Known as “The Bull,” Ronnie Henderson is to many of us a local beloved sports icon in our community. He died Sunday, Feb. 8, at age 68. For those of us who got phone calls and texts or saw it on social media, the news of his passing was shocking.
Henderson was a bonafide basketball legend, first as a middle school and high school star, then in college. He lent his knowledge and love to young people as a behavioral specialist in Minneapolis schools and on the court as a basketball official.
The last time he and I spoke he was scheduled to work a girls basketball game at South High School a couple of weeks ago, a game suddenly cancelled due to ICE in the area. As always the case, we chatted about almost everything.
Henderson stuck around and spoke to the school’s boys basketball players before their practice. He was introduced as perhaps one of the best point guards in Minnesota high school history. His Marshall-University team went 50-2 (1975 and 1976), including a 28-0 Class A state title in 1976.
“We must have crossed paths for the first time in about eighth grade,” recalled Southside native Greg Boone of Henderson, a Northsider. “We just kind of watched each other.”
It wasn’t until their senior years in high school that Boone and The Bull played on the same team — a post-season all-star team — and shared several individual honors that were featured in local papers, including the then-Minneapolis Spokesman.
“At the end of our junior year, we both made the WCCO All-Star [team]. We both were selected as two of the five finalists for Mr. Basketball — that year Kevin McHale won [in 1976]. We really had mad respect for one another at that point,” continued Boone.
The two later became college teammates at Augsburg, where their teams won nearly 50 games in two years, two conference titles and two tournament runs.
“We had two glorious years,” said Boone. “I had a lot of teammates and a lot of point guards during my time playing, but [Ronnie] was easily the one to play with, probably the best teammate just because he kept the game so easy.”
In Henderson’s two seasons at Augsburg he scored 904 points, averaged nearly 11 points a game, and held the school’s assists record. He graduated in 1981 with a psychology and health/ physical education degree.
Both he and Boone went into the Augsburg Athletics Hall of Fame together in 2001. Henderson later was a member of the Minnesota High School Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2019.
“Ronnie and Greg [were] two of my favorite players all the years I coached,” said retired AU coach Rees Johnson. “I’d be proud, proud to have them as sons.”
Johnson said of Henderson, “He’s the best passer I’ve ever seen that played for me. He could make the pass and not have a turnover. He enjoyed making somebody else look good.”
I never saw him play in high school or college, but I watched Henderson in action at the Howard Pulley Pro-Am Summer League. His Bull nickname and his hoop reputation was clearly evident.
“I’ve got many stories about that guy,” said Boone proudly.
WCCO Radio’s Henry Lake said, “I worked with Ronnie Henderson for years at W. Harry Davis Academy in North Minneapolis, just an unbelievable guy. I was a little kid, didn’t see him play, but I got to know Ronnie after I graduated from college,” Lake told me on his Feb. 9 show.
As Boone later went into coaching, his friend and teammate Henderson stayed involved in basketball by working camps, including Clyde Turner’s, and became a successful basketball official, where our paths often crossed over the years at high school games. He maintained a constant presence with youth on and off the court.
“He should be commended,” surmised Boone of his late friend and fellow HOFer, “not as a coach, not as a schoolteacher, but working in the schools, working with younger people, and doing it that way” along with officiating games.
“Incredible community guy, incredible person in terms of personality,” he stressed of Henderson.
Charles Hallman welcomes reader comments to challman@spokesman-recorder.com.
Ronnie was a very thoughtful kind man. He appreciated everything life had to offer. I had the privilege and honor to be a very close friend to Ronnie. A remarkable, talented and outstanding man. He will always be remembered, loved and respected.