(born Oct. 16, 1941) Mel Counts had one of the most storied basketball careers for a player from the Coast, moving from Marshfield High to Oregon State to 12 years in the National Basketball Association. And, he won a Gold Medal.

Born in 1941, Counts grew up in Coos Bay and excelled in basketball as a 7-foot center. The Pirates reached the state title game in 1959 and ’60, but lost each time.

At Oregon State, Counts played three varsity seasons: 1962-64, and led the Beavers to the NCAA Tournament each season, including the Final Four in 1963. The Beavers were a combined 71-18 in those seasons. Counts averaged 21.3 points and 15.6 rebounds per game as a junior and 26.7 points and 18.9 rebounds per game as a senior and was voted All-American both seasons.

In 1964, Counts played on the U.S. team that won the gold medal in the Olympic Summer Games, shortly after the Boston Celtics had taken him with the seventh pick of the NBA Draft.

Counts won the NBA title with the Celtics in his first two seasons playing as a reserve to Bill Russell. He later played with the Baltimore Bullets, Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns, Philadelphia 76ers and New Orleans Jazz. He reached the NBA Finals four times with the Lakers. In 12 seasons, Counts averaged 8.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per game.

Mel Counts was inducted to the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 1982 and into the Oregon State Athletics Hall of Fame in 1988.