THE INSIDE GAME - Wayne Embry

By Wayne Embry
With Mary Schmitt Boyer
Forew ord by S pike L ee

Series on Ohio History and Culture
John H. White and Robert J. White Sr., The Island Queen: Cincinnati’
s Excursion
Steamer
H. Roger Grant, Ohio’
s Railway Age in Postcards
Frances McGovern, Written on the Hills: The M aking o fthe Akron Landscape
Keirh McClellan, The Sunday Game: At the Dawn o fProfessional Football
Steve Love and David Giffels, Wheels o fFortune: The Story o fRubber in Akron
Alfred Winslow Jones, Life, Liberty, and Property: A Story o f Conflict and a
Measurement o f Conflicting Rights
David Brendan Hopes, A Childhood in the Milky Way: Becoming a Poet in Ohio
John Keim, Legends by the Lake: The Cleveland Browns at M unicipal Stadium
Richard B. Schwartz, The Biggest City in America: A Fifties Boyhood in Ohio
Tom Rumer, Unearthing the Land: The Story o f Ohio's Scioto Marsh
Ian Adams, Barney Jaxel, and Steve Love, Stan Hywet H all and Gardens
William K Romain, Mysteries o fthe Hopewell: Astronomers, Geometers, and
Magicians o fthe Eastern Woodlands
Dale Topping, edited by Eric Brothers, When Giants Roamed the Sky: Karl
Arnstein and the Rise o fAirships from Zeppelin to Goodyear
Millard F. Rogers Jr., Rich in Good Works: Mary M. Emery o f Cincinnati
Frances McGovern, Fun, Cheap, and Easy: My Life in Ohio Politics, 1949—
1964
Larry L. Nelson, editor, A History o fJonathan Alder: His Captivity and Life with
the Indians
lan Adams and Steve Love, Holden Arboretum
Bruce Meyer, The Once and Future Union: l'he Rise and Fall o f the United Rubber
Workers, 1935—
199.5
Joyce Dyer, Gum-Dipped: A Daughter Remembers Rubber Town
Melanie Payne, Champions, Cheaters, and Childhood Dreams: Memories o fthe
Soap Box Derby
John A. Flower, Downstairs, Upstairs: The Changed Spirit and Face o f College^ Life
in America
Wayne Embry, with Mary Schmitt Boyer, The Inside Game: Race, Power, and
Politics in the NBA
Robin Yocum, D ead Before D eadline:. . . And Other Talesfrom the Police Beat
A. Martin Byers, The Hopewell Episode: Paradigm Lost and Paradigm Gained

THE INSIDE GAME
Race, Power, and Politics
in the NBA
By Wayne Embry
With Mary Schmitt Boyer
The University of Akron Press
Akron Ohio

Copyright © 2004 Wayne Embry and Mary Schmitt Boyer
All rights reserved
All inquiries and permissions requests should be addressed ro the publisher,
The University of Akron Press, Akron, OH 44325-1703
Manufactured in the United States of America
First edition 2004
08 07 06 05 04 5 4 3 2 1
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
F.mbry, Wayne. 1937-
The inside game : race, power, and politics in the NBA / by Wayne Embry with
Mary Schmitt Boyer.— 1st ed.
p. cm. — (Series on Ohio history and culture)
Includes index.
ISBN 1-931968-14-4 (cloth : alk. paper)
1. Embry, Wayne, 1937- 2. Basketball players—United States—Biography. 3.
Basketball managers—United States—
Biography. 4. National Basketball Association.
I. Boyer, Mary Schmitt. II. Title. III. Series.
GV884.E53A3 2004
796.323Ό 92—dc22 7 2004003605
1he paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American
National Standard for Information Sciences— Permanence of Paper for Printed
Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48— 1984. °°
Book and Cover design by Charles Sutherland

Dedication
For my wife Terri, my children Debbie, Jill, Wayne Jr. and my
granddaughter, Little Terri. Thank you for your support.
For my parents, Anna and Floyd, and my sister Ruth Ann. For
Grandpa Embry and the pioneers who preceeded me.— WRE
For Mollie, who taught me how to tell a good story,
and for Gene, who provided the happy ending— MSB

Contl nts
List of Illustrations ix
Acknowledgments xi
Foreword by Spike Lee xiii
Preface 1
Introduction 3
Chapter 1: The Question 11
Chapter 2: Moving to Cleveland 22
Timeout Number One 31
Chapter 3: The Hill 33
Chapter 4: Vowing to Become Great 62
Chapter 5: Becoming a Pro 92
Chapter 6: An Era of Change 122
Chapter 7: The Chance to Be a Champion 138
Chapter 8: A New Direction 166
Timeout Number Two 179
Chapter 9: Big Plans 183
Chapter 10: Making History 191
Chapter 11: A Tough Call 235
Timeout Number Three 244
Chapter 12: Laying a New Foundation 246
Chapter 13: Moving On 277
Chapter 14: Another New Start 284
Chapter 15: The Shot 305

