Friends of Basketball

August Sloboda

Year Inducted: 1983

Category: Friends of Basketball

Schools / Organizations: (Cicero) Morton High School

Biography: (Article written for his induction to the IBCA Hall of Fame in 1983) When you follow your favorite high school basketball team you are sure to experience great emotional highs and lows. That certainly is the case for Augie Sloboda of Cicero. Sloboda’s favorite team brought him state championships two times and once a national championship. He also recalls having his favorite’s ranked No. 1 and being upset in the regional. Sloboda has followed Morton of Cicero basketball since 1924. Imagine Sloboda’s delight in 1926 when Morton defeated Batesville, Arkansas 18-16 for the national championship at the University of Chicago. That continued in 1932 and 1941 when Morton won state championships. Despair came for Sloboda when top ranked Morton was upset in the 1951 Hinsdale Regional. Upon retiring from Western Electric after 43 years of service in 1971, Sloboda has watched three or four high school games a week. Sloboda calls the great Thornridge teams led by Quinn Buckner as the best he’s seen. He also lists Isiah Thomas, Bill Hapac, Max Hooper, Dike Eddleman, Jim Vopicka, and Mark Aguirre on his all-time Illinois team. Sloboda said his favorite times of the year are during the Proviso West Christmas Tourney and the Illinois State Tournament.