James Lee was the “Y” at a UK home game and is still popular with UK fans because of his role on the 1978 national championship team. (Vicky Graff Photo)
Probably some of my best memories of Kentucky’s 1977-78 national championship season are the powerful dunks of James Lee and the sometimes ferocious charges he got called for when he ran over an opponent.
I always believed Lee sometimes decided early in games just to go full speed into the lane no matter who was in his way to establish that no one wanted to stand there and take a charge after he pulverized the first player who tried to do it.
That’s why I was amazed when I read former UK guard Jay Shidler’s new book — Blonde Bomber: A Ride With Shide — and Shidler talked about actually taking charges from Lee in practice.
“I did it and I did survive,” Shidler said on WPBK-FM Radio. “It was just my demeanor to do that. It was practice, but it didn’t matter to me. I would always give everything I had.”
But how did he end up taking charges from Lee, a much bigger and more powerful player?
“It was some sort of drill. Three straight times down the floor I was stupid enough to step in front of him and take a charge,” Shidler said. “He could not imagine what I was doing to get in his way.”
“I think I earned his respect from doing that, I think he thought if somebody was crazy enough to do that, then that guy had to be okay in his book. That was my freshman year and I earned his respect that day. I know he didn’t expect it.”
Did he ever take three charges in the same practice again from Lee?
“No way. I am not the smartest guy but I was not stupid enough to want to do that every day,” Shidler said.
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You can purchase his book at blondebomber 25.com or bookbaby.com.
He plans to be in Marshall County Aug. 14-15 with his book and is working on stops in Owensboro and Lexington.