Chapter 16: The Trade 310
Timeout Number Four 330
Chapter 17: New Faces 333
Chapter 18: The Czar 357
Timeout Number Five 390
Chapter 19: The Reignman Cometh 392
Chaprer 20: Trouble on All Fronts 404
Chapter 21: On My Way Out 419
Timeout Number Six 431
Epilogue 433
Appendix 1
Wayne Embry’s Playing Career 437
Appendix 2
Wayne Embry’s Executive Career 438
Index 443

List of Illustrations
Wayne Embry’s first basketball card xiv
Enshrinement Day at the Basketball Hall of Fame 9
Anna Embry and her friend Mary Kelly 35
A five-year-old Wayne Embry 36
An Embry family gathering 39
Coach Frank Shannon 46
The Tecumseh High School basketball team 53
As No. 23, I grabbed many rebounds at Miami 81
Wayne Embry’s college graduation 90
Signing autographs during a clinic in Cincinnati 107
Terri Embry’s college graduation 113
Wayne Embry, Oscar Robertson, and Coach Charley Wolf 119
The 1967-68 world champion Boston Celtics 165
Wilt Chamberlain vs. Wayne Embry 175
A classic battle against Bill Russell and the Celtics 176
With Wayne Jr. in a parade during my days as
Director of Recreation in Boston 185
My first press conference in Cleveland 289
A radio interview with Joe Tait 296
Saying goodbye to a retiring Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 302
Honoring Lenny Wilkens for his 600th victory 306
A historic photo of NBA pioneers 428
Sharing a laugh with Bill Russell 429
Introducing the President of the United States 435

Acknowledgments
A whole team full of relatives, friends, and coworkers encouraged us
and supported us. Mentioning each of their names would fill another
book. But our heartfelt gratitude goes out to each and every one of
them, especially Terri, Dcbbi, and Little Terri, Wayne Jr., Jill and Gene.
A few people must be singled out, for without them this project
would not have been completed.
First and foremost, many thanks to Michael J. Carley, director of the
University of Akron Press, for taking a chance on us. David Halbcrstam
made suggestions on structuring the manuscript. Mary’s husband, Gene
Boyer, suggested the subtitle. Russ Granik, Brian McIntyre, and Carmin
Romanelli and his staff at the NBA cleared the way for us to use some
of the photos. Bob Price and Bob Zink, formerly of the Cavs, and my
former assistant, Judy Berger, greatly helped with our research. Tracy
Dodds acted as our first copyeditor and Number 1 cheerleader. A1 Attics
helped chronicle the events in the book. Robert Miller, Sheila Gabas,
and Hilary Hinzmann made suggestions along the way.
Finally, to the attentive staffs of Johnny’s and the Union Club in
Cleveland, who nourished us, body and soul, and provided us with a
place to work.

Foreword
I look at the young, handsome face o f a Mr. Wayne Embry. It is on a
1 9 6 1 -6 2 basketball card I bought at The Locker Room . This card shop
is on the island o f M arthas Vineyard. And the Vineyard is where Wayne
and I see each other at our summer homes.
His hair on the card has waves with a part on the side. I guess that
was “fly” back in the day. Turning the $25 card over, it lists his vitals:
Center— Cincinnati Royals— 6 '8 "— 2 4 0 — Miami o f Ohio— Born in
Springfield, Ohio, and “a rough, tough reboundcr who last season
developed into a stickout scorer.” Yes, all of that is true, but thank God
for autobiographies like this. You cannot put a human being’s complete
story on the back of a card. O f course, you can always get the stats. That
is how we judge and evaluate the players. As they say, “T he numbers
never lie.” But it has to be more than that. Numbers alone cannot tell
the sojourn o f a man-child born in a time in the United States of
America when a big black man, or shall we say a big black “N egro,” was
not expected or allowed to rise, to rise up to his human potential in this
democratic society.
In this great American story, we witness how Wayne Em bry rose up.
I may sound corny, but I have com e to the belief that black men were
o f a different stock back then. I often ask him how he views today’s
black athletes and, like another o f my heroes, Jim Brown, they both
speak o f disgust.
But let us always recognize the great ones who put down the foun
dation under hardships we can only imagine in our worst collected
American Nightmares.” Let us not sleep on their triumphs, their set
backs and disappointments, and the lives that they lived, but rather how
they overcame these hurdles.
Xlll

