Bob Rule
A couple of days ago I heard the sad news that my first Seattle SuperSonics hero, Bob Rule, has passed away in Riverside, California at the age of 75. For those of you too young to remember, Bob Rule was a member of the original expansion SuperSonics team, brought to Seattle by team owner Sam Schulman at the start of the 1967/68 NBA season. I was a fan of the team from the start, and went to a number of games that first season, most often with my brother Chuck. In those early days the arena (Seattle Center Coliseum) was usually sparsely attended and the tickets were cheap; but Chuck and I loved basketball, and we were thrilled to witness the great NBA stars come to Seattle. We got to see them all: Jerry West, Bill Russell, “The Big O” (Oscar Robertson), Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, Willis Reed, Earl “The Pearl” Monroe, Walt Frazier, Jerry Lucas, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Bradley among others; and though our team nearly always lost, being an expansion team, those were glorious times for us.
I remember many of those original Sonics to this day. Rod Thorn, who was better known for his post basketball career as an NBA executive, played guard on that team, alongside former UCLA star Walt Hazzard. Other players on that team included former Seattle University star Plummer Lot; reserve guard Tommy “Crash” Kron; forward Al “Twiggy” Tucker; forward Tom Meschery; and, of course, Bob Rule played center. Hazzard was the star of the team that first season, averaging something like 24 points per game; but it was obvious that in the 6’9” Rule the Sonics had a unique talent. Taken in the 2nd round out of Colorado State in the 1967 NBA draft, that first Sonics season was Rule’s rookie year, and he performed well, averaging 18 points and 9.5 rebounds a contest while making the NBA All Rookie Team.
As good as Rule was in that inaugural season, it was a game I attended during the following 1968/69 campaign that showed me just how great the young Sonics center could be. For some reason that game, which was against the Los Angeles Lakers, was played at the University of Washington’s Hec Edmundson Pavilion instead of the Coliseum. These were the Lakers of Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, and Gail Goodrich; as well as their legendary center, Wilt Chamberlain—a team that would advance all the way to the NBA finals that year, before losing to the Bill Russell led Boston Celtics. That night at Hec Ed, as I looked on and cheered, Bob Rule owned the magnificent Lakers center in the first half, scoring 18 points while thoroughly outplaying him. It was amazing to watch, and though the Lakers came back in the 2nd half to win, Rule’s performance that night was a portent of what was to come. He finished that season averaging 24 points and 11.5 rebounds per game; in the process firmly establishing himself in the top tier of NBA centers during a center dominated era. Great pivot men such as Willis Reed, Nate Thurmond, Zelmo Beatty, Walt Bellamy, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar; and, of course, Russell and Wilt, dotted the league—every team, it seemed, had one. By the following year, 1969-70, when he made his first All-Star team while averaging 24.6 points and 10.3 rebounds per game, it was clear that in Bob Rule the Sonics had one too, as well as a legitimate NBA star.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
During those first three seasons I was fortunate to personally witness several of Rule’s incredible performances against some of the greatest NBA centers to ever play the game. Like many great players, I think Rule got extra motivation by playing the best, and his performance reflected that. One night at the Coliseum, again against the Lakers, I watched him lead the Sonics to a 138-133 victory while scoring 38 points against Wilt Chamberlain. I vividly recall a play late in that game that really frustrated the Lakers center. Chamberlain went up to rebound a missed Sonics shot, and as he was coming down with the ball, Rule elevated and tipped the ball out of his hands, into the basket—two points for our team, as an exasperated Wilt could only look on. Another time I saw Rule hit a game winning 20-foot jump shot against the Boston Celtics, with the straining Bill Russell doing his best, and failing, to block it. And one remarkable evening, against the New York Knicks, I watched dumbfounded as “Big Bobby” (the nickname friends and I adopted for Rule) led our Sonics to victory with a scintillating 4th quarter during which he scored 14 points while absolutely schooling the great Knicks center, Willis Reed. Add to all this the evening in early 1970, when Rule dropped a then franchise record 49 points on the Philadelphia 76ers, and you get some idea of the player he was becoming.
