TOUGH AS NAILS

I'm no home improvement expert but I know a nail when I see one.

Used to lock things down, a 6-1, 173 pound nail named Norm Van Lier passed away Thursday. He was 61. The former Chicago Bull partnered with Jerry Sloan in the early '70s to form the toughest defensive backcourt in NBA history.

Before kids started growing like beanstalks, the NBA had its share of tough little men in the 7os. Calvin Murphy, Nate "Tiny" Archibald and Gail Goodrich were a handful. While those players exhibited outstanding offensive skills, Van Lier was the hard-nosed defensive specialist that cast a giant shadow. Opposing guards literally hated going up against Van Lier and Sloan. They not only shut down players, they often left a mark and plenty of ill feelings.

Van Lier didn't care what size the challenge was. He'd try to run through a pick set by 6-11 Bob Lanier just as much as he would if it was Jerry West. The most famous graduate from Saint Francis of Loretto University in Pennsylvania was fearless, earning the nickname "Stormin' Norman."

A three-time all-star, Van Lier shot a paltry .414 from the floor, but he wasn't in the lineup to knock down jumpers. For that, Dick Motta's Bulls had Bob "Butterbean" Love and Chet "The Jet" Walker in the frontcourt. Center Tom Boerwinkle was there to provide a presence in the middle and run picks through. Sloan would get an occasional key basket but mostly, he and Van Lier specialized in frustration. That Bulls tandem never achieved the greatness of the Michael Jordan era, their playoff runs seemingly always getting derailed by the Los Angeles Lakers.

Van Lier survived in an period where there was no place for the faint of heart and a little man had to possess the biggest beat of all in order to make it.

Continuing a sad day for the Bulls, Johnny "Red" Kerr also left this world at age 76, after battling prostate cancer. Kerr was the franchise's first head coach and received NBA Coach of the Year honors for leading the Bulls to the playoffs in the inaugural 1966-67 season. Due to his declining health, the Bulls moved up a ceremony in his honor earlier this month, unveiling a statue of Kerr at the United Center. Kerr, a native Chicagoan, was a pivotal fixture in Bulls lore, serving as an avid announcer for numerous years. On hand for his emotional ceremony among others were Jordan an Scottie Pippen.

Jordan called Kerr “an inspiration to me as a basketball player and as a person,” while Pippen added Kerr "makes Chicago Bulls basketball what it is."

The 6-9 Kerr knew his way around a gym, having played 12 seasons (1954-1966) in the NBA for the Syracuse Nationals, Philadelphia 76ers and the Baltimore Bullets. From 1954 to 1965, the three-time NBA All-Star appeared in a then-NBA record 844 consecutive games.

A lot of Chicagoans shed tears of remembrance this week, recognizing two special people who gave their all.

Heaven enjoyed a good draft Thursday, having picked up a tough as nails point guard and a space eating big man.