MLK Day/ESPN Race Relations in Sports

I don't know if any of you saw the Town Hall Forum ESPN did recently on race relations in sports. I only watched/caught part of it but they are replaying it several times so you can see it. This coupled with honoring Martin Luther King, Jr. Day today and the appropriate time/forum to bring this up in, but I have been curious for some time in regard to the (historical) Celtics how they were one of the forerunners to moving the race issue(s) way down the field in the late 50's/early 60's since I was not cognizant at that time being born in 1963.

It would seem to me the Celtic teams of that time were the complete opposite of what was going on in the "real world" at that time since they were a team and played willingly together/live together regardless of the color of one's skin. This may be more for the more seasoned guard of this board to shed light on with actual experience but all input is welcome. But what was the racial tone of those teams given the real world environment/attitude when they travelled together, ate together, lived together, etc along with the public's perception at the time. Did they eat separately? Were the Celtics and other mixed teams frowned upon in public settings? My thinking is they were probably well ahead of their time with the black athlete coming into all white basketball at the time. Just curious.

I'm sure I will have subsequent questions and if I'm not clear with the above, please forgive me. If we have addressed this here before, many pardons as well.

There is the ever often played clip of Russell being interviewed after '69 Finals win. For me, while his response had a lot to do with what they had just accomplished as a team, Russell's accomplishment as an NBA Champion black coach/player at that time must have been so far beyond anything any of us could imagine or he could say at the moment that it would simply blow our minds.

D,

Basically, the Celtics' perspective concerning people of color boiled down to Red's philosophy of life. Red grew up the hard way in Brooklyn, with a passion for basketball and an upbringing based on responsibility. Whenever a difficult challenge confronted the family, Red would get the call. And Red became a very good ballplayer on the streets of New York, developing an appreciation for basketball ability that transcended race.

He developed an ability to focus intensely on an objective. When he believed in something—especially if it coincided with his objective—he fought like a tiger to obliterate anything that got in the way.

This background, plus a load of intelligence, made the adult Red a veritable perfect storm when it came to racism. (1) He knew that racism prevented good prospects from being considered as pros. (2) He knew that he had to win in order to succeed. And he was sharp and committed enough to put together 1 and 2 and arrive at.....(3) the important thing about a prospect was whether he could help Red win. Color didn't matter.

That's why he made Chuck Cooper the first person of color ever drafted by the NBA. That's why he welcomed Don Barksdale to his early teams. That’s why he acquired Bill Russell, drafted K.C., Sam Jones, and Tom Sanders, and focused his teams on only one thing—winning. The culture of Red's teams was centered around that one imperative. The fact that the team included such likely polarizing elements as several black players and southerners Frank Ramsey and Ed MacAuley proved irrelevant. Red's basketball acumen and drive convinced all his teams that winning was the only thing, and the potentially conflicting detritus was treated as a pile of dung.

That's why, when six black Celtics and two black St. Louis Hawks refused to play in a Louisville exhibition game because they had been refused restaurant service at the Phoenix Hotel, it was reported that Red Auerbach was the one who drove them to the airport. That’s why Red was able to be the first coach to start five black players. That’s why Red and Russ were veritable soulmates. That’s why the Celtics were the first professional sports team to appoint a black coach.

Red is credited with being a great coach, which he obviously was. But Red’s greatness went far beyond that. Against overwhelming odds, he created and nurtured a community of unified spirit—an achievement that will never receive recognition befitting the enormity of the task.

I paint a rather idyllic picture, and I'm sure it wasn't all nearly as smooth as I might seem to imply. For one thing, while I'm quite certain that Red and the Celtics were leaders in this development, I'm not certain how quickly other teams may have followed suit. At that time, St. Louis was the most difficult challenge in the league. Russell and other blacks suffered massive abuse from Hawks fans. I've often wondered how much Easy Ed MacAuley, who went to St.Louis in the Russell deal, may have helped defuse the situation in St. Louis at least partly as a result of his Celtics roots.

But, yes, the Celtics ate together. In the really early days, Walter Brown was pretty careful to book them into places where segregation would not be a problem. But, when the problem threatened to become intrusive, it was Red's influence (with Walter's backing) that rose to heroic heights.

The only conceivable way Phil Jackson could remotely begin to sniff that caliber of greatness would be if he read about it in a book about Red.

Here's to a meaningful Martin Luther King Day for everyone.

Sam

Cousy on Russ


You have a special relationship with the great Bill Russell. About Russell the player, you have said: “Bill Russell revolutionized basketball. He changed the patterns of play both for individuals and for teams. First and foremost, Bill Russell was a team man. The one who made us go. Without him we wouldn’t have won a championship.” Please add to this quote. Please tell me about Bill Russell, the man.

Bill is a very complex person. If you’ve done your homework you know that the racial situation of the times played a very big part in shaping Bill into who he is. He suffered from racism and discrimination in ways that so many people will never understand. It was very difficult to be an African American at that time, and being a famous athlete only complicated the situation. On the one hand you were adored for all of your athletic achievements, and on the other you weren’t allowed to play golf at the local country club.



Bill suffered racial hatred that was almost unimaginable. There was an episode where someone defecated in his bed. He was denied a hotel room in St. Louis during his college days at USF and had to sleep in his car. I shared his pain as much as possible, but there was only so much I could understand and identify with. You never truly grasp it unless you actually experience that type of hatred firsthand.



People have been killing because of racial differences since the time of Adam and Eve, but in this country racism has been primarily aimed at African Americans. Bill was a hero in Boston, but that wasn’t necessarily the case everywhere else.

I'm not ashamed to admit that this story about Russ brought tears to my eyes: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/227600-the-man-behind-the-rings-the-story-of-bill-russell-pt1