Index $
Abdul-Jabbar. Karccm/Alcindor, I>cw 25. 173, 182,
188, 190, 195, 198, 199, 201-3, 208-10,
212, 215-20. 224-27, 229. 230, 232, 233.
235- 39, 246, 247, 250, 253-56, 261, 267,
279. 2 8 5 ,3 1 3 ,3 1 8 .4 2 4
Abernathy, Ralph 122
Addcrly, Cannonball 165
Adubato, Richie 358, 365
Albers. Ron 69. 73
Albert, Marv 352, 357
Allen, Lucius 207, 215, 216-19, 224-26, 228, 229,
2 3 6 ,3 1 3 , 435
Alston, Walter 59
Aiverson, Bill 191, 217, 219, 231, 232, 239, 240,
242. 243, 2 5 1 ,2 5 5 , 256, 262
American Baskcrball Association, 211-15, 230, 231,
242, 250 -5 2 , 261
Anderson, Derek 387, 407, 409
Anderson, I Iarold 60
Anderson, Ron 271
Andrews, George 4 05-6
Andrews. Paul 405
Arizin, Paul 110
Ashe, .Arthur 187
Attics. Alvin 9. 120. 189. 230, 270
Auerbach, Red 12, 100^106. 108, 131, 138-41,
143, 147, 149-50? 152. 157, 158, 162, 165,
168. 174, 175. 178. 192. 197. 212, 224. 225.
228. 229. 256. 269. 278, 309. 349, 379, 402.
415
Babbs, Ken 80, 188
Babcock, Pete 341
Babich, Milos 335
Bagley, John 26, 28, 286, 291, 292
Bailey, James 292
Baker, Dick 253
Baker, Vin 397
Baldwin, Bill 113
Balmer, Horace 312-14
Barkley. Charles 321, 370
Barnes, Jim 309
Barncrr, Don 74
Barnett, Jim 157
Barnhart, Donnie 52, 56, 60
Barrr, Rick 189. 202, 215. 424
Bartlcstein, Mark 326-27
Bartley, Cathy 195
Bates, Billy 217, 218
Battle. John 342. 345 47. 360, 364, 367
Baylor, Elgin 86, 103, 104, 112, 120, 158, 163,
189, 424
Beavers, Bob 263
Bell Curve, The 374
Bellamy, Walt 157
Belle, Regina 346
Bennett, Elmer 367
Bennett, Winston 298, 334, 336 37, 344
Benson, Kent 260, 261, 266, 267, 292
Berger, Judy 28, 273, 275, 278, 296, 297, 307,
308. 345
Rergfeld, John 335
Bianchi, Al 205
Bias. Len 1". 19. 20
Biasone, Dannv 112
Bibby-Creinc. Ciay1
c 390-91
Bing, Dave 157, 158
Bird. Ian y 15. 269, 271, 284. 290, 317, 326, 327,
341. 344-45, 346. 424
Birdson, Otis 261
Black Muslims 201, 202
Blackburn, Tom 56. 58, 61
Blaik, Red 59
Blake, Bill 255-57, 267, 381
Blake. Mam- 88, 92-93, 95, 112
Bledsoe, ‘Icrry 193
Block, John 207
Block, Richard 166
Bochat, Rel 189, 224, 237
Bockhorn, Arlan "Buck)" 94, 97, 98, 102, 116,
130, 135
Bocrwinkle, Tom 220
442

Boland, Jim 422, 434
Boone, Ron 213
Boozer, Bob 116, 120, 123, 319
Boston Neighborhood Basketball Association 185
Boucek, Jenny 391
Bradley, Bill 174
Brandon, Charles and Charlotte 342, 399
Brandon, Terrell 338-39. 342, 347. 358. 360-62,
364, 372-73, 385, 389. 397-99, 419
Brannum, Bob 147
Braxton, Janice 391
Brett. George 7
Brickcls, John 73
Bridgeman, Junior 24, 240. 248, 251, 253. 261
Briggs, Gary 27, 311, 335, 359, 367, 413
Britt, Reuben 435
Brody, Nar 102, 108
Brokaw. Gary, 229. 230, 231, 248. 258
Bronston, Bobby 54, 57
Broudie, beers 108
Broussard, Chris 371
Brown, Billy 80. 85
Brown, Chucky 333-34, 336, 344
Brown, H. Rap 180
Brown, Hubie 195, 212, 214, 218, 220, 237, 250,
357
Brown, Jake 231
Brown, John Y. 260, 261
Brown, Larry 278
Brown, Paul 59, 64, 65, 7 1 ,7 3
Brown, Roger 213
Brown, Rushia 391
Brown, Walter 102, 128
Browning, Kent 53
Brumitt, Ann 101
Bryant, Joe 371
Bryant, Kobe 371-72
Buckner, Quinn 24, 251. 253. 26 1 ,2 6 4 , 269.
281
Bull, Benny The 225
Burke, Mike 239
Burkhart, Bill 50. 53. 56
Bu.se, Don 213
Cage, Michael 363. 365
Campbell, Tony 365
Cannon, Levestcr 113
Cantor, Milt 125
Carangclo. Freddy 364
Carlesimo. P. J. 340—
41, 394
Carlos, John 182
Carr, Austin 361
Carril, Pete 24
Carter, Butch 53
Carter, Clarence 53
Carter, Gris 53
Cartwright, Bill 372
Ccpcda, Orlando 7
Chamberlain, Wilt 8. 86, 110. 116, 117, 120, 121,
124, 128, 130, 133, 134, 153, 154, 158. 159,
160, 161, 162, 177, 189. 190, 424
Chancy, Don 226, 227, 228
Chappell, Lenny 128, 170, 174, 176, 177
