DENNIS HANSEN: Nothin' but happy

Serving up baskets keeps senior athlete happy on, off the court

louie traub/viewDennis Hansen shows off one of his well-practiced shots at the Whitney Recreation Center. Hansen is a huge fan of the Utah Jazz. photos by louie traub/viewDennis Hansen, top, took home four medals for basketball during the Nevada Senior Olympics held in May.

At 65 years old, Dennis "Swish" Hansen has rekindled a lifelong love affair with basketball.

When the retired computer salesman returned to Utah to take care of his ailing parents some years ago, he passed the time at a local recreation center. He found himself spending countless hours putting an orange ball through a metal hoop.

Hansen's passion serves him well -- he's both healthy and full of energy for it. He just won the all-around gold medal for basketball skills at the Nevada Senior Olympics in May. He also walked away with the gold, silver and bronze medals in 3-point shooting and foul shooting.

"There was an 18 to 20 year lapse when I didn't play that much," Hansen said. He went to Stanford on a football scholarship after high school but never stopped loving basketball. "It gets easy as you get older. I wear reading glasses -- but basketball is geometry in your head."

Hansen practices at the Whitney Community Center, 5712 Missouri Ave. He doesn't play on teams anymore. Instead, he invents combination moves and practices them every day to perfection.

He loves nothing more than showing off his reverse layup, jump, and spin moves -- then he takes a blind shot off the glass for flair.

"You can usually learn a new move in two to three weeks," he said. "But it takes three or four months for it to become smooth."

When he saw an article on the upcoming Nevada Senior Olympics in Mesquite, he had to give the competion a try.

"I knew that I had some skills in basketball, and I went over there and gave it a shot."

"I felt exuberant. As soon as I won, I got on the phone and called everyone in the family and told them. I was elated."

Hansen always has been the athletic type. He's run track, played football and was encouraged by his parents from an early age to play basketball.

"Mom had a welder friend build a basket out in the back of our house," he said. "And Dad poured cement for the court."

His parents were both athletic in their own right. His father was a boxer, and his mother ran high hurdles in track. His brothers and sisters are also sports-minded, and his Uncle Smitty taught him how to handle the ball.

Hansen says that his mother's cooking also gave him a great start in life.

"She'd cook Irish stew and always vegetables and fruit pies." Hansen's diet today is devoid of alcohol, caffeine and sugar, and he fasts every Monday.

He says that much like Popeye, he also eats spinach from a can.

"Eat your greens!" he said. He also enjoys Cobb salad, like one of his favorite basketball players, Karl Malone.

When Hansen was in high school, he was on the track team, which he says helped him play basketball.

"I could jump like a rabbit. I always got more rebounds than anybody."

But now, he says, "it's all about shooting."

Alan Feldman, a 64-year-old marketing manager originally from New York, started coming to the Whitney Community Center last year on his lunch breaks. That's when he met Hansen, and the two have developed a fast friendship on the court.

"I look forward to doing this with Denny. It takes your mind off things," Feldman said. He used to play forward for a college team in upstate New York and was a long-distance runner. Feldman carries photos of his knee replacement in his wallet in case he has to go to an airport and pass through a metal detector. But like Hansen, he hasn't slowed down.

"Today's 60 is what 45 was years ago. People are more active," Feldman said.

Feldman says that since he's been meeting Hansen on the court, his grandchildren are impressed with his 3-point shots.

"They say to me, 'Wow, I didn't know you could do that!' "

The two men take turns shooting and rebounding. Hansen, who loves to coach, gives Feldman advice on improving his game. His eyes light up when Feldman makes a basket.

"Oh, beautiful. One more!"

Hansen's coaching has also extended to church groups and several American Indian reservations in Arizona and Idaho. He says getting kids involved in practicing is easy.

"Basketball draws them like a magnet," he said.

Today, Hansen spends time at Sunset Station watching the Utah Jazz play. He never misses a game.

"The Utah Jazz keeps him busy," Feldman said about his friend.

Hansen has been following the Jazz since 1998.

"I really admire coach Jerry Sloan (for the Jazz). Everyone loves his personality."

Hansen says he models his coaching after Sloan. "I tell players they have to be tough. I take that aspect from him."

Hansen also has made a DVD of his moves that he passes out to family and friends. The video shows the creativity of Hansen's court moves, as well as the sheer energy and joy with which he demonstrates them. He hits several one-handed long shots that would make any crowd cheer.

"I thank the Lord for my good health and the gift he has given me," he said.

And he has no intentions of stopping anytime soon. In fact, one of his philosophies is to never leave the court without taking that last shot.

"You could call me 'One More Hansen,' " he said. "That sums it all up -- the story of my life."

And he continues to invent new moves every day. They may not have names, but he demonstrates one in particular that he's currently working on -- a dribble, spin left, dribble behind back, complete spin.

"That's really difficult, dribbling backwards," he said. "But in two or three months, I'll have that down."