Was that enough abbrevs for you? I could have shortened Hall of Fame to HOF, but I thought that was excessive. Anyway, one of UK’s most beloved alum, Rex Chapman, was inducted tonight into the Kentucky High School Basketball Hall of Fame. Before he ever set foot in Rupp Arena, King Rex was a high school standout at Apollo High School in Owensboro. After a seven-inch growth spurt between his freshman and sophomore year (sounds familiar…), Rex helped bring Apollo back to the Sweet Sixteen in 1985. Unfortunately, Rex broke his right index finger in their second round game, and the team fell to Oldham County.

(Chandler Bing voice) Could there BE a smaller and grainier picture of Rex Chapman in high school?

However, Rex went on to become one of the state’s most exciting high school basketball players who was completely comfortable in big game situations. For example, Apollo once played Lexington’s Henry Clay in Memorial Coliseum (with almost 11,000 in attendance) in a live televised game. King Rex dominated the high-pressure environment, scoring 37 points and 12 rebounds- including a 22 foot jumper with seven seconds left to lift Apollo to the 68-67 win.

Since then, Rex has had a legendary University of Kentucky career, followed by twelve years in the pros (after being the 8th overall pick in 1988), and a couple of years working as an NBA analyst. Also, because apparently UK fans are the most Internet-savvy of them all, I know you’ll appreciate this- my favorite Rex Chapman tweet to date.

There’s little more embarrassing than being caught standin’ on the wall like you wuz Poindexta. — Rex Chapman (@rexchapman) July 13, 2012

I totally agree. Rex, you’re the King. For a full list of inductees, click here.

I’m dressed in yellow, come say hello. @KristenGeilKSR