| Breaking
Through
John B. McLendon, Basketball Legend and Civil Rights Pioneer
Milton S. Katz
Forewords by Billy Packer and Ian Naismith
How a dedicated coach helped
initiate integrated basketball
Winner, William Rockhill Nelson Award
“The Father of Black Basketball, [McLendon] was the
godfather to the young black athlete. I saw him as a true
caretaker of the sport.”
—Julius Irving, NBA Hall of Famer
“Breaking Through will teach readers something
about adversity and how to prevail, about what it means to
earn respect at the highest level.”
—Earl Lloyd, NBA Hall of Famer and the first African
American to play in the NBA
“This richly detailed, carefully researched, and affectionate
biography is a positive step in reemphasizing McClendon’s
rightful place in basketball—and sports—history.”
—Booklist
“The research Katz has done for Breaking Through is
outstanding . . . dramatic and exciting.”
—The Philadelphia Inquirer
“Finally, a book has been written that takes a complete
look at McLendon’s life on and off the court. . . .
The book is both a history lesson and an inspiration to any
player, coach, or spectator who has ever known the transcendent
powers of a game. . . . Katz gives incredible insight on a
pioneer.”
—Blackathlete.com
John B. McLendon was the last living protégé
of basketball’s inventor, Dr. James Naismith, and one
of the “top ten basketball coaches of the century”
in Billy Packer’s opinion. McLendon’s amazing
records in college and pro basketball earned him a spot in
the Basketball Hall of Fame (the first black coach to be inducted),
and his coaching philosophy has had a huge influence on basketball
coaches. Breaking Through is also a powerful and inspirational
story about segregation and a champion’s struggle for
equality in 1940s and 50s America.
Black Magic, ESPN’s Peabody Award–winning
documentary about players and coaches who attended historically
black colleges and universities, covers many of the events
in McLendon’s life that Katz writes about in his book.
Milton S. Katz
is professor of American Studies, School of Liberal Arts,
Kansas City Art Institute.
September
6 x 9, 280 pages, 46 photos, index
$19.95 paper
ISBN 978-1-55728-951-3
original
cloth edition
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