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Seattle’s 5-foot-9 giants: Johnny and Eddie O’Brien, the duel-sport twins who took this city by storm

A quick conversation during a summer-league baseball game worked out for Seattle University and the O’Briens, who led the school to new heights in basketball and baseball and became two of the greatest athletes in the city’s history.

Seattle University had no idea what it was getting.

Al Brightman, the Seattle University men’s basketball and baseball coach, had greatly exaggerated about the 5-foot-9 twins from New Jersey who were going to help both his programs.

Johnny and Eddie O’Brien flew in late one night, stayed overnight in the airport, then took a bus to Seattle U.