Manek’s resemblance to Bird brings back memories
NORMAN — The cartoon captures the uncanny resemblance — two men with blond mops, wispy mustaches and 6-foot-9 frames. One is in a green No. 33 jersey, the other in a crimson No. 35.
Larry Bird and Brady Manek.
The Boston Celtics legend and the Oklahoma Sooners sophomore. The Hick from French Lick and, as Manek’s come to be known as, Larry From the Prairie.
“Like the look, love the game,” Bird tells Manek in the cartoon.
It was drawn by Steve Hill, part-time cartoonist, but more formally the chief of staff to Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt.
Hill, who shares his creations under the @ sportstoons handle on
Twitter, included this description: “OU’s Brady Manek has the look. More importantly, he has the game. (And can’t draw Larry Bird without a shoutout to Mitch).”
Mitch Jones was an AllState basketball standout
at Choctaw High School. He went on to play at Oklahoma State from 1982-86 under coach Paul Hansen.
After college, Jones, Hill and brothers Cary
and Craig Manek played city-league basketball together on a team called the Samurai. Cary was the serious one. Jones was a cut-up.
They were all friends, and a dominant bunch — Jones as a former Division-I guard and the Manek brothers who played college ball at Oklahoma Christian.
Their record was once estimated at 750-12.
“Some outrageous number,” Hill said.
Jones died May 19, 2004, in a car crash at the age of 40.
Brady Manek doesn’t remember meeting Jones, a friend of his father’s. He was just 5 years old when Jones died.
But in his bedroom at home, Manek still has an orange OSU foam finger given to him by Jones. Brady never thought much about the foam finger, or why he, a lifelong OU fan, even had it.
Tina Manek reminded her son that Jones gave it to him when he was little.
“He was always razzing my boys about going to OSU,” Cary Manek said.
But of course Manek would go on to play for rival OU. And after sporting a buzz cut in his freshman season, the same hairstyle he had worn his whole life, Brady grew out his hair before his sophomore year.
He never intended to look like Bird, but people couldn’t miss the comparison once bangs drooped over his forehead and hair covered his ears in a sweeping wave.
Manek also had no intention of resurfacing memories of Jones, a man he never really knew.
It just so happens that Jones was a huge Bird fan.
“I couldn’t draw Larry Bird without a tip of the hat to Mitch,” Hill said.