trophy for the state's Basketball Hall of Fame. Honorees listed include Celtics director of basketball operations and ex-Brigham Young star Danny Ainge, Jazz owner Larry H. Miller, and professional stars Adrian Dantley (NBA's Utah Jazz) and Ron Boone (ABA's Utah Stars). Also listed is the name of ex-Sandy Jordan High star Pearl "Poison" Pollard, Scot's late father.
"He was 39 when I was born," Pollard said. "I saw him play against my brothers, but I was always too little. I saw him tell my brothers what he would do to them. He was a big, strong guy. But I never saw him play. I saw some old footage.
"He was inducted in the State of Utah Hall of Fame for his high school exploits mostly. Some of the old-timers in Utah still come up to me and ask, 'Are you Pearl's son? He was a heck of a player.' "
Pollard has never seen the trophy that bears his father's name. But tonight he has the opportunity to as his Celtics play the Jazz.
"I remember meeting him [Pearl] for the first time in a gym in Orem, Utah, with his older boys, Carl and Alan," Ainge said. "He was a good man. I remember he had huge hands."
Pearl Pollard was a high school legend in Utah, leading Jordan High to state titles in 1954 and 1955. At the University of Utah, he earned the nickname "Poison" because of his unstoppable hook shot. He also played professionally during the 1959-60 season in the National Industrial Basketball League for the San Francisco Investors.
"Dad was fun. He'd been there and done that," Alan Pollard said. "He wanted us to play because we wanted to. There was not a lot of push even though his kids were big. Scot is built like him. [When dad] played in high school, he was 240 [pounds] and in college he was 280. I was 200 pounds soaking wet and I would try to guard him.
"He'd bounce you around and he had this gorgeous sky hook . . . We could never pick it up. It wasn't that hard. It was old school."
The Pollard family stood out wherever they went.
Pearl Pollard stood 6 feet 8 inches while his wife, Marlyn, is 6-2. Together they held the record for eating the most hamburger dinners in one sitting at a restaurant near the University of Utah hangout called Ute Ham. They could possibly have the tallest family in the state.
Consider: Son Carl, 7-3, played at BYU and Southern Utah; daughter Lynn, 6-2, played high school volleyball and basketball; Mark and Neal, each 6-11, played at San Diego State; Alan, 6-10, played in the Continental Basketball Association; and, on Feb. 12, 1975, Scot - known as "Baby Scotty" - was measured at 24 inches, 13 pounds 8 ounces when he was born in Murray, Utah. He is now 6-11 and 278 pounds.
"Any time you walk around with us it's hilarious," Alan said. "My wife walks behind us and listens to what people say. Everyone looks fine in my family picture. I don't know how my folks did it. I look back on grocery bills and clothes. Now you can go on the Internet you can order [size] 18s and get it in a week. But back then we were growing up, you can take what you can get."
Scot played basketball but wasn't taking the game seriously when he was a junior in high school. He also was into mischief. But Scot's life changed dramatically at age 16 after his father died of a heart ailment. Alan said Scot took the death the hardest of all the Pollard children.
"When he died, I stopped screwing around," Scot said. "My internal struggle was dumb things, hanging out after dark, silly stuff that could have led me down to legal problems. It taught me to grow up, straighten, and do things the right way.
"When he died, I got really serious about basketball. I knew that that's what I was going to do. I decided that it was my goal. I was going to play in the NBA. It wasn't like that was all I thought about, but it was my only real goal in life."
Scot is known for having a dry sense of humor and not taking life too seriously. Alan said his brother's sense of humor was used after their father's death to hide the pain. Scot also recalls that his father never let him take basketball too seriously and preached the importance of living life to its fullest.
"He never let me play [basketball] year-round," Scot said. "He wanted me to focus and give it 100 percent, but also enjoy life and laugh. I still carry that mentality with me. Although I work out in the summer, basketball season is basketball season. Other things get left undone during the basketball season. But during the summer, there is very little basketball."
Said Alan: "He has a great respect for Dad. His heart got broke. It was really tough on him."
Scot has more than lived up to his NBA dream that was born after his father's death.
After a stellar career at Kansas, he was drafted with the 19th overall pick in the 1997 draft by the Detroit Pistons. Since then he has played for the Kings, Pacers, and Cavaliers, and he made his first NBA Finals appearance last season.
"I love him," Alan said. "You know the professional lifestyle today. He had a great career in the NBA for a journeyman. The thing that I'm most proud of him about is he's kept his head right in a rock-star lifestyle. He's done a great job keeping his fundamental principles in tact and his life straight.
"He's a character. But that part of it is him just having fun."
About 20 members of the Pollard family are expected to be at the game tonight to watch Scot. And when Scot puts on his Celtics jersey, it will cover a tattoo in honor of his late father that reads: "Son of Poison."
"Most people who see it think I'm a fan of the band Poison," he said.
Rather, Scot Pollard is still and always will be a fan of his father.
Marc J. Spears can be reached at mspears@globe.com 