Lorenzo Romar, a former NBA point guard now in his seventh season as head coach for the University of Washington’s men’s basketball team, has been passionate about basketball since he first picked up a ball, chucked it at a hoop, and made a basket on his elementary school playground at age 10. Romar’s love for the game didn’t always translate into success as a player, but his passion, drive, and determination have kept him in the game.

	Images courtesy of Golden State Warriors
	Lorenzo Romar Cerritos College

Career Day
During sixth grade Career Day, Lorenzo Romar announced that he wanted to be a professional basketball player when he grew up. The class had a good laugh and Romar laughed too, knowing that despite how much he loved the game, the odds of making it to the NBA were slim to none. Romar recalls his 1960s childhood in Compton, Calif., with fondness, noting that once he started playing basketball, he “became addicted” and spent every waking moment playing, watching, and studying the game. Basketball even motivated Romar and his kid brother to keep out of trouble. “There was a fear in our household that if we were caught doing something we had no business doing, we would pay dearly,” Romar remembers, “I loved sports so much I didn’t do anything that would interfere.”

So, Romar behaved, and he played on school teams until his sophomore year in high school, when the competition intensified. In a matter of days, he was cut twice—from the varsity team one day and junior varsity the next. Undeterred, Romar practiced diligently and improved, so when his senior year rolled around he was on back on the team and eventually came off the bench. With the end of high school approaching, Romar knew that going to a four-year college was out of the question—his parents couldn’t afford tuition, his grades were marginal at best, and he wasn’t nearly a good enough basketball player to earn a scholarship. At a loss for what to do next, Romar tried walking on to a few community college teams, but as he puts it, “there was no interest.” Compton College said no, and a few others passed before Romar was given a chance at Cerritos College.

Grateful his passion had finally translated into some game time, Romar played his first semester at Cerritos, and was feeling pretty good about himself…until the second semester when his grades deemed him ineligible to play. At a crossroads, Romar knew that, despite the support and encouragement from his parents and coaches, it was in his hands to make things happen. Romar recalls, “I just realized that I loved basketball so much, the only way I was going to get to play was if I went to class. It wasn’t that I couldn’t do the work, I just had to change my attitude.”

Right Place, Wrong Time
Nearing the end of his career as a point guard at Cerritos, it was a happy accident that set the rest of his career in motion. Romar remembers, “We were playing in a state tournament and our game was at 6:30 pm on a Friday. The game after ours featured the number one point guard in the state.

Marv Harshman, then head coach at the University of Washington, came to watch that player because Washington needed a point guard. He just happened to get there early and saw my game. He liked what he saw, so he didn’t stay for the next game.” On the following Monday, Romar had an invitation to visit Washington. Although he had improved enough to garner other offers to play college ball, Romar knew the opportunity to play for Harshman was one he couldn’t pass up, thinking, “I have the chance to play for a legend.”

At Washington, Romar was a two-year starter. He was voted Most Inspirational Player by his peers both years and served as team captain his senior year. As the end of his Washington career approached, people asked what he’d be doing next. As Romar puts it, “They were sure I wouldn’t be playing professional basketball, but I didn’t see it any other way.” In 1980, the NBA Draft consisted of 10 rounds. Today there are just two. Recalling the experience, Romar said, “Thank goodness there were 10.” The Golden State Warriors picked Romar in the seventh round, 141st pick overall.

A Dream Come True

	Images courtesy of Golden State Warriors

When asked what it was like to play in the NBA, Romar is emphatic, “It was a dream come true. I was living out a fantasy. In eighth grade, I remember showing my teachers basketball cards of my favorite players—Nate Archibald and Calvin Murphy—and here I am playing against them. Wow! I can’t tell you how many times that happened throughout my career…playing against my childhood heroes. I was playing against the best competition in the world and getting paid to do it. There wasn’t a downside.”

Romar played with the Warriors from 1981–84; with the Milwaukee Bucks in 1984; and for a total of three weeks with the Detroit Pistons in 1985. Following his NBA career, Romar joined Athletes in Action (AIA), the athletic division of Campus Crusade for Christ, and started in 224 of 233 games during his seven-year stint. In 1989, Romar took on coaching duties with AIA, and by 1992, he was a top recruiter and assistant coach at UCLA. Romar’s first head coaching job was at Pepperdine University, his second at Saint Louis University. At both Pepperdine and Saint Louis, Romar was instrumental in reviving programs that had been struggling.

In 2002, Lorenzo Romar returned to the University of Washington as head coach and led the team to the NCAA Tournament for four consecutive years (2003–07). Romar attributes his success as a coach to “building relationships and trust” and believes in being firm but fair. Paul Fortier, Romar’s assistant coach at Washington echoes the sentiment, saying, “Players give him their all because they don’t want to let him down.” Romar’s life-long love of basketball was recognized in 2006 when he was given the John Wooden Keys to Life Award. When asked what he considers his greatest professional achievement, Romar mentions the award, but is quick to point out that after all these years, he’s still  “living the dream.”