Bobby Sands, of La Habra, California, was a stand-out on the basketball court from a young age. He attended St. Anthony’s High School in the 1960s and was named First Team All-City in 1966, his senior year.
Sands received an athletic scholarship to play basketball at Trenton Junior College. In the 1966-67 season under Head Coach Howie Landa, the Vikings advanced to the NJCAA National Championship in Hutchinson, Kan. While they did not win the title that year, Sands was named NJCAA National Player of the Year. He was also named Most Valuable Player back home in Region 19.
Sands’ years at the college were a pivotal time for the community college movement nationwide. Trenton Junior College was renamed Mercer County Community College in 1967. In Sands’ second season, MCCC again went to the NJCAA National Tournament in Hutchinson, and he was again named National Player of the Year, as well as an NJCAA All- American.
Sands’ stellar performance on the court earned him a full athletic scholarship to Pepperdine University, where he played basketball for two seasons. The accolades continued there, with Sands being named All-WCAC, Southern California Player of the Week (January 27, 1970), and Most Valuable Player at Pepperdine University, all in 1970. He graduated with his bachelor’s degree that same year.
The Los Angeles Lakers selected Sands in the sixth round of the NBA draft, but his playing career ended after the Lakers’ Rookie Camp. He entered the financial field and remained in banking until his retirement in 2015.
Sands has been married to his “best friend,” Carol Sands, for 35 years. They have seven children in their blended family, ranging in age from 43 to 51. His current athletic activity consists of playing ball with his children and grandchildren in the driveway.
