3 Bernard Opper

Bernard Opper was born on September 1, 1915, in New York City to Isaac Opper and Katherine Katz. Raised in the Bronx, he attended Morris High School from 1931 to 1935 and developed into a talented guard amid New York City’s thriving Jewish basketball culture. Opper enrolled at the University of Kentucky in 1935 and spent his first year playing for the freshman team, as freshmen were not then eligible for varsity competition.

Opper joined Adolph Rupp’s varsity squad as a sophomore during the 1936–37 season. He appeared in 22 games, scored 74 points and averaged 3.4 points per game while helping Kentucky capture the 1937 Southeastern Conference Tournament championship. As a junior, Opper emerged as one of the conference’s leading guards, producing 97 points in 17 games for a 5.7-point average. His play helped Kentucky claim the 1938 SEC regular-season championship and earned him first-team All-SEC and All-SEC Tournament honors. His teammates subsequently elected him captain for the 1938–39 season.

Serving as captain during his senior campaign, Opper scored 94 points in 20 games and helped lead the Wildcats to a 16–4 record and another SEC Tournament championship. He earned first-team All-SEC and All-SEC Tournament recognition for the second consecutive season and was selected as a consensus second-team All-American. Opper concluded his Kentucky career with one of his finest performances, scoring 13 points on six field goals in a 46–38 victory over Tennessee in the SEC Tournament championship game on March 4, 1939. His career high came against Michigan State on February 7, 1938, when he scored 14 points. He also contributed eight points to Kentucky’s impressive 40–29 victory over Pittsburgh in the Sugar Bowl tournament on December 29, 1937.

Opper graduated from Kentucky in 1939 after completing a teaching curriculum with majors in economics and sociology and minors in history and political science. He then played professionally for the Detroit Eagles of the National Basketball League and the Philadelphia SPHAs of the American Basketball League, helping the SPHAs win league championships in 1943 and 1945. His playing career also included a brief stint with the Jersey City Atoms in 1947 and service in the United States military during World War II. After leaving basketball, Opper enjoyed a long career as a housewares salesman. He died on February 24, 2000, in Encino, California, at the age of 84.