This week Rotarians are invited to climb into the “way-back machine” and revisit the glorious – for UK basketball fans – year of 1978. That was the year that the Wildcats defeated the Duke Blue Devils at the Checkerdome in St. Louis for their fifth NCAA national championship. And who better to travel with on that journey than two men who were there, front and center, Jack Givens and Rob Bolton.
Jack “Goose” Givens, was born September 21, 1956, in Lexington, Kentucky. Growing up in a housing project, he honed his skills at Lexington’s Douglass Park in the Dirt Bowl league before earning Kentucky Mr. Basketball and Parade All-American honors at Bryan Station High School in 1974.
At UK, the 6-foot-5 forward scored 2,038 points, ranking third on the school’s all-time list, and earned three first-team All-SEC selections plus consensus second-team All-American honors in 1978. He led the Wildcats to the 1978 NCAA Championship, exploding for a then-record 41 points on 18-of-27 shooting in a 94-88 title win over Duke, earning Final Four Most Outstanding Player honors and a spot on the cover of Sports Illustrated. His No. 21 jersey is retired at Rupp Arena.
Drafted 16th overall by the Atlanta Hawks in 1978, Givens played two NBA seasons, appearing in 156 games before ending his NBA career in 1980. He also played four years in the Japan Basketball Association, as well as in Italy and Belgium.
Following his playing career, he has worked as a broadcaster, including as a color analyst for NBA teams like the Orlando Magic and currently for UK men’s basketball on the UK Sports Network alongside Tom Leach. He has ventured into real estate development, served as CEO of the Orlando Comets AAU program (which won a national title in 2006 and has placed over sixty players on NCAA scholarships), and holds a role as vice president of business development at Five Star Electric.
In 2024, he released his memoir They Call Me Goose: My Life in Kentucky Basketball and Beyond, detailing his rise from poverty, financial struggles, and reliance on faith and family. Jack is married to Linda; they have two children, Jeremy and Jaimie.
Rob Bolton is graduate of UK and was the Team Manager of the 1978 basketball team. He is a highly regarded realtor for Christie’s International Real Estate Rob Bolton, known for his deep market knowledge, work ethic, exceptional client service, and longstanding commitment to the community. He has developed neighborhoods (Hartland and the Gardens of Hartland), and built homes (Heritage Place and Prestwick) in addition to selling new and existing residential real estate.