A Punahou basketball legend died on Monday.

Ia Saipaia attained that lofty status after scoring 38 points against Kailua in the 1975 state championship game. It’s a championship-game record that stands till this day.

The Buffanblu needed that massive output from the two-sport standout in a 77-70 win over the Surfriders in a game played March 8 at the Honolulu International Center (now Blaisdell Arena) before 5,911 fans in attendance — held down by live TV.

Saipaia connected on 15 of 23 field goals and eight of nine free throws in a game that was close throughout. Punahou led 35-34 at halftime, and never lost the lead, although the Surfriders closed to 56-54 heading into the fourth quarter. That’s where Saipaia kept Kailua at bay, scoring 10 points in the quarter. He and Duane Akina (21) accounted for 59 of Punahou’s 77 points.

It was Punahou’s second consecutive win over Kailua in the state final.

In a Punahou School Hall of Fame video, then-basketball coach Chris McLachlin recalled Saipaia’s talent.

“All kinds of moves. Deceptive. This amazing shooter’s touch. The ability to see the whole floor and get the ball to other people. He was really a pure basketball player,” McLachlin said in the Punahou video. “He loved competition. He hated to lose. I don’t even think he likes to lose in ping pong or checkers or flipping coins. He’s just highly competitive. If they had the 3-point line, I think it would’ve been upwards of 42 or 43 (in the state final). Pretty amazing performance watching him do what he did.”

Saipaia’s son, Davis Miyashiro-Saipaia, expressed his gratitude for widespread support.

“He really loved and cared about his family, his friends, everyone in his life. He worked a lot. Me and my sister (Angie) always knew that. All of our games, he always tried to be there,” said Miyashiro-Saipaia, who played football and basketball at Punahou. “We want to thank everyone for all their support. We really appreciate them. It’s a hard time for us, but dad would always say, ‘Find a way. Figure it out.’ ”

Saipaia, 63, who was fully vaccinated, died of COVID-19 symptoms, according to his wife, Jean Miyashiro-Saipaia.

“Hopefully, it is a lesson to others,” she said.

As a child, Davis Miyashiro-Saipaia gradually became aware of his father’s prowess.

“I remember growing up and a little bit more when I got into high school, him and his Kalakaua guys like Blane Gaison, Kai Enos, Kimo Bajet, Randy Canencia and a bunch of others, too, they’d always play basketball every Saturday morning at Kamehameha. The early morning runs. I remember going there a lot as a kid. Because he worked a lot, there was the times we got to hang out and learn the game a little bit. He’d work on the side with me a little bit. He never pushed me into sports, but once I made a commitment to it, that’s when the coach in him kicked in.”

Davis Miyashiro-Saipaia first got wind of his father’s legendary status at Kalakaua Clinic.

“To me, he was dad. The first time I heard about him was from Dennis Agena when I started going to his clinics. I told dad I wanted to play basketball. Coach Agena said, ‘Do you know who your dad is?’ I said, he was a pretty good player. He said, ‘Pretty good? He set the record in the state championship game.’ That was when I was 6 or 7,” he said.

Saipaia was employed at Matson for years.

“He was one of our bosses,” Toma Savea said. “He passed away on Monday. We got a text from his wife (Jean Miyashiro-Saipaia). He got me hired at Matson. I met him at the golf course. Talk story with him and he asked me, ‘Aren’t you that Repo guy? I need somebody like you to come work for us.’ He’s a good guy. Gentle giant. A good boss. A good man, humble. He knows his work.”

Saipaia later played at San Diego State, Santa Rosa Junior College (Calif.) and University of Hawaii at Hilo. He completed his career at UH-Hilo under coach Jimmy Yagi, another legend.

“Ia wasn’t a very verbal person. Very quiet, doesn’t say much. He just does whatever you ask him to do,” Yagi said. “Ia was a strong man and his presence on the floor, he was not afraid to drive to the basket. It was like a truck coming through. He was just a great athlete, one of the greatest in Hawaii history. He was just unstoppable.”

Yagi recalled Saipaia’s route to Hilo after San Diego State.

“He got in touch with (Bill) Trumbo,” Yagi said of the then-Santa Rosa Junior College coach. “We had the Santa Rosa pipeline coming through here, so Ia came home. We were lucky to have him.”

Trumbo later became the basketball coach and athletic director at UH-Hilo after Yagi retired. Trumbo died in 2018.

“The last time I saw Ia was when he came over for Trumbo’s funeral. We got to see him and talk story. Big, healthy, strong guy,” Yagi said. “Losing him is hard.”

One of Saipaia’s closest friends was teammate Bob Christenson. They met at Santa Rosa JC before joining the Vulcans.

“He and Christenson became like brothers, always together,” Yagi recalled. “Always nice to see that kind of relationship.”

Former Vulcan standout Bill O’Rear completed his career just two years before Saipaia arrived. O’Rear was also a product of Santa Rosa JC, and did play-by-play of UH-Hilo games on the radio and was a freelance sportswriter for the Tribune-Herald during Saipaia’s Vulcan years.

“I just heard about him last night. I was just sad,” O’Rear said. “He played with Todd Zirbel, an All-American player. He played on one of the better Vulcan teams in history in that 1979-80 season.

“Ia was listed at 6-3, 225 pounds. He was a rare breed of athlete who had size, strength and quickness,” O’Rear said. “He was like a fullback and when he drove to the basket, if you got in the way, he would run you over. When he would explode by you, he was just so powerful.

“He was a really good shooter. He had range up to 25 feet. One of the most physically talented players ever play at UH Hilo. He was a Division I athlete. He could handle the ball, go inside or out. He’d drive to the basket, a big guy would pick him up. He would pump fake and score, and he would smile.”

Saipaia was inducted into the UH Hilo Hall of Fame in 2002.

“That was a big honor for him. He could’ve been great at anything. I’d assume he’s one of the greatest athletes ever to come out of Hawaii,” O’Rear added.