Getting into El Paso, it’s the stop before we bus to Las Cruces for the game tomorrow night, got me thinking about the Texas Western national championship team and the movie “Glory Road.” And guess what? Sitting across from me on the bus is Mavs color analyst Bob Ortegel, who happened to star in that flick. Hey, in my book he’s a star.
Bob was a high school coach when Texas Western upset Kentucky in the 1966 title game many dubbed the “most important” in college basketball history. I asked Bob if he filmed any of his scenes in this desert town. He actually spent 10 days on set … in New Orleans. That’s where they did the regional tournament, with UNO’s gym doubling for Lubbock’s old coliseum.
“I was in it by accident,” Bob said of the movie. He helped legendary broadcaster Merle Harmon put together his audition tape for the movie and the casting director ended up calling Bob about a role as an announcer. (Harmon got the part, too.)
Bob remembers one day on set when he was in at 11 a.m. and filming went to 4:30 a.m. the next morning. They only broke to eat. And poor Bob didn’t get in a scene that day. He did, however, help consult on basketball scenes when asked.
They must have been impressed. The producers asked Bob if he wanted to be in a horse-racing movie last year, but filming overlapped with the Mavs schedule. The “Glory Road” hasn’t ended for Bob. He continues to receive residual checks to this day.
Bob was a high school coach when Texas Western upset Kentucky in the 1966 title game many dubbed the “most important” in college basketball history. I asked Bob if he filmed any of his scenes in this desert town. He actually spent 10 days on set … in New Orleans. That’s where they did the regional tournament, with UNO’s gym doubling for Lubbock’s old coliseum.
“I was in it by accident,” Bob said of the movie. He helped legendary broadcaster Merle Harmon put together his audition tape for the movie and the casting director ended up calling Bob about a role as an announcer. (Harmon got the part, too.)
Bob remembers one day on set when he was in at 11 a.m. and filming went to 4:30 a.m. the next morning. They only broke to eat. And poor Bob didn’t get in a scene that day. He did, however, help consult on basketball scenes when asked.
They must have been impressed. The producers asked Bob if he wanted to be in a horse-racing movie last year, but filming overlapped with the Mavs schedule. The “Glory Road” hasn’t ended for Bob. He continues to receive residual checks to this day.
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