Bob Nash would not have been a fifth of Hawaii basketball’s “Fabulous Five,” nor married the love of his life, nor been the Detroit Pistons’ first-round pick in 1972, nor enjoyed a long coaching career, nor been inducted into UH’s Circle of Honor if it had not been for transportation from a childhood friend’s family.

“I didn’t start playing basketball until I was a freshman in high school,” said Nash, who grew up in Connecticut. “The only reason I went out for the team was the coach at the time saw me walking on campus and said, ‘Why don’t you come out for the team?’ And I said, ‘What team?’ He said, ‘Basketball.’ I said, ‘OK.’ I had a neighborhood friend, Henry Smith. The only way I could go back and forth to practice is if he went out for the team. He was 6-9, and had never played before, either. We ended up going out for the team, and we both ended up making the team.”

Smith eventually played professionally in Europe.

“I went from a non-player to being an All-American (in junior college) and coming to Hawaii and making it to the NBA,” Nash said. “That’s how it started.”

During Saturday’s game between UH and Big West leader UC Irvine, Nash’s No. 33 jersey will be retired. This is the first such honor in UH men’s basketball history.

“I was a little bit in disbelief at first,” Nash said. “Obviously, I thought it was a great honor, but it was, ‘Why me?’ I’m not one of those guys who looked for those types of individual recognition. I’m more of what’s good for the team. It was a little bit of a shock, but at the same time, I see it as a tremendous honor for me and my family.”

At 6 feet 8, Nash was a rugged forward for the Rainbows. In his two seasons — 1970-71 and 1971-72 — the “Fabul0us Five” went 47-8. In the 1971 Rainbow Classic title game, Nash pulled down a school-record 30 rebounds against Arizona State.

“I was not feeling well that game,” Nash recalled. “I just went out and gave it all I had. I was about ready to pass out from a stomach virus. I said, ‘Hey, we’re not going to lose this game.’ I went out and played as hard as I could for as long as I could. They didn’t give you any medication back then. It was, ‘Get out there and play.’ I ended up winning MVP for the Classic. It was one of those moments where I was fortunate to still be standing (after the game).”

In all, Nash was affiliated with the Rainbows for 31 years, including three as head coach. As an associate head coach, he was in charge of scouting, co-writing the game plans, and recruiting. He also was noted for energizing the fans by waving a towel. The first 800 through the turnstiles on Saturday will receive commemorative towels.

“It started when we were in the old Blaisdell, and we were getting our hats handed to us,” Nash said. “I felt like the crowd was sitting back waiting for us to do something. We needed help from the crowd to get back into the game. I stood up and started waving the towel. We ended up pulling out a victory. From that point on, whenever I felt the momentum of a game was turning, I started the towel action.”

After completing his NBA career, Nash and his wife Domelynne fulfilled a promise to her mother.

“When I got married to Domelynne, her mom said, ‘You can marry my daughter, but you can never take her away from Hawaii,’ ” Nash said. “I kept my promise.”

Domelynne died in 2016. “I’ve been in the same house for the last 32 years, the same neighbors for the last 30 years,” Nash said.