October 24, 1972 Jack Roosevelt “Jackie” Robinson, the first African American Major League Baseball player of the modern era, died. Robinson was born January 31, 1919 in Cairo, Georgia. After graduating from Pasadena Junior College in 1939, Robinson transferred to UCLA where he became the school’s first athlete to win varsity letters in four sports, […]
Tag Archives | basketball
October 12th in African American History – Wilton Norman Chamberlain
October 12, 1999 Wilton Norman “Wilt” Chamberlain, hall of fame professional basketball player, died. Chamberlain was born August 21, 1936 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was 6 feet 11 inches when he entered high school and used that advantage as a prolific scorer throughout his high school and college career. After his junior year of college, […]
October 8th in African American History – John B. McLendon, Jr.
October 8, 1999 John B. McLendon, Jr., the first African American basketball coach at a predominantly White university, died. McLendon was born April 15, 1915 in Hiawatha, Kansas. He studied at the University of Kansas in the 1930s where he learned the intricacies of basketball. However, McLendon was not allowed to play because the university’s […]
September 10th in African American History – Robert Jerry Lanier, Jr.
September 10, 1948 Robert Jerry Lanier, Jr., hall of fame basketball player, was born in Buffalo, New York. Lanier played college basketball at St. Bonaventure University and was a three-time All-American. He graduated from St. Bonaventure with a B. A. degree in Business Administration in 1970. Lanier was selected number one overall by the Detroit […]
Earl Manigault – September 7th in African American History
September 7, 1944 Earl Manigault, street basketball player known as “The Goat”, was born in Charleston, South Carolina and raised in Harlem, New York. Manigault grew up playing basketball and set the New York City junior high school record by scoring 57 points in a game in the late 1950s. Manigault was famous on the […]