NBA legend, business leader to present 2017 Chandler Lecture

Lauren Cunningham, communications director

LAWRENCE — Byron Scott, former NBA head coach and player, and Charles Norris, a longtime business executive, will deliver the University of Kansas School of Business Anderson Chandler Lecture at 7 p.m. Nov. 30 at Capitol Federal Hall.

The two will discuss the book they co-authored, “Slam-Dunk Success: Leading from Every Position on Life’s Court,” geared toward leaders across various fields looking to better their careers and lives.

The lecture, which will be held in the Dicus Family Auditorium (Room 1111), is free and open to the public, but registration is required.

Scott played for the Los Angeles Lakers for 10 consecutive seasons, winning three NBA championships with the team in 1985, 1987 and 1988. He also played with the Indiana Pacers and Vancouver Grizzlies during his 14 seasons as a player. Scott began his NBA coaching career as an assistant coach with the Sacramento Kings in 1998 and later served as head coach of the New Jersey Nets, New Orleans Hornets, Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers. He led the Nets to two NBA Finals and was named Coach of the Year with the New Orleans Hornets.

Norris is the former CEO and president of McKesson Water where he turned the $200 million company into a corporation that sold for $1.1 billion 10 years later. He is the board chairman for Freshpet Inc. and helped lead the startup from early-stage testing to become a publicly traded company with a market value of more than $350 million.

Scott and Norris became friends after meeting at the gym. The idea for the book generated from their realization that they shared the same leadership values despite having completely different backgrounds.

Anderson Chandler is a KU School of Business alumnus and one of the first alumni to be honored with the School of Business Distinguished Alumni Award. Chandler, who makes the lectures possible each year, is chairman of Fidelity State Bank & Trust Co. of Topeka.

Previous Chandler lectures have featured Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, KU alumnus and former president and CEO of Ford Motor Co. Alan Mulally, Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback, and FBI agent and KU School of Business alumnus Robert Herndon.