In 2018, Mr. Jim Hammond was inducted into the NKySports Hall of Fame. Sam McClanahan shared the story then. We are reprinting the story in Mr. Hammond’s memory.
By Sam McClanahan
One of the pioneers of the Pendleton County sports community was enshrined into the Northern Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame on Wednesday, September 19, 2018.
Jim Hammond, 78, who rose to prominence during his teens as a standout basketball star for the Falmouth Red Devils from 1956-60, was a part of a five-member class that has been inducted at the organization’s monthly ceremony held on Wednesday, September 19 at 1 p.m. at the Villa Hills Civic Club.
Hammond’s feats on the hardwood have stood the test of time as he totaled over 2,100 points and collected over 1,300 rebounds during his high school career. To be recognized for his accomplishments and be honored before his peers over six decades since he last played is something he is very appreciative of.
“I’m very honored about this and have a lot of people to thank for putting this together. As you get older you learn to appreciate things even more, and I’m looking forward to the ceremony,” Hammond said.
He explained that he first learned that he would be inducted last November. One of the key people involved in the process is NKY Sports Hall of Fame secretary and treasurer, Terry Keller, who played a role in reviewing Hammond’s stats and accolades with the help of Bob Byrd who authored Hammond’s biography, “The Jimmy Hammond Story,” which was released last year.
Keller says that he has been familiar with Hammond for many years dating back to when Hammond was a member of the Covington police department and a Covington firefighter. He says it didn’t take long for the committee to deem Hammond worthy of the honor.
“You look at Jim’s stats as a player and it’s easy to see that he was among the best of his time and the area. He went on to accomplish many positive things during his life and I’m looking forward to seeing him again at the ceremony,” Keller said.
Though many years have passed since his playing days, Hammond still looks back fondly proudly at the things he and his teammates were able to achieve. He can still vividly recall classic games he took part in playing against some of the best players in the area during that era, such as Charlie Kennedy of Butler and Scotty Grays of Deming.
“Each inductee gets five minutes to speak, and I don’t know if I’ll have enough time to thank everyone,” Hammond says with a laugh. “I’ll definitely mention Bob Byrd, the committee for selecting me, and most importantly, my daughter, Jaime.”
The NKY Sports Hall of Fame was founded over 25 years ago and, since its inception, has enshrined nearly 1,500 former athletes and coaches into its organization. Hammond will join Talbert Turner Jr., Butch Hayes and Bob Griffin as the only Pendleton County representatives to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.