OFF COURT RE: TONY LANG ON DUKE, JAPAN, COACHING & THE BLUE GHOST LA’S CORNER
Hi Duke fans! We recently caught up with two-time NCAA champ Tony Lang. Tony was inducted in the Mobile, AL Sports Hall of Fame in April after a state title at LeFlore High School followed by four great years at Duke, six years in the NBA and several more pro seasons in the Philippines and Japan. About a year ago, Tony was named head coach of the Mitsubishi Diamond Dolphins of the Japan Basketball League.
What are your best Duke memories? I had so many memorable memories at Duke my four years. Three memories stick out the most. These memories are winning the national championship in 1991, winning the national championship again in 1992, and graduating in 1994. Those championship years will always be special. The friendships that formed those years will always be sacred to me. It was an honor to be part of something that special. I don’t think it can be matched. My graduation is something special also. I really had the best of both worlds as a student-athlete. Duke challenged me both on the basketball court and in the classroom.
Which former players do you stay in touch with the most and do you have
any funny college stories to share? I still stay in touch with Grant Hill, Jeff Capel, Stan Brunson, Quin Snyder, Wojo, Chris Carrawell, Nate James and Chris Collins. Grant, Chris, Jeff, and Stan may still remember my stylish car when we were at Duke -- A 1980 Blue Grand Prix. We called it the Blue Ghost. All of those guys had the privilege of riding in the Ghost. The Blue Ghost had a few problems though. For instance, The Ghost could only be driven by me. There was a special way to start it and drive it. Once it got started, there was a special way to drive it. Once you drove it, it needed oil at least once a week. When I would take The Ghost to a drive-through restaurant, I had to open the door to order because my window was broken and it couldn’t be rolled down. One day, Stan needed to use my car. I tried to warn him, but he wouldn’t listen. Stan got stuck on an accelerating lane on 15-501. After I graduated from Duke, The Ghost was handed down to my brother Andre. A year later, the Ghost was stolen!!!!!
Tony (Duke ‘94) throws down a powerful slam during a game vs. UCLA in Cameron
42 DUKE BASKETBALL
Laura Ann Howard is now in her 20th season as staff assistant in the Duke Basketball office. She works closely with our assistant coaches, coordinates player autographing, keeps tabs on former players, staff and managers, and delivers smiles at our offices on the fifth floor of the Schwartz- Butters Center. The Roxboro, NC native shares one of her updates in LA’s Corner as part of every issue of Blue Planet.
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