Unveiling the Legacy: The Untold Story of Former ASU Basketball Star and Judge Dennis Dairman’s Remarkable Life
Dairman was appointed a Maricopa County Superior Court judge in 1992, fulfilling a lifelong dream he had since his playing days, according to friends and family.
- Dairman prioritized his education and legal career over pursuing a professional basketball career.
- A celebration of his life will be held on July 9 in Mesa, Arizona.
Dennis Dairman wasn’t just a name etched in Arizona’s basketball annals—he was a vibrant thread woven into the very fabric of the state’s sports and legal tapestry. From shattering scoring records on the hardwood at North High School long before the three-point line existed, to sharing courts and dorm rooms with legends like Joe Caldwell and Art Becker at Arizona State, Dennis’s journey was anything but ordinary. But here’s the twist—while many chase the glittering allure of professional leagues, Dennis had his eyes set on something different from the get-go: a future on the bench of justice. Turning down the NBA’s siren call, he chose law school, eventually rising to become a respected Maricopa County Superior Court judge. His story is a compelling blend of raw talent, steely determination, and an unyielding commitment to his dreams beyond the buzzer. For anyone who believes in the power of purpose and the courage to pivot, Dennis Dairman’s legacy is a beacon. LEARN MOREDairman’s single-game high school scoring record in 1960 with North, which came before there was a 3-point arc. He was a 6-foot-5 shooting machine who teamed up with Joe Caldwell and Art Becker on the 1962-63 ASU team, which some consider the greatest in Sun Devil men’s basketball history. That team went 26-3 and reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament, after beating UCLA and Utah State.He was inducted into the ASU Sports Hall of Fame in 2002.
“Part of the reason he got so good, he had a stepfather who wasn’t the nicest to the kids, so he stayed at the park to avoid the home life,” Jono said. “He practiced and practiced. He wanted to get a scholarship to play in college, because he had no other way of paying for it.”A celebration of Dairman’s life will be held July 9 at 6655 E. Preston St., in Mesa, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. At 4 p.m., there is a visitation, followed by the funeral at 5 p.m.
“Dennis was such a great hometown hero,” said Rande Grover, who was best friends with Dairman for more than 50 years. “I always saw a man who was compassionate, honest, with a great sense of humor. He will be missed.”
“He had always talked about law school,” Becker said. “I was lucky enough to play in the ABA. Dennis was skilled enough that he could have played with us in the ABA. At the time, Vietnam was going on, and the draft, and he chose to go to law school. It was probably a wise choice.”Dairman was a top swimmer in high school, but midway through his career, someone told him he should be playing basketball because of his height.
Dennis Dairman, one of Arizona’s greatest high school basketball players and part of the standout Arizona State teams of the early 1960s who went on to become an attorney and judge, died on June 27, after a lengthy battle with cancer. He was 83.Jono said his dad never had a big ego about his basketball days. It was just something he did to get to where he wanted to be.
When his ASU teammate, Caldwell, was invited to pursue an NBA dream, Dairman said he was done playing hoops and ready for the next chapter in his life. That was to become an attorney and ultimately a judge.When they got to ASU as freshmen, they were roommates. At the time, NCAA didn’t allow freshmen to play on the varsity teams. They had 18 games on ASU’s freshman team with Dairman, Becker and Caldwell each averaging more than 20 points.
It turned out to be a good decision. He set the 62-point state record with North in a game against Phoenix Carl Hayden in 1960. He went on to lead Arizona State in scoring in 1964-65, becoming the team’s MVP that season when he averaged 20 points a game.”He said, ‘Why do you swim? You’re tall. You should be playing basketball,’ ” Jono said. “(Dairman) said, ‘I don’t care what I play, I want a college scholarship. I want to grow up to be a judge.’ He was a really poor kid. The guy said to him, ‘Swimmers get half-scholarships, basketball players get full rides,’ and my dad switched.””He joked around about having the (fewest) assists in a season,” Jono said. “He talked about how he had the most points in a game, but he also had the (fewest) assists.”Becker and Dairman were together at Phoenix Camelback as freshmen before the Arizona Interscholastic Association set boundaries for students to attend schools. Because Dairman lived in North’s boundaries, he had to transfer there. When they were juniors in 1959, Camelback got to the state final, but Becker said his team never could beat North, because Dairman would shoot lights out.
Long before that, he left his mark on the basketball court.”He and Joe Caldwell got invited to a tryout for the NBA, and he said, ‘No, I did this for a free college scholarship. I’m going to become a judge. This was my plan and I’m sticking to it,’ Jono said. “He sure enough did it.”
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