By the end of the 1969/70 season the future looked bright for both Rule and the Sonics. Following their initial campaign the team had traded their scoring leader, guard Walt Hazzard, to the Atlanta Hawks for Lenny Wilkens; a bonafide NBA All Star guard who would go on to become a Seattle icon as both a player and a coach. With Wilkens added to Rule our team now featured two All Stars at the two most critical positions, so you can see the reason for our optimism as Sonics fans. As the 1970/71 season got underway we saw nothing to damper our enthusiasm. Through the first 4 games that year our team went 3-1 with Rule averaging nearly 30 points and 11.5 rebounds per game—and then in that 4th game disaster struck: Bob Rule ruptured his Achilles tendon and was lost for the season. With today’s medical technology it’s possible the young Sonics All Star center could have returned to some semblance of the player he was before the injury, but with the skills of those days he had no chance. Though he did make it back to the team for a few games the following year, by mid-season he had been traded to the 76ers; and we never again saw the dynamic Bob Rule we had come to know in those early years of the Sonics.
After that life went on. Except for my brilliant memories of watching him play, which I thought of often, I stopped paying attention to Rule and his career, which was basically over. He became a journeyman player across the next few years before finally calling it quits after the 74/75 season. At the time he was just 30 years old, what otherwise would have been his prime had fate not intervened with that damned injury. When I heard that he had passed recently I checked the internet to see what others were saying about him, but I found surprisingly little. I wondered, was I the only one who remembered how great Bob Rule was? And then I stumbled across a little article written in 2014 entitled, “Bob Rule: Second Greatest Sonic?” The article, by an unknown (to me) writer named Max Churaisin, opened with the following statement:
“Many elite basketball players have starred for the SuperSonics throughout their history. One who is largely forgotten is center Bob Rule. If not for an Achilles injury in his fourth season, Rule may have very well been the greatest Sonic outside of Gary Payton.”
Upon reading the article I felt vindicated. I wasn’t the only one.
More importantly, Bob Rule himself was at last acknowledged as the great player he was.
And that, my friends, is as it should be.
Copyright © 2019
By Mark Arnold
All Rights Reserved
24 Responses
I do remember Bob Rule. I too was lucky enough to watch Rule, Tom Meschery, Dick Snyder, Spencer Haywood, and the rest of the early Sonics. I remember looking back on those first few years when the Sonics won their first championship in 1979. Calling it all for the radio was Bob Blackburn.
Thanks, Michael! Those were the golden years of the Sonics, for sure. So glad you got see it…MA
I little before my time. I didn’t start paying attention to basketball and the Sonics until ’76 when they won the Championship (when I was 13). So thanks for the data about Bob Rule and the early years of the team. I did attend the Lenny Wilkens Basket Ball Camp sometime around ’77 or ’78.
My pleasure, Dan! Rule was a great player who never has gotten his due, so I had to write this. I didn’t know you were/are a BBall fan or that you played. That’s great…when we get a team again we’ll have to go to a game. See you soon. MA
I saw Bob Rule play for the Seattle Supersonics fifty years ago as a kid. The very first bright spot for the Supes. He was underrated for sure. His season ending injury still disappoints me today. For the last fifty years theres been many times I’ve wondered “what if”.
Thanks for commenting, Jeff. I know exactly what you mean and how you feel about “Big Bobby”. Seems like yesterday to me. MA
Thank you for the lovely tribute to my Uncle Bobby he will be truly missed ♥️
You are more than welcome, Deborah! Your uncle was my Sonics hero during those early years, and I loved watching him play. Writing this tribute to him was my honor. Your Friend…Mark
One of the greatest nba centers
Hi Joseph! Thanks for commenting. In his day Rule definitely was one of the best! MA
I loved Bob the Golden Rule. I was ten when the Sonics came to town. It was awesome. Bob Blackburn was the voice and gave us the play by play. I remember when Bob blew his Achilles tendon. He left and went to Phily. A remarkable player. Thank you for the tribute.
Thanks for commenting, John, and for sharing your own memories of Bob Rule. He was a magnificent player and a great Sonic. I can’t help but think how great he would have been if not for the injury. MA
I remember a story that I believe Bob Blackburn told where a Seattle jeweler had a gold watch in the window of his store that was for Bobby if he ever scored 50 points, wonder if that was in the back of his mind when he scored 49.
Thanks for sharing the anecdote, Dan. I know there are many “Big Bobby” stories out there from us old time Sonics fans. I had a friend who had a summer job at Longacres in 1969 selling racing forms, and Rule was one of his routine customers. Apparently Bob liked the ponies. I saw him play many times and have many fond memories. I think in the end Bob Rule earned that gold watch! My Very Best to You, Dan! Mark
I played Community College basketball in 1963-64 and we reached the finals of the California Community College state tournament and played Riverside JC. I can tell you Bob Rule was a beast (meant completely as a compliment). Our center was a very good basketball player from New York City, but we had no answer for Big Bob Rule as they beat us by something like 7 points. It is nice to read such kind words about him. That game was played on my 19th birthday and he ruined my birthday celebration. He was the best player I ever played with or against.
Thanks for your comment, Greg. Having seen Rule play many times in the early years of the Sonics, I know exactly what you mean about not having an answer for him in your Jr. College team. From what I personally witnessed that was often the case in the NBA as well, for the teams the Sonics played. Big Bobby was a special talent, and I have nothing but fond memories of watching him play. Just a great player! MA
I went to school with Bob Rule at RCC. We drove him and a couple of other players home after one of the games. I used to sit on the steps outside of the gym after basketball practice (waiting for my boyfriend who was running laps for Tarkanian), and Bob would regale me with funny stories. We went to a camp together and were sitting at a lunch table and he was telling us stories and shooting napkins into a paper cup never missing. One of the girls said wow, you must be a basketball player and I laughed He was a kind person and I read Tarkanian’s book then bought it. My book mark is one of his basketball cards. I never forgot him. I am 77 now.
Thanks for sharing your remembrances of “Big Bobby,” Kathleen. As I commented on in the article, I saw him play a number of times in the early years of the Sonics, and he was a fantastic player–could hold his own against the NBA’s best. I’m glad you got to spend some time with him. Best, Mark
What people don’t realize is that the NBA was a very small league in those days: just 12, then 14 teams. Consequently top level centers had to play one another often. Rule might face future Hall of Fame (HOF) bound division opponents Chamberlain, Jabbar, Elvin Hayes and Nate Thurmond 8 times each per year, and eastern division HOF foes Russell, Reed, Bellamy and Jerry Lucas 4 times per year. There were very few nights off. Imagine facing a future HuOF opponent, not in 40 or 50% of your games, but rather in 70 to 80%. In addition, the league was unforgivingly physical in those days. Fouls were hard and frequent yet not always called….just 3 referees per game in those days. For Rule to rack up so many points and rebounds, night after night against such talented competition is a testament to his talent.
Great points, Keith! And I agree about the quality of NBA centers in those days. It was like a golden age when it comes to centers, and I am so glad I got to see so many of them play, especially Bob Rule. Thanks for commenting. Best, Mark
Really enjoyed the article. I moved from Denver to Seattle (Issaquah) in 1967 when I was 9. Loved Bob Rule, out of CSU! I remember Lenny Wilkins bringing his finger roll lay ups and later became on of the very few player-coaches in all of pro sports. Before the Seahawks and the Mariners (and the Pilots) we had the Sonics. Thanks for bringing some fond memories of childhood back to this old Sonics fan.
Thanks for reading and commenting, Brian! And you’re welcome for calling up those fond memories of big Bobby and the early Sonics. I loved watching the team in those days, and Rule was one of my favorites, as you can see. Wishing you all the best! Mark
I was fortunate to know Bob during his 50s. He was a wonderful man with a big heart. I’m so saddened to find this out so many years later. RIP Bob. ❤️
Thanks for your kind remembrances of Bob Rule, Katie! I didn’t know him personally like you, but I sure enjoyed watching him play. My very best to you. Mark