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Kansas Basketball: Jo Jo White dies at 71, leaves behind a legacy

By Chris Taylor

BOSTON - JUNE 20: (L-R) Director of Special Projects JoJo White and Paul Pierce of the Boston Celtics celebrate at Fenway Park on June 20, 2008 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2008 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)
BOSTON - JUNE 20: (L-R) Director of Special Projects JoJo White and Paul Pierce of the Boston Celtics celebrate at Fenway Park on June 20, 2008 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2008 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Jo Jo White, Kansas Basketball legend and NBA Hall of Famer died on Tuesday, January 16th, 2018. The legacy he leaves behind will never be forgotten.

Jo Jo White passed away Tuesday due to complications from dementia. The Kansas Basketball legend, NBA class of 2015 Hall of Fame member, and ’68 Olympic gold medalist left a lasting impression with everyone he met.

White is a top five player at Kansas no matter who it is you ask. His jersey hangs in the rafters of Allen Fieldhouse, as well as the rafters at TD Garden in Boston. White won two championships with the Boston Celtics over nine seasons after drafting him 9th overall in the 1969 draft. He holds the franchise record with 488 consecutive games played. White was also the MVP of the ’76 Finals.

Jo Jo was also drafted by the Dallas Cowboys and the Cincinnati Reds. After his NBA career he returned to Kansas as an assistant in 1982 and 83.

In 2010, he underwent surgery to remove a brain tumor which led to dementia. Jo Jo then started the Jo Jo White Foundation to support brain cancer research.

What he means to both the Jayhawks and Celtics organizations is insurmountable.

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Jo Jo was a sweet, sweet man. A walking tribute to great parents, a great wife and great children and grandchildren. He was a God-loving man with respect for everyone around him. Hard work and determination gave him the life he lived. Through high school, to college and the NBA, he overcame obstacles and was considered one of the greatest to ever play the game. He was coached by greats like Ted Owens and Red Auerbach.

Among all the accolades he received from playing the game, White deserved even more for the type of man he was off the court. Few cared more about others as he did.

I remember as a kid, when asking my father who the greatest Kansas players ever were, he would always say Jo Jo White first. My respect for my father always kept Jo Jo in my mind when it came to Kansas.

Next: All-time starting five for KU

Heaven gained an angel on Tuesday, we lost a legend.

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