Per Kris Gardner on Let’s Rage Coogs tonight, he reported the passing of Phi Slama Jama legend Alvin Franklin. Kris reported that Alvin suffered a stroke in the summer and was in rehab.
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He was young. RIP
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Sad to read. RIP.
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Do you have a link so I can read what Kris Gardner posted?
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It was on his YouTube channel.
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Damn. RIP. In that tittle game vs Georgetown, he played a lot like Shead.
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Awe man. RIP to a Cougar legend.
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This breaks my heart hearing this.
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Reunited with Mr. Lewis, pulling for CKS team.
Prayers to his family, loved ones, team mates, U of H.
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Another gut punch. Alvin was a great high school player at Lamarque and was a key guard during the Phi Slama Jama years. To this day, I remember his form shooting the ball.
Prayers go to Alvin, his family and friends.
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Wow - that’s a shame. RIP.
I also read where former UH beat writer (?) Gene Duffey just passed away this weekend as well.
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How awful.
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Always feels worse when one of your contemporaries passes.
God bless him.
May his memory be a blessing.
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Back in the day I ran into Alvin in the UC book store. We talked briefly.
RIP.
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That is so sad. Alvin was one of our great players and a really nice guy. I used to talk to him a lot at the post game Cougar Cager parties. What a sad thing to hear, he was still so young.
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You want to know what is sad.
Only SIXTEEN people have chimed in on this thread.
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I played basketball (at Alvin, the city) against Franklin in high school (several district games). He was such a strong player and was wrecking the greater Houston area (led in scoring and was named Greater Houston area player of the year).
That district was loaded with Clear Lake (legendary coach Bill Krueger), LaMarque (with Franklin) and Galveston Ball high (Carl Hilton later to be an outstanding TE for UH Football). Alvin hs had Gary Orsak (Phi Slamma Jamma)…Guy V Lewis was often at district games to see several players).
Wherever we travelled for district games, we always had a chuckle due to something that was a given to be seen in each visitor’s locker room. Written or scratched into the wall were words that said “Alvin Franklin 4 dunks” or “Alvin Franklin 3 dunks” (or however many he had recently unleashed on his trip there. I know in one game he only got 1 dunk against us (we were proud of that) . I always thought I should go see if he wrote something about that one in my team’s visitor locker room.
I also played in some pickup games outdoors in a park in LaMarque when we were still in high school. He and some buddy of his were running the courts to say the least but they usually didn’t stay long. Win a few and leave. I spent many a saturday driving to LaMarque and enjoying that scene.
And of course, I closely followed Franklin’s college career at UH. He was so good, but sadly, so many will remember the front end of a 1 and 1 he missed against NC State late in that game. And that he was being called “the freshman” (instead of his name) so often in that game (by the analyst…was it Vitale maybe?). Sad since he was such an important part (a starter for the later parts of that season as a freshman). Known more for that one missed free throw late in the game.
And he played well all 4 years at UH…including a terrific game in the 84’ championship game against Georgetown.
RIP Mr Franklin. You are not forgotten.
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Gotta be honest, the only source that I can find reporting this is Kris. Nothing on google, Duck, or from Duarte. The only other reports are citing Kris. Talked with Terry Lewis who was on the floor with Duck and others last night and he heard nothing. You would think somebody would have said something.
Nothing at all against Kris, he is great, but really hoping he is mistaken in this case.
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Yeah, Alvin was one, cool dude. Very pleasant person. And he loved the school.
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