Who Was Coach John B. McLendon Jr.?

“The best and greatest coach of all time.”
—Bill Russell, NBA Hall of Famer

“His genius never failed to amaze me. . . . John McLendon was an American treasure who made his game and his country a better place for all of us.”
—Billy Packer, CBS basketball analyst

“The Father of Black Basketball, he was the godfather to the young black athlete. I saw him as a true caretaker of the sport.”
—Julius Erving, NBA Hall of Famer

“He was a great inspiration to all of us who were fortunate to have success in the game. I’ve always respected him for what he had to persevere through.”
—Wayne Embry, NBA Hall of Famer

“Every single NBA player is connected to this man in some way. Coach McLendon is the root from which great players have evolved.”
—Kenny Smith, analyst, Inside the NBA

“No man had more to do with changing the face of collegiate (or perhaps pro) basketball than the soft-spoken McLendon . . . one of the great minds of basketball.”
—Marty Blake, NBA director of scouting

“McLendon’s contributions to the game of basketball are the stuff of legends. . . . He was the benchmark by which other people are measured.”
—Mike Cleary, executive director of the National Association of College Directors of Athletics

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