Inducted 2013. Averaged 18.3 as a senior with 586 points that year. He had 881 career points. Class of 1974.
Like any competitor, Chris Curran wasn’t much for losing as a high school or a college standout, so it’s ironic that he ended up playing for a short period with one of the biggest losers of all time. Curran, a 1974 graduate of Catholic Boys High School, is one of 13 children of Quincy sports legend Duke Curran. He helped the Raiders to a fourth-place finish in the Class A state tournament under first-year coach Phil Conover. He averaged 18.3 points as a senior, leading in scoring in 23 of his team’s 32 games. His 586 points that year is the eighth highest in school history, and his 881 career points ranks him 21st on the school’s scoring list.
After starting his college career at Northern Illinois University, Curran made his way back to Quincy College and was a leader on one of the best teams in school history. After averaging 13.5 points and 4.8 rebounds per game as a junior in 1976-77, he helped the Hawks to a third-place finish in the NAIA Tournament and a school record 30 victories as a senior in 1977-78. After graduating from QC, Curran did a European tour with the Harlem Globetrotters. He had the unenviable task of trying to guard them as a member of the lowly Washington Generals. Curran lived for many years in California. When he wasn’t playing pickup games against NBA players in Los Angeles, he was earning his keep as a wind surfing instructor in the summers and as a ski instructor in the winters. He later owned his own chiropractic business in Springfield. Curran was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor in December 2002, and he died on July 19, 2003. He is survived by his daughter, Cameron, and his girlfriend, Teri Litwiler.
I am writing this letter on behalf of my father, Chris Curran. This honor means so much to me and my family, and I know it would have been cherished by my dad. His high school years were among the happiest of his life. He loved playing basketball, and he prized his friends and mentors there. I remember my dad for many things, but this will truly add to his legacy. Chris Curran was a great father and an amazing friend. For all of us, thanks for honoring him. – Cameron Curran