Ervin Leavy never got the message.
Throughout his younger years, he was constantly rejected when trying out for his school basketball teams.
Five times, in fact.
Beginning in sixth grade, Leavy was cut four straight years at Gundry Elementary and Bryant Junior High.
Rather than go to Flint Northwestern High School, where he would compete for a roster spot with players who had been chosen ahead of him all those years, he attended Flint Central in hopes of breaking the cycle.
And he was promptly cut in tryouts for the junior varsity team.
Leavy apparently wasn’t wanted, but he refused to accept rejection.
“I always felt like I was good enough to make those teams, but what I found out was, if the coach was familiar with the players, maybe they had a better shot,” Leavy said. “A friend of mine told me, ‘If you play summer ball, you’ll have a better chance to make the team.’”
It worked. Leavy finally survived tryouts his junior year, although the team he made was Central’s JV.
But, finally, he had an opportunity to prove himself.
By his senior year, he not only made the varsity for a Central team coming off back-to-back state Class A championships, but he was a starter who scored 21 points in the state championship game against Detroit Southwestern.
Thus began the legacy of one of the most overlooked great players to come out of Flint.
He played two seasons at Mott Community College, two at Central Michigan University and was a seventh-round draft pick of the Chicago Bulls in 1987.
At CMU, his career average of 17.6 points per game still ranks fourth in school history. His 1,003 career points still rank 34th, even though he played only two seasons. He was a first-team All-Mid-American Conference selection as a senior after making the second team as a junior.
And now he’s a member of the Greater Flint Area Sports Hall of Fame, becoming the fifth player from the Central dynasty to be inducted.
“When we won the state championship in ’83, it was only my second year of organized basketball,” Leavy said. “I found myself to be very nervous before games, especially after getting cut five years in a row. I always felt, ‘I can’t make a mistake; I have to play a perfect game.’ I played under a lot of pressure.
“This Hall of Fame induction, I compare it to winning the state championship in ’83; it’s the same feeling.”
After starting all season, Leavy was told by Central coach Stan Gooch he would play off the bench when the state tournament began. That changed for the clash with Detroit Southwestern, led by Mr. Basketball Antoine Joubert.
“We got to the state game and he says, ‘Ervin, I’m going to start you today because we need all of our shooters,’” Leavy said. “I ended up having my best high school game in the state championship game.
“It was just unbelievable to be part of that, especially after all my experiences getting cut all those years. To be part of that and also contribute to the team was a great feeling.”
Despite a successful senior year and his huge performance in the state championship game, Leavy’s college options were limited.
“I didn’t do the best academically,” he said. “After scoring 21 points in the state championship game, I got a few Division I offers, but my grades weren’t up to par. So, that was a wake-up call for me, having to go to Mott and get my academics together. I share that story with young people now all the time, how important it is.”
Leavy blossomed at Mott, earning all-state honors in 1984 and Most Valuable Player of the 1985 state tournament, which was won by the Bears.
“Mott changed my life,” he said. “I played for Bob Sippell, who actually gave me the green light and pretty much said, ‘Ervin, I don’t care if you miss 10 shots in a row; I’m not taking you out of the game,’” Leavy said. “That was a confidence booster, knowing coach had my back. He taught me how to play the right way, how to move without the ball, and I didn’t have to worry about getting pulled out of the game if I made a mistake.”
At CMU, he formed a “thunder and lightning” duo with future NBA star Dan Majerle of Traverse City. The Chippewas won the MAC championship under their leadership in 1987.
“Charlie Coles taught me how to play defense,” Leavy said. “In high school and junior college, I could score 25, but my man would score 20, 25. Charlie Coles taught me how to play defense fundamentally, and that’s how I became a complete player.”
Given his academic history in high school, Leavy is even more proud of what he’s accomplished off the court.
After being cut by the Bulls in 1987, the same season Chicago drafted Scottie Pippen, Leavy went back to CMU to finish a degree in recreational administration.
Leavy began working in 2002 at the University of Michigan-Flint, where he’s the assistant director of facilities operation. In 2011, he earned a master’s degree from UM-Flint in technology and education.
“After going through that experience (with the Bulls), I figured I needed to finish my school first before I think about basketball,” he said. “I played a little semi-professional basketball, but it wasn’t guaranteed paychecks. I figured I needed to further my education and start a career.”
With the wisdom that comes with age, Leavy realizes how special it was to play basketball in Flint in the 1980s.
“We just played for fun,” he said. “It was normal for Flint teams to be good when I came along. Everybody was good. You had Northwestern. All the city schools were good. Beecher was good, Hamady. A good friend of mine, Joe Boulton, played for Flushing, who was really good that ’83 season.
“I didn’t realize how special it was until 10, 15, 20 years down the line. People still talk about it.”
