Gregory “Bo” Kimble’s story begins in his birthplace of Philadelphia, PA. He is most remembered for his collegiate basketball career at Loyola Marymount University.
Kimble played with best friend and teammate, Hank Gathers, at Dobbins Technical High School in Philadelphia, with the pair leading the team to the Public League City Championship in 1985. Both Gathers and Kimble were recruited to the University of Southern California and later transferred to Loyola Marymount University.
During the 1990 West Coast Conference (WCC) tournament, Gathers collapsed and died of a heart condition in LMU’s semifinal against Portland. An autopsy revealed that Gathers had suffered from a heart muscle disorder called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a condition which can lead to Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA). During LMU’s subsequent run to the Elite Eight, Kimble (who was right-handed), shot his first free throw of each game left-handed in memory of Gathers (who although right-handed, struggled so much with free-throws that he tried shooting them left-handed for a time), making all four attempts. In his senior year, Kimble went on to lead the nation in scoring, averaging 35.3 points per game. He ranked first all-time in a single season, 6th in NCAA history, and completed his career with a combined total of 2,010 points.
Kimble was selected by the Los Angeles Clippers with the 8th overall pick of the 1990 NBA Draft. In the summer of 1992, Kimble was traded to the New York Knicks.
In September 2007 Kimble experienced the unthinkable and encountered another victim of cardiac arrest while playing basketball. Thirty people were present in the gym that day however no one knew how to initiate life saving CPR and no Automated External Defibrillator was available. As a result, Mr. Kimble has dedicated his life to honoring the legacy of people lost to life threatening heart disease through the development of the Forty-four for Life Foundation. The mission of the organization is to decrease the incidence of death and disability due to life threatening cardiovascular diseases and sudden cardiac arrest through:
• Training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the use of Automated External Defibrillators.
• Implementation of Public Access to Defibrillation programs.
• Increased public awareness and education programs about deadly heart conditions and their prevention.
• Assistance with implementing legislation globally to prevent the incidence of death due to heart disease.
His most recent efforts contributed to the passing of legislation within the nations’ capitol such that AEDs will be available in the Division of Parks and Recreation.
Kimble still enjoys playing basketball and is an active member of The Hank Gathers League in Philadelphia, PA. In addition, he ccurrently serves on the Board of Directors for the National Basketball Retired Players Association NBRPA: The Legends of Basketball.
