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Notre Dame Basketball Legend Passes Away at 72
Dec 11, 2022; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Former Notre Dame player John Shumate watches a video tribute before he was inducted into the Notre Dame Ring of Honor during halftime of the game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Marquette Golden Eagles at the Purcell Pavilion. Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

Notre Dame Basketball Legend Passes Away at 72

Originally posted on Notre Dame Fighting Irish on SI
By Nick Shepkowski  |  Last updated Feb 3, 2025 4:52 PM ET

An all-time great in the history of Notre Dame basketball has died.

John Shumate, one of the very best to ever wear the blue and gold, died Monday at the age of 72.

During his time with the Fighting Irish from 1970 to 1974, Shumate earned a reputation for his versatility, athleticism, and leadership. At Notre Dame he is best remembered for being the starting center on the team that ended UCLA's epic winning streak in 1974.

Shumate led Notre Dame to the NCAA Tournament that year and was named an All-American for the second-straight season as well. His performance in college caught the attention of NBA scouts, and he was selected by the Phoenix Suns as the fourth overall pick in the 1974 NBA Draft. Over his six-year professional career, Shumate played for several teams, including the Suns, Buffalo Braves, and the New Jersey Nets.

Before all of that though, Shumate even playing basketball at all during his time at Notre Dame was a bit of a miracle. After not playing his freshman year (NCAA rules at the time), he spent extended time in the hospital as a sophomore with blood clots, something that would burden his basketball career.

Despite that, when he returned as a junior, he was everything and more head coach Digger Phelps could have hoped for, using just two seasons to go down in the all-time Notre Dame basketball record books.

After his playing days, Shumate transitioned to coaching and later became a key figure in basketball administration. That included being head coach at Grand Canyon and SMU. He was also an assistant coach on the Toronto Raptors and Phoenix Suns as well as the head coach of the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury for a season.

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This article first appeared on Notre Dame Fighting Irish on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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