Sports & Torts: Luvabull Ashley Bond

Ashley tells us about her NBA All-Star Weekend experience, dancing with the Luvabulls, her reign as Miss Illinois, and her fitness blog for Chicagonow.com.

Sports & Torts: Dolph Schayes

We dish with Dolph on some of the highlights of his career, the guys he played with and against, and the attitudes of today’s free agents.

Sports & Torts: News and Notes

We follow up on Dolph’s comments with some thoughts of our own on Wilt Chamberlin, and today’s NBA. Plus, our thoughts on Dave Duerson’s suicide.

Ashley Bond

Fitness has always been an important part of my life. At the age of 2 I took my first dance classes and by the time I was 6 I was performing with the Joffrey Ballet at Chicago\'s very own Civic Opera House.
I continued dancing until junior high school when I took up youth cheerleading and poms. It was around this time I first took up an interest in health and exercise.
In high school I was a member of the pom team for four years and during my senior year took strength and conditioning classes. I was one of the few girls in the class and learned a great deal from lifting weights with the guys.
I attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and graduated with high honors while receiving a Bachelor of Science Degree in Kinesiology. I was also a four-year member of the Illinettes-the official dance team of the university.
After graduation I went to for Walt Disney World Resorts and learned a great deal about customer service during my time in Florida.
Upon returning I began personal training and teaching group exercises classes at the Rush-Copley Healthplex in Aurora, IL. In 2007 I became a member of the Bulls cheerleading team, the Luvabulls.
I then began personal training for Crunch Fitness at Marina City. Working at Marina City gave me the opportunity to work and learn from some of the most knowledgable and successful trainers in the city.
Fitness played an important part of helping achieve my next goal: being crowned Miss Illinois USA 2009. A few months after winning the title, I was on an international TV broadcast in my swimsuit competing for the title of Miss USA. Although I didn\'t walk away with the new crown, it was a wonderful experience.
Currently, I am the new official fitness training sponsor of the Miss Illinois USA and Miss Illinois Teen USA pageants. I am currently acting and am still a member of the Chicago Luvabulls. I am personal training again and I love blogging about fitness for ChicagoNow.

Check out Ashley\'s Blog

Dolph Schayes

A New York University All-America in 1948, Dolph Schayes starred for the professional National Basketball Association\'s (NBA) Syracuse Nationals (later the Philadelphia 76ers) from 1948 to 1964. His 1955 Nats won the NBA Championship. He was named to 12 consecutive NBA All Star Games from 1951 to 1962.

The league\'s Rookie of the Year in 1949, Schayes owned five NBA records by the time he retired as an active player: most consecutive games played—764 games (from Dolph Schayes, who, on January 11, 1958, became the highest scorer in NBA February 17, 1952, December 27, 1961); most minutes played—29,800; most field goals—6,135; most free throws made—6,979; and most points scored—19,249.

He finished his career fourth alltime in rebounding, winning the rebound title in 1951 with 1,080 boards.to history with 11,770 points.

On January 11, 1958, Schayes became the highest scorer in NBA history, reaching 11,770 points to surpass the great George Mikan. It was Wilt Chamberlain who eventually topped his scoring record. Regarded as the first true \"power forward,\" Schayes had a career scoring average of 18.2 points per game.

He became player-coach of the 76ers in 1964, confining himself to coaching after that season. His Philadelphia team won the 1965-66 NBA Championship, and Schayes was named the League\'s Coach of the Year. From 1966 to 1970, he also served as supervisor of NBA referees. Schayes coached the NBA Buffalo Braves franchise from 1970 to 1972.

In 1977, Schayes was head coach of the U.S. Maccabiah Games basketball team, and with the inspired play of his 6\'11\" high-school-age son Danny, the Americans won the gold medal.

Schayes was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1972.

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