Fadeaway into history
photo by Alex Smyth
Mr. Gee-Gee: Gibson-Bascombe graduates as Ottawa’s alltime scoring leader
Josh Gibson-Bascombe and Donnie Gibson leave behind a legacy at the U of O
THE TWO TOWERS in men’s basketball at the University of Ottawa are hanging up their jerseys. Both of the Gee-Gees 2009–10 fifth-year starting point guards, Donnie Gibson and Josh Gibson-Bascombe, are set to move on from Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) basketball. On April 1, the pair reflected with the Fulcrum on their five years at the school in the Gee-Gees basketball program.
AFTER HIS INTERVIEW, Josh Gibson-Bascombe was grateful and expressed thanks. This reporter stated simply that the star senior always needs to be interviewed. Gibson-Bascombe smiled at that comment, before leaving with a laugh. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.
Gibson-Bascombe has always been humble about his accomplishments at the U of O. He will leave the school as the all-time scoring leader in Gee-Gees basketball history with 1,571 points—good for eighth overall in Ontario University Athletics (OUA) history—over 400 more than the 1,167 points scored by former Gee-Gee Alex McLeod, who played from 2002–07.
“[McLeod], who was like my brother, my good friend, he had [the record] before me,” said Gibson-Bascombe. “He’s one of the reasons why I came to Ottawa.”
The Toronto native did not dwell on his historic feat.
“It’s an accomplishment. It’s good,” he said, struggling to find words. “I don’t know how long its going to last though.”
Instead, Gibson-Bascombe—named to the 2009–10 CIS first All-Canadian team—reflected on what Gee-Gees basketball meant to him.
“It definitely means a lot. I didn’t imagine making it to this point for some reason,” he said. “I thought it would be a long way down the road, but it came a lot quicker than I anticipated.”
Gibson-Bascombe reminisced on how fast his five years with the team flew by.
“I remember like [it was] yesterday; it was my first year here, and I just got here and I was getting my feet wet. I was looking up to older guys, and this year the younger guys were looking up to me, so the roles reversed. It happened in the blink of an eye.”
Not surprisingly, some of Gibson-Bascombe’s favourite memories include the Capital Hoops Classics at Scotiabank Place against the Carleton Ravens. In 2007, his last-second jumper gave Ottawa its first—and, to date, only—win against Carleton at Capital Hoops.
“I just loved playing against Carleton,” he said. “The competition, the way the fans got into it, it was an experience that was good to have.”
The 2009–10 OUA East player of the year also mentioned the friendships he made.
“Just hanging out with my teammates and going on the road [was great],” he said. “I made a lot of friends here over the years and I’ll miss seeing them around. Just living [in Ottawa], I’m [going to] miss it.”
Gibson-Bascombe said he would continue playing the game he loves next year.
“I’m going to try and play basketball overseas,” said the social sciences major. “Travel the world and play overseas, that’s the plan.”
Before he leaves, he said he had some final things to say to U of O sports fans.
“Thank you for supporting our team and coming out to games and cheering us on. I’m going to miss being a Gee-Gee—but I’ll always be a Gee-Gee.”
WHEN THE GEE-GEES men’s basketball team was in need of a lift this season, Donnie Gibson was usually quick to answer with a shot from downtown. The quiet sharpshooter was a model of consistency over his career, sinking over 40 per cent of his shots from beyond the arc. In the last three seasons especially, Gibson made the three-point line his home, draining his signature move 119 times.
And yet Gibson downplayed his stats when talking about where the skill comes from.
“I don’t know. Practice, I guess. Just practice,” he said. “In high school, I shot the three a bit but not as much. I was driving a little more. At this level, guys are bigger, quicker, and stronger. You have to find other ways to score, and [for me] that was probably the three-point line.”
Some of Gibson’s favourite memories from his playing time include those long-range bombs.
“I think in my third-year, I hit a buzzer beater to win against Brock. Last year, we had a [three at the buzzer] to beat Windsor,” he said. “Playing at Scotiabank Place … those types of things stick out.”
However, the Kingston, Ont. native was quick to point out that the friendships he made along the way were just as important.
“It’s really about the people you meet and the relationships,” he said. “There [are] certain games you played better and other games you didn’t, but it’s about the time with the guys. [They] are going to be my friends for years to come.”
Gibson said the camaraderie made the years go by fast.
“You think five years is a long time,” he said. “But it ended up going by pretty quick. [The team] is like a second family to you, almost.”
Reflecting on his time with the program, Gibson remarked how how his role on the team changed over the years.
“We had like five or six fourth- and fifth-year guys in my first year. [Then] every year there’s [kind of] less and less, and this year, me and [Gibson-Bascombe] were the two fifth-years. The team was younger, [since] most guys were first- and second-years,” he said. “But I enjoyed it.”
The point guard was quick to credit head coach Dave DeAveiro for his success.
“He demands a lot [from] his guys, but he’s fair,” Gibson said. “He’s a great coach and he really cares about his job. If he’s yelling at us sometimes, that’s just ‘cause he wants the best for us—not just as basketball players, but as young men.”
As for next year, Gibson said he wasn’t sure what his plans were.
“I’m travelling with my family this summer,” he said. “After that, I’ll try and get a job. I’m graduating with a business degree.”
Before moving on, he wanted to show his appreciation for student support.
“Thank you, it’s been a good five years. I’m going to miss it,” he said, before adding with a laugh, “but I’ll also have a lot more free time now.”
