They Now Run NBA Teams… But First, They Lit Up the T-DIT in Richmond!
Before they were pacing the NBA sidelines, calling plays under the brightest lights in basketball, two current head coaches were just hungry young hoopers trying to make a name for themselves — right here in Richmond.
Yes, that Richmond. And that T-DIT.
The Times-Dispatch Invitational Tournament (T-DIT), a longtime staple of the high school hoops scene in Virginia, has always been a breeding ground for elite talent. But few realize that both Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle and Cleveland Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff once laced up their sneakers and left their mark on the hardwood in this very tournament.
Carlisle, who played his high school ball in upstate New York before a standout career at UVA, appeared in the T-DIT with the Cavaliers in the early ’80s — back when the event pulled in packed crowds and showcased future college stars. Bickerstaff, meanwhile, came through with a legacy to uphold — son of longtime NBA coach Bernie Bickerstaff — and impressed during his time in the tournament while playing for the hotly-watched Oregon Episcopal School out of Portland.
Both brought grit, high basketball IQ, and leadership even back then — signs of what was to come. Today, they’re on opposite sidelines in the NBA playoffs, leading two of the most exciting teams in the league. But their roots? They trace back to gym lights, hardwood dreams, and T-DIT’s electric December nights.
So the next time someone tells you Richmond doesn’t produce legends, just remind them: some of the brightest basketball minds in the game lit it up right here first.
