Jimmy Lee "Bird" Griffin

Jimmy Lee “Bird Griffin was born on January 15, 1948, to Mr. Ike Gurley and Kathleen Griffin in Guntersville, Alabama. He has an older brother Charles Johnson Griffin and a younger brother, Robert Horton Griffin. His first cousin is 2017 MCSHOF inductee Connie “Clyde” Vaughn.

Jimmy’s basketball career started when he was a seventh grade student at Lakeview School in Guntersville. Lakeview opened in 1949 and was the school in Marshall County where African-American students attended and played sports prior to the desegregation of schools in Alabama. Lakeview produced many great players who went on the play at Marshall County HS, now Guntersville HS. MCSHOF Inductees Johnny “Butch” Looney, Connie “Clyde” Vaughn, and Kent Looney became household names in Guntersville and all say that they were positively affected by Jimmy “Bird” Griffin. Connie Vaughn related, “My idol growing up was Jimmy. He was a phenomenal basketball player and I tried to play like him. Everything I did I got from Jimmy.”

Lakeview School closed in 1967, the same year that “Bird” Griffin finished one of the greatest careers in the storied history of Marshall County basketball. Jimmy Lee was coached by legendary Head Basketball Coach and Lakeview Principal, Adolph Scissum, and Assistant Coach Jack Anthony. Coach Scissum realized early that Jimmy had the ability to be a great player for the Tigers. He acquired the nickname “Bird” because at only 6’1” and 165 pounds, he had skinny legs. But he could literally “fly” high up into the air, just like a bird. In most games, “Bird” would jump center at the game’s tip-off and then move to play guard or forward as determined by his coaches.

As a sophomore, Bird scored 53 points in one game. As a junior, he scored 54 against a tough Carver HS team in Gadsden. The Tigers won the District Championship as Bird led the team to Lakeview’s first 1-A State Tournament for Black Schools in Montgomery. 

In his senior year, Bird led the team to a school high 16-3 record in the regular season and a 24-4 final record after the State Tournament. In order to go to the State Tourney in 1967, Lakeview had to win a one-day Sectional Tournament in Centre by beating both Ashville and Centre in order to advance to the District Tournament in Gadsden. In the District, they beat Talladega Co. Training 77-51 and The Alabama School for the Deaf 85-62 before defeating Shelby County 85-76 in the finals to win the District Championship and send the Tigers to their second straight berth in the State Tournament in Montgomery. In the first round game, Lakeview beat East Choctaw 85-70; then Geneva Co. 84-65; and then Snow Hill 74-72 in the state semi-final game.  The Tigers faced a very strong St. Jude team in the finals, falling 73-58 to finish as the State Runner-up.  Bird scored 102 points in the tourney and was selected as Tournament MVP, All-State Tournament, First Team All-State, and All- District. During that magical season, which was the last year for high school basketball at Lakeview, Jimmy “Bird” Griffin averaged 30 points and pulled down 12 rebounds per game. At the end of the season, he was selected as Team MVP and Captain.

Following the season, Jimmy was offered scholarships from three Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), Alabama A & M, Miles College and Gadsden State.  He signed to play at Miles, but returned to Guntersville after a year. However, Bird did not give up his love of basketball and played in the Guntersville Independent Men’s League for the Citizen’s Bank team coached by Buddy Bodine.  Other players in the League included MCSHOF inductees Jackie Thrower, Mickey Moore, Will Beard and Bill Jones.

Jimmy was married to Sarah Nesmith Griffin.  He is retired and spends most of his time with family and friends.  His daughters are Ursula Griffin Williams, Mary Elaine Griffin, Brooke Thrasher, Chanda Moore, Katie Sue Moore and Sabrina Appleton. His sons are Jimmy Griffin, Jr., Roy Hampton and Jamie Moore.