What he did: Brian Oliver and the golden age of Georgia Tech basketball go hand-in-hand as a member of the school's famous "Lethal Weapon 3'' team that led the school to its first Final Four some 26 years ago.
Actually for Oliver, it was a quick trip when he packed his bags for Tech. His family had moved to Atlanta from Chicago when he was in middle school. Oliver’s father had driven a subway in the Windy City and was supposed to take a similar job with MARTA but the job fell through.
However, the family had already moved to Smyrna, made their new home there and Oliver attended Wills High School, now called Campbell High.
While also playing for the AAU Ben Hill Tigers, Oliver started all four years at Wills and and averaged 29 points a game as a senior, leading the school to a state championship in 1986. He was a McDonald’s All-American and coveted by many but coach Bobby Cremins had built the Yellow Jackets into an ACC powerhouse and had the inside track on the 6-foot-4 swing guard.
Oliver, never flashy, was a floor leader and very strong at 211 pounds. He had a special relationship with Cremins and signed for the 1986-87 school year, joining a program that had just lost Mark Price and John Salley but had strong returning talent in Duane Ferrell, Tom Hammonds, Bruce Dalrymple and Craig Neal.
Oliver could play point guard but he was a better No. 2 guard, starting 15 games his freshman year and averaging seven points and three rebounds and assists a game. Tech went 16-13 that season and lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament to LSU. But Cremins next brought in Dennis Scott in the next recruiting class and the building of a Final Four team began to come together.
With Scott’s range from the outside and Neal taking on the point, Oliver was allowed to penetrate the lane, showing his great athleticism while bumping his average up to 12.6 points his sophomore season. Tech went 22-10 and made it to the second round of the NCAA’s before being upset by 13th-seed Richmond.
The following year, with the loss of Ferrell, teamed with the fact for the first time in several years the Jackets didn’t have a top freshman joining the team, Tech couldn’t find its consistency, going 20-12 and falling in the first round of the NCAAs to Texas. But Oliver’s offense continued to climb. He averaged 16.1 points and 5.6 rebounds with had a career-high 223 assists, seeing plenty of play at the point.
Then came Kenny Anderson and, along with Malcolm Mackey and Johnny McNeil, the starting five was complete while Oliver moved back to shooting guard. Anderson, Oliver and Scott became “Lethal Weapon 3’’ and Tech won 28 games, took the ACC tournament. Oliver, despite playing most of the season on a sore left ankle, averaged 21.2 points while Scott scored 27.7 and Anderson became the ACC rookie of the year honors with 20.7 points a game and 277 assists. Oliver was named ACC tournament MVP after scoring 70 points and collecting 15 rebounds in wins over N. C. State, Duke and Virginia.
Tech started its roll through the NCAA tournament with wins over East Tennessee State (99-83) and LSU (94-91) and then took out Michigan State (81-80) on a controversial last-second shot by Anderson. The Yellow Jackets then beat Minnesota (93-91) in the Southeast Regional final before falling to UNLV (90-81) in the semifinals of the Final Four in Denver.
Oliver was selected by Philadelphia in the second round (32nd overall) of the 1990 NBA draft. He played for the 76ers for two seasons but started only four games and left after the 1991-92 season for the CBA to try to improve his skills. After one year with Rockford and concerned about the possibility of an NBA strike, Oliver went to Israel to play for a season for Maccabi Rishon LeZion.
Returning home, he played for Washington but only appeared in six games before departing for Italy where he began what would be a successful two-year stint with Viola Reggio and Polto Cantu. He came back for more more whack at the NBA in 1997 and had a six-game trial with the Atlanta Hawks before returning once more to Italy to finish his professional career, playing against the likes of Manu Ginobilli before he ventured to the NBA.
Oliver went back to Tech to earn his degree, was inducted into the school’s athletic Hall of Fame in 2000 and was named an ACC Legend in 2009. In his four seasons as a Yellow Jacket, the team went to the NCAAs all four years, running up a 86-24 record. He is the only player in school history to have at least 1,800 points (1,848), 600 rebounds (613) and 500 assists (538).
Where he lives: Oliver, 47, lives in Vinings with his wife of 12 years, Eleonara, and 6-year-old daughter Hayden.
What he does now: He is a project manager for DPR Construction and also is a basketball analyst for the ACC Network, working the Boston College-Clemson game this weekend. He also still plays pickup games.
On his family moving to Atlanta from Chicago: "I think my parents wanted to give me a chance to get away from being in the inner city. My mom and dad were looking for a change and though it didn't work out with MARTA, my father decided to keep us here. Atlanta is my home.''
On his AAU team at Ben Hill: "We were the second-best team in the country. I remember us losing the national championship to a team out of Michigan which had Rumeal Robinson on it. It really helped my game.''
On occasionally playing point guard: "I remember Bobby starting me at the point for the first time and it was at the Dean Dome at North Carolina when the place had just opened. I think I had four turnovers in the first couple of minutes. I could play point but I was much better at the other guard spot.''
On Dennis Scott: "He was the best 3-point shooter I ever played with or against. I know today, we have Seth (Curry) and everything but no one had the range that Dennis had then. He could shoot from anywhere.''
On Kenny Anderson: "Some of the things he can do with a basketball are just amazing and I used to marvel at his awareness on the court. He was a phenom. I know when you get to the NBA, athleticism comes into play, but the things he could do in college were something you didn't see from other players.''
On the controversy game against Michigan State in 1990: "It's funny because we played against Steve Smith that game and we are now really good friends. I have always heard about whether Kenny's shot was later (after the horn) or whether it was actually a 3-pointer. The fact is in history, it counted.''
On the loss to UNLV in the Final Four: "We were up by I think seven at half and you have to wonder what would have happened if Kenny doesn't get into foul trouble. They made their big run when Kenny was on the bench.''
On his NBA career: "Philadelphia wanted me to play point guard and I was hoping they would take advantage of my jumping and getting past people. I spent a year in the CBA and that was humbling, going from five-star hotels and first class seats on planes to buses and catching our own flights. But I was looking to become a better player.''
On his time in Europe: "I loved it. I really enjoyed my season in Israel and I met my wife in Italy and built a house there. I can speak fluent Italian and still go back to see people.''
On his relationship with Cremins: "He was a father figure and really cared about his players. He still calls and checks up on me. His wife Carolyn is such a class act and was the team mom. If I had to do it all again, I would do the same thing and go to Tech. It was that good.''
On the Tech program today: "There is a lot of negatively around it. But not to make excuses, it is a much more difficult conference when you bring in teams like Louisville, Syracuse and Notre Dame. I love Tech through and through and want to see the program do well and do feel this year, as far as wins, it has been more fulfilling. I do think it is going in the right direction.''
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