1948 Team USA Basketball Gold Medal Recipient Donald Barksdale
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As of late something about Team USA basketball in the 2012 Olympics has been on my mind. I was reminded by Claude Johnson and CEO of The Black Fives.of this. His website has given me so much insight and knowledge of the early history of black basketball in the early 1900's.
I have seen so many mentions of great USA Basketball teams and players of the past especially the 1948 basketball team which won gold in London at this time in recent articles and on the television. There is one player on that gold medal team not mentioned so far during these Olympic games, With one more day to go in Olympic coverage, I felt it was only right for me to write about Donald Barksdale, a gold medal winner in the 1948 Olympics in London and and a 2012 Basketball Hall of Fame inductee. He was 6-6 and weighed 200 pounds.
Mr. Barksdale was born in Oakland, California March 31, 1923. His early life went into struggle to achieve his basketball goal as his coach did not approve of his talent, the reason being, he was black. This 6’6 200 lbs athlete attended the Berkeley High School, where the coach cut him from short from the team for three straight years as he didn’t wanted any one black player in his team.
Part of the 1948 Olympic team in London, first-ever African-American to . In 1951, he became one of the top 10 highest paid athletes with the Baltimore Bullets and was eventually traded to the Boston Celtics in 1953, where he became the first African-American player to be selected to play in the NBA All-Star Game (1953).
In 1983, he launched the Save High School Sports Foundation, which raised over 1 million dollars by the time he passed away in 1993 to save several Oakland school athletic programs from demise.
Mr. Barksdale was born in Oakland, California March 31, 1923. His early life went into struggle to achieve his basketball goal as his coach did not approve of his talent, the reason being, he was black. This 6’6 200 lbs athlete attended the Berkeley High School, where the coach cut him from short from the team for three straight years as he didn’t wanted any one black player in his team.
Afterwards, he was traded to the Boston Celtics and two years later, his basketball career got cut short due to ankle injury. After his career ended, he returned to radio, where he started his own recording label and even opened two nightclubs in Oakland.
Mr. Barksdale One of the true pioneers in the game of basketball. In Marin Junior College, he honed his playing skills in park and then he played for two years across the San Francisco Bay Barksdale broke the color barrier multiple times as the first African-American NCAA All-America (1947), the first to make the U.S. Olympic team and first-ever to win a gold meal (1948) in basketball, and the first to play in a NBA All-Star game (1953). He signed a contract with the Baltimore Bullets and entered NBA as a 28 year old Rookie.
Following his military service in World War II, Barksdale in 1946-47 earned All-America honors and led UCLA to the Pacific Coast Conference Southern Division championship. He became the first African-American signed by an American Basketball League (ABL) team with the Oakland Bittners, where he set the ABL scoring record in his debut season.Part of the 1948 Olympic team in London, first-ever African-American to . In 1951, he became one of the top 10 highest paid athletes with the Baltimore Bullets and was eventually traded to the Boston Celtics in 1953, where he became the first African-American player to be selected to play in the NBA All-Star Game (1953).
In 1983, he launched the Save High School Sports Foundation, which raised over 1 million dollars by the time he passed away in 1993 to save several Oakland school athletic programs from demise.
Glidehoyas
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