February 12, 1934 William Felton “Bill” Russell, hall of fame basketball player and author, was born West Monroe, Louisiana, but raised in Oakland, California. Russell led the University of San Francisco to consecutive NCAA championships in 1955 and 1956 and also earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1956.
Tag Archives | Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
January 3rd in African American History – Cheryl D. Miller
January 3, 1962 Cheryl D. Miller, hall of fame basketball player, was born in Riverside, California. Miller was an outstanding basketball player in high school. She was the first player, male or female, to be named an All-American by Parade Magazine four times, she was awarded the Dial Award as the national high school scholar/athlete […]
November 24th in African American History – David Bing
November 24, 1943 David Bing, hall of fame basketball player and Mayor of the City of Detroit, was born in Washington, D.C. Bing attended Syracuse University where he led the basketball team in scoring each of the years he played and in 1966 was named an All-American. Bing earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in […]
November 21st in African American History – Vernon Earl Monroe
November 21, 1944 Vernon Earl Monroe, hall of fame basketball player known as “Earl the Pearl,” was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At an early age, Monroe was a playground legend known as “Thomas Edison” because of the many moves that he invented. In 1967, while playing for Winston-Salem State University, he earned NCAA College Division […]
October 31st in African American History – Earl Francis “Big Cat” Lloyd
October 31, 1950 Earl Francis “Big Cat” Lloyd became the first African American to play in a National Basketball Association game. Lloyd was born April 3, 1928 in Alexandria, Virginia. He played collegiate basketball at West Virginia State College where he was a two-time All-American and earned his Bachelor of Science degree in physical education […]
September 21st in African American History – Artis Gilmore
September 21, 1949 Artis Gilmore, hall of fame basketball player, was born in Chipley, Florida but raised in Dothan, Alabama. Gilmore played two years at Jacksonville University and led the team to the 1970 NCAA Division I championship game. He led the NCAA in rebounding both years and his career average of 22.7 rebounds per […]
July 19th in African American History – Teresa Edwards
July 19, 1964 Teresa Edwards, hall of fame basketball player, was born in Cairo, Georgia. Edwards played high school basketball and in 1982 was the Georgia High School Player of the Year. She played college basketball at the University of Georgia where she was a two-time All-American. After earning her degree in 1990, she played […]