Ron Lee
A human tornado of hustle on the court, his kamikaze style at Oregon became the soul of a beloved team and earned him a surprising NFL draft call.
Born 1952 (age 74)·American basketball player·Birthday: November 2·Baby Boomers
Biography
Ron Lee didn't just play basketball; he attacked it. At the University of Oregon in the mid-70s, he became the fiery heart of the 'Kamikaze Kids,' a team defined by its reckless, physical effort under coach Dick Harter. Lee’s game was all kinetic energy—diving for loose balls, harassing ball-handlers, and charging to the rim. That ferocity made him a first-round NBA pick for the Phoenix Suns, where his defensive intensity found a home for six seasons as a valuable role player. In a bizarre twist, his raw athletic prowess was so evident that the San Diego Chargers selected him in the later rounds of the NFL draft, despite him having no organized football experience. Lee’s legacy is less about stats and more about an ethos: that unrelenting desire could become a team's identity and captivate a fanbase.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Ron was born in 1952, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Ron Was Born
The biggest hits of 1952
#1 Movie
The Greatest Show on Earth
Best Picture
The Greatest Show on Earth
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Ron's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1952Born
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1957Started school
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1965Became a teenager
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1968Could drive
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1970Could vote
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1973Turned 21
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1982Turned 30
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1992Turned 40
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 50
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 60
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2022Turned 70
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2026Age 74 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Selected 10th overall by the Phoenix Suns in the 1976 NBA Draft following a standout college career at Oregon.
- Named to the All-Pac-8 First Team in 1975 and 1976, leading the conference in scoring his senior year.
- Played a key defensive role for the Phoenix Suns team that reached the 1979 NBA Western Conference Finals.
- Holds the University of Oregon's single-game scoring record of 45 points, set against UCLA in 1976.
- His number 35 jersey was retired by the University of Oregon in 1992.
Did You Know?
He was drafted by the NFL's San Diego Chargers in the 12th round in 1976 despite never playing college football.
At Oregon, he and his brother Russ were both stars on the 'Kamikaze Kids' teams known for their aggressive style.
He led the NBA in steals per game during the 1977-78 season with an average of 2.7.
After his playing career, he served as a longtime scout for the Phoenix Suns.
He was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 1995.
“You can't get the ball unless you go and take it.”
