Eric Laird Set to be Honored as SEC Men’s Basketball Legend

The Southeastern Conference announced that it will honor their latest class of Allstate SEC Basketball Legends at the upcoming conference tournament in Nashville on March 8-12, as the late Eric Laird will be recognized from Ole Miss. Previously announced as an SEC Legend for the class of 2020, Laird will be honored this spring after the conference took a pause on the event during the last three years.

One of 41 members of the 1,000-point club at Ole Miss, Laird ranks 17^th all-time with 1,421 career points during his four-year career. He also collected 179 total steals during his time as a Rebel, the fourth-most in program history, and his 55 swipes in 1984 are tied for the eighth-most in a single season. As a junior, Laird was an Honorable Mention All-American selection after finishing fourth in the SEC in both scoring (17.3 ppg) and steals (55). The previous season, Laird helped guide the Rebels to an NIT berth, where he tied the school record with eight steals in a game during a third-round game at DePaul.

Hailing from Memphis, Laird was named the Memphis Player of the Year and an all-state honoree during his senior year at East High School, where he led the basketball team to a state championship, and football team to a league title as a prep All-American at wide receiver.

Laird sadly passed away at the age of 43 in February 2007.

The conference will honor Laird during the 2023 SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. at halftime during the first round game for Ole Miss, and once again during the first semifinal game on Saturday.

2023 Allstate SEC Basketball Legends
Alabama – Jerry Harper
Arkansas – Nick Davis
Auburn – Layton Johns
Florida – Chris Richard
Georgia – Rod Cole
Kentucky – Vernon Hatton
LSU – Collis Temple III
Ole Miss – Eric Laird
Mississippi State – Jerry Jenkins
Missouri – Steve Stipanovich
South Carolina – Tre’ Kelley
Tennessee – Lang Wiseman
Texas A&M – David Britton
Vanderbilt – Butch Feher

Ole Miss Basketball SEC Legends
2023 – Eric Laird
2019 – Justin Reed
2018 – Rob Evans
2017 – Jason Harrison
2016 – Johnny Neumann
2015 – B.L. Graham
2014 – Ansu Sesay
2013 – Rahim Lockhart
2012 – Jack Waters
2011 – Bob Weltlich
2010 – Cob Jarvis
2009 – Keith Carter
2008 – Joe Harvell
2007 – Elston Turner
2006 – Sean Tuohy
2005 – Coolidge Ball
2004 – Gerald Glass
2003 – Carlos Clark
2002 – Joe Gibbon
2001 – Denver Brackeen
2000 – Don Kessinger
1999 – John Stroud 

Courtesy of Ole Miss Sports