Jerome Lane Sr. (born December 4, 1966) is an American former professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

player who played six seasons in the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

(NBA). Lane played

college basketball College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...

for the

University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The university is composed of seventeen undergraduate and graduate schools and colle ...

, where he was an

All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

and led the

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...

in rebounding as a sophomore.

High school career

Born in

Akron, Ohio Akron () is a city in Summit County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Ohio, fifth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 190,469 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Akron metr ...

, Lane played shooting guard for Saint Vincent–Saint Mary High School and appeared in the

McDonald's All-American Game The McDonald's All-American Game is an American all-star basketball game played each year for boys' and girls' high school basketball graduates. Consisting of the top players, each team plays a single exhibition game after the conclusion of the hi ...

College career

He joined the Pittsburgh Panthers in 1985–86 as a freshman. By his junior season, the forward was 60 pounds heavier. In 1986–87, his 13.5 rebounds per game made him the first player 6'6" or shorter to lead the country in rebounds per game (13.5) since Niagara's Alex Ellis in 1957–58. He left school after leading the

Big East Conference The Big East Conference (stylized as BIG EAST) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference that competes in National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA NCAA Division I, Division I in 10 men's sports and 12 women's sports. H ...

in rebounding during the 1987–88 season.

Professional career

Lane was selected in the first round of the 1988 NBA draft by the

Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA), W ...

with the 23rd pick overall. Lane played in the

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

for five seasons with the Nuggets,

Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...

Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...

and

Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers, often referred to as the Cavs, are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Divis ...

. Lane shined in the

Continental Basketball Association The Continental Basketball Association (CBA), originally known as the Eastern Pennsylvania Basketball League, and later as the Eastern Professional Basketball League and the Eastern Basketball Association, was a men's professional basketball m ...

(CBA) as a star for the Oklahoma City Cavalry. He was an all-star in the league from 1994 to 1996 and led the league in rebounding in 1995 (11.8) and 1996 (16.8). Lane was selected to the All-CBA First Team in 1996 and Second Team in 1995. After a successful stint in Spain he returned to the CBA and led the league once more in rebounding in 1999, pulling down 14.5 rebounds per game for the Idaho Stampede.

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

, - , align="left" , 1988–89 , align="left" ,

Denver Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...

, 54 , , 1 , , 10.2 , , .426 , , .000 , , .384 , , 3.7 , , 1.1 , , 0.4 , , 0.1 , , 4.8 , - , align="left" , 1989–90 , align="left" ,

, 67 , , 46 , , 14.3 , , .469 , , .000 , , .367 , , 5.4 , , 1.6 , , 0.8 , , 0.3 , , 5.0 , - , align="left" , 1990–91 , align="left" ,

, 62 , , 25 , , 22.3 , , .438 , , .250 , , .411 , , 9.3 , , 2.0 , , 0.8 , , 0.2 , , 7.5 , - , align="left" , 1991–92 , align="left" ,

, 9 , , 5 , , 15.7 , , .250 , , .000 , , .421 , , 4.9 , , 1.4 , , 0.2 , , 0.1 , , 3.1 , - , align="left" , 1991–92 , align="left" ,

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

, 3 , , 0 , , 10.0 , , .600 , , .000 , , .000 , , 6.0 , , 1.3 , , 0.0 , , 0.0 , , 2.0 , - , align="left" , 1991–92 , align="left" ,

Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

, 2 , , 0 , , 3.0 , , 1.000 , , .000 , , .500 , , 2.0 , , 0.0 , , 0.0 , , 0.0 , , 1.5 , - , align="left" , 1992–93 , align="left" ,

Cleveland Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...

, 21 , , 2 , , 7.1 , , .500 , , .000 , , .250 , , 2.5 , , 0.8 , , 0.6 , , 0.1 , , 2.8 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 218 , , 79 , , 14.7 , , .441 , , .063 , , .379 , , 5.8 , , 1.5 , , 0.6 , , 0.2 , , 5.3

Playoffs

, - , align="left" , 1988–89 , align="left" ,

, 2 , , 0 , , 10.5 , , .286 , , .000 , , 1.000 , , 3.0 , , 1.0 , , 0.0 , , 0.0 , , 3.0 , - , align="left" , 1989–90 , align="left" ,

, 2 , , 2 , , 7.0 , , .000 , , .000 , , .500 , , 0.5 , , 1.0 , , 0.0 , , 0.0 , , 0.5 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 4 , , 2 , , 8.8 , , .200 , , .000 , , .750 , , 1.8 , , 1.0 , , 0.0 , , 0.0 , , 1.8

College

, - , align="left" , 1985–86 , align="left" , Pitt , 29 , , – , , 24.5 , , .470 , , – , , .655 , , 5.1 , , 1.6 , , 0.8 , , 0.4 , , 9.1 , - , align="left" , 1986–87 , align="left" , Pitt , 33 , , – , , 35.4 , , .568 , , .500 , , .603 , , 13.5 , , 2.2 , , 1.3 , , 0.4 , , 15.8 , - , align="left" , 1987–88 , align="left" , Pitt , 31 , , – , , 35.2 , , .513 , , .000 , , .615 , , 12.2 , , 2.8 , , 1.3 , , 0.2 , , 13.9 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 93 , , – , , 31.9 , , .525 , , .267 , , .618 , , 10.4 , , 2.2 , , 1.1 , , 0.4 , , 13.1

Playing style

Although best known for his rebounding skills, Lane was also an adept ball handler. His jump shot and foul shooting were never consistent. He was voted as the best rebounder in the history of the ACB.

Shattering the backboard

On January 25, 1988, in a college basketball game featuring Lane's

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

team playing Providence on a national ESPN television broadcast, Lane broke the glass backboard with a one-handed dunk with

Sean Miller Sean Edward Miller (born November 17, 1968) is an American college basketball coach who currently serves as head coach at the Texas Longhorns men's basketball, University of Texas at Austin. He previously served as head coach at the Arizona Wil ...

assisting on the play. Often referred to simply as "The Dunk", the play was famously called by color analyst Bill Raftery when he exclaimed "Send it in, Jerome!!" The play is on ESPN's list of the "100 Greatest Sports Highlights" and has been the subject of numerous articles even decades later.

Personal life

His son Jerome Lane Jr. is a wide receiver who once signed with the

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...

of the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL).

Notes

External links

*
Jerome Lane career stats
at basketball reference.com
Men's Rebounding Leaders
at basketball.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Lane, Jerome 1966 births Living people 20th-century African-American sportsmen 20th-century American sportsmen 21st-century African-American sportsmen All-American college men's basketball players American expatriate basketball people in the Philippines American expatriate basketball people in Spain American men's basketball players Basketball players at the 1987 Pan American Games Basketball players from Akron, Ohio Cantabria Baloncesto players CB Valladolid players Cleveland Cavaliers players Denver Nuggets draft picks Denver Nuggets players Idaho Stampede (CBA) players Indiana Pacers players La Crosse Catbirds players Liga ACB players McDonald's High School All-Americans Medalists at the 1987 Pan American Games Milwaukee Bucks players Oklahoma City Cavalry players Pan American Games silver medalists for the United States in basketball Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) Philippine Basketball Association imports Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball players Power forwards Rapid City Thrillers players Shell Turbo Chargers players St. Vincent–St. Mary High School alumni