By Lynn Saternow
Herald Sports Editor
I WAS SADDENED to hear about the passing of former Sharonite Chuck Diven, who died of pneumonia in Oakmont at the age of 91 recently.
While he was known to a lot of area people after working 38 years at Sharon Steel and serving as general manager of sales, it was in the world of sports where he first made his mark.
I remember hearing a story years ago about how Diven invented the “jump shot” in basketball while at Sharon High School. He supposedly first tried the shot in 1934 at Sharon High, when the only way of shooting was the set shot.
His coaches reportedly made him stop because they thought he was showboating.
In 1995, a “Scoreboard” segment of Sports Illustrated titled “Chucking the J” credited him as a candidate for originating the shot. The article also said that Stanford star Hank Luisetti in 1936 and Kenny Sailors of Wyoming used the early versions of the jumper.
Chuck played basketball and baseball at the University of Pennsylvania and was inducted into the Mercer County Hall of Fame in 1984.
At Sharon he played hoops for 3 years and was captain of the baseball and track teams in 1935. In 1935 he played on Bill Hoyle’s first basketball team.
His wife Jan, who died in 2003, served on the F.H. Buhl Club board of directors for many years and was the first ever female president of the board.
Our sympathies go out to their children Don, Gary, Bruce and Holly. All have moved away from the Shenango Valley area.
ä It’s a strange coincidence, but the subject of the jump shot was a recent topic of conversation at the ceremony for the late Farrell High standout Julius McCoy.
Tony Knott, former Julius teammate, and I were talking and he related how Julius was shooting the jump shot at practice in the 1950-51 season, but Coach Ed McCluskey made him quit.
When Farrell made it to the state finals in 1951 against Allentown, every kid from Allentown was shooting the jumper and they beat the Steelers, 66-55.
After that, McCluskey had the Steelers shooting jump shots. Proof that even the greatest coaches learn from experience!
McCluskey, who led Farrell to 7 state championships in the big school division, will be inducted in the WPIAL Hall of Fame in Moon Township this Friday.
Former players, athletic directors and friends planning to attend include: Frank Sincek, Jim Raykie, Chuck Branca, Lou Paris, Vince Cardamone, Jim Tamber, Don Jones, Gene Sarazen and Jim Kollar.
This is the second induction class for the WPIAL, but how could McCluskey not have been included in the initial group of inductees last year.
They are even putting in very young people ahead of some former greats.
