sports spotlight: bobby plump

By Mike Tupa

Bartlesville Area Sports Report

BOBBY PLUMP

Forget your ESPN highlight reel.

Hollywood made an entire feature film centered on the story of Bobby Plump.

Except, his movie character wasn’t called Bobby Plump and most the rest of the so-called biopic was fiction.

The movie was called “Hoosiers” and featured the character of Jimmy Chitwood — who was based on Plump, at least as a shooter.

Several years after the real-life Milan Miracle — in which tiny Milan High School became the smallest-ever school (161 students) to win the Indiana state basketball title (1954) — Plump relocated to Bartlesville to work for Phillips Petroleum and play for the Phillips 66ers basketball team (1958-62). In Plump's final season (1961-62), the 66ers finished 45-8 and won the AAU national championship.

As mentioned, one flick of the wrist would define Plump's honored place in basketball history.

With time expiring in the championship game, Plump drilled a 14-footer to beat four-time state champion Muncie Central, 32-30. That shot would be one of the few accuracies shown in “Hoosiers.”

Other true facts were altered in the movie — the Milan coach (Marvin Wood) was only 26 years old and in his second year with Milan in 1953-54; Wood was already married with children; Milan had played in the state's Final Four the year before (1952-53); Plump (Chitwood) never quit the team; and there was no other serious player or community revolt.

Named Indiana Mr. Basketball for 1954, Plump — a 6-foot-1 guard — went on to star at Butler University and then accepted an offer to play for 66ers with employment by Phillips.

After his 66ers’ day finished, he changed career paths.

Plump visited Bartlesville about 20 years ago to help inaugurate the new Phillips 66ers museum exhibition. He turned 88 earlier in September 2024 and last March helped celebrate the 70th Anniversary of the Milan Miracle.