Scott Thompson was on Lute Olsonโs first Arizona coaching staff, 1983-84, and before he left to be head coach at Rice five years later, helped to recruit Los Angeles shooting guard Harvey Mason.
Their relationship continues four decades later. Mason, now the president/CEO of the Recording Academy — the Grammys — invited Thompson and his wife, Rebecca, to be their guests for Sunday’s 6 p.m. awards ceremony at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
CEO of the Recording Academy Harvey Mason Jr. speaks during the MusiCares Person of the Year gala honoring The Grateful Dead on Friday, Jan. 31, 2025, in Los Angeles.ย
Thompson and Mason became close in the late โ80s when Thompson assigned Mason to play the role of UCLA superstar Reggie Miller in practices leading to the UA-UCLA games. Mason adopted many of Millerโs traits and idiosyncrasies.
โHe called himself a โGumby,โโ Thompson recalls. โSo the Gumby squad was born and I became the first Gumby coach.โ The Thompsons are retired and living in Tucson.
In Arizonaโs run to the 1988 Final Four, the Gumbys โ bench players Mason, Sean Rooks, Matt Muehlebach, Jud Buechler, Kenny Lofton, Joe Turner and Craig Bergman โ became well-known for their sideline exuberance and support. Now, 37 years later, the connection continues.
From left to right: Sean Rooks, Craig Bergman, Matt Muehlebach, Mark Georgeson, Jud Buechler and Harvey Mason during the UA vs. North Carolina game that got them into the '88 Final Four.
