Kitsilano teenager and basketball star Acron Eger vanished 20 years ago and the National Post’s Bruce Arthur covered the story in December.

The complete story is definitely worth a read. Here is a snippet.

On Dec. 10, 1988, Acron Eger stood in a hallway with his basketball team. Kitsilano Secondary was about to play the final of the Richmond Invitational in the gym of the mighty Richmond Colts, who had not lost to another B.C. high school in 55 games.

Outside, the stands were teeming, waiting to explode when the Colts came on the court. Acron was waiting, too.

“Acron wanted us to line up,” says Peter Rubin, a teammate and close friend. “He led us out, right at the exact same moment as Richmond came out. Because he wanted us to come out at the same time as Richmond’s fans were going nuts, screaming, like they were screaming for us.”

Then, Acron silenced them. He scored 51 points, and Kitsilano won 101-91. On one play, a referee called one of his three-pointers a two, and Acron was outraged. On the next play down the court, he pulled up from several feet behind the line, splashed another three pointer, looked at the referee and barked, “Was that good?”

In that moment, Acron looked only a little like the pudgy, shy kid who had come to Vancouver from Montreal nearly eight years earlier. He had the same long jaw, the same strong nose, a similar mop of brown hair over blue eyes. He wasn’t as pudgy anymore, and he wasn’t quite as shy, and he had made himself the best basketball player in the province despite – well, despite himself.

“I used to say to people, ˜There’s this guy who looks like he should be playing the piano,’ ” says Bill Disbrow, the long-time coach of Richmond Secondary.

” ‘He’s a little bit soft, and he doesn’t run and jump all that well. … But boy, can he play.’ “

Acron would play one more game, a blowout win in a cold, small gym in downtown Vancouver, two weeks before Christmas, 20 years ago. One more game, and that was it. He was 17 years and nine months old when he disappeared.

Last modified: March 5, 2020

2 Responses to " The Curious Case of Kitsilano Secondary’s Acron Eger "

  1. Former Provincal BB Coach Randy Young says:

    Aacron was by far the best high school player that i have ever coached and seen play…his work ethic was phenomenal as i coached him in the mid-80’s on the -16 BC team and we were in Phoenix during a hot spell mid-July and Aacron practiced for two hours a day on top of our team practices outside in plus 100 degrees farinhit!

    Randy Young
    BB Coach >30 years

  2. sleugh says:

    I played with Akron two seasons in HS . He was socially awkward yet very bright, not the most gifted athelete but still an amazing basketball player. His work ethic was something you just dont see, he would practice, practice , practice then practice some more.The janitors at Kits high used to hate him since he was always around shooting hoops. He was determined to make it and that attitude was present within him at 12 years old.

    I often wonder what really happened to him and every few years I have a dream that he is alive and back in Vancouver. I didnt love being around him, he had an intensity that was far beyond a H.S kids maturity ; I simply couldn’t relate, but he impacted me, pre and post dissapearence. It showed me what it took to be that good at something .

    Whatever happened to Akron and his family, I really hope, like we all do, that they didnt suffer.