Scottsville Spotlight
Marion Odicea “Odie” Spears
Odie Spears was a standout athlete at Scottsville High School graduating in the Class of 1941. Odie played baseball and basketball at Scottsville High School for Coach H.A. Ward & Coach Walter Murray. During the late 30’s and early 40’s, SHS was a member of the 18th District in the 5th Region.
He enrolled and played basketball for the legendary Coach Ed Diddle at Western Kentucky State Teachers College and played 2 seasons before serving his country in the United States Army for 3 years. Odie played basketball during his military service for the 326th Glider Infantry basketball team stationed in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He played for Fort Bragg those 3 years and vastly improved his skills. He returned to WKU to continue his collegiate career in 1946. He was more mature, both mentally & physically as he stood 6’5” and weighed over 200 pounds. His overall size & basketball skills had increased tremendously according to Coach Diddle. He was selected as a 1948 Converse 2nd Team All-American and was a 4th Round draft pick by the Chicago Stags in the 1948 BAA Draft (Basketball Association of America & would merge with the NBA the following year in 1949.)
1938-1941 Scottsville High School Pointers
1941-1943 Western Kentucky State Teachers College (WKU)
1944-1946 Fort Bragg NC Military Basketball Team (U.S. Army)
1947-1948 Western Kentucky State Teachers College (WKU)
Odie’s professional basketball career spanned 9 seasons through 1957. He played in the NBA for the Chicago Stags for 2 seasons averaging 9.3 points in 48-49 and increased his scoring in 49-50 to 10.5 ppg. During the 1950-51 season, he played locally for the Louisville Alumnites of the NBPL. This league folded almost at once after the season began. Those games were played at Male High School Gymnasium. The following season Odie joined the Rochester Royals of the NBA and stayed with them for the next 4 seasons averaging just under 10.0 ppg. The 1955-56 & 1956-57 seasons were played with the Fort Wayne Pistons where he averaged 5.0 ppg over those 2 seasons. He spent a few games of the 56-57 season with the St. Louis Hawks averaging 2.0 ppg. This was his last season in the NBA. His NBA totals were 8.7 ppg & 4.0 rebounds per game. He played in 479 total games between the BAA & NBA. Playing 1 year in the BAA and 7 years in the NBA. He also played one season in the NBPL for a total 9 years of professional basketball.
1948-1950 Chicago Stags (BAA & NBA)
1950-1951 Louisville Alumnites (NBPL)
1951-1955 Rochester Royals (NBA
1955-57 Fort Wayne Pistons & St. Louis Hawks (NBA)
After basketball, Spears moved back to Louisville and became a successful insurance executive at Lincoln National Life Insurance. He was married and had 2 daughters. He was a member of Lyndon Baptist Church, the WKU Alumni association, Hunting Creek Country Club and the Downtown Athletic Club of Louisville. He is a 1993 inductee into the WKU Athletic Hall of Fame & 2011 inductee into the AC-S Athletic Hall of Fame.
Odie Spears was born on June 17th, 1924, in Scottsville, KY and died on March 28th, 1985, in Louisville, KY at the age of 60. His cause of death was Hematologic Cancer (blood cancer).
Lastly, Odie was an exceptionally good amateur golfer throughout his 40’s & 50’s. Odie eventually won the 14th Annual S.I.T. (Scottsville Invitational Tournament) played at Scottsville Country Club in 1977 after almost winning the title several times. Odie shot 66 on Saturday and was named Medalist. On Sunday, he shot 70 for a combined 2-day total of 136 to win the Championship Flight. When Odie was asked what he did differently this week to win the title, he responded “I just decided to come down here and try harder this time!”
Odie Spears….a Scottsville Legend.
Research & Compilation: Jay Holland, 2026
A civic pride initiative promoting Scottsville and Allen County Kentucky.
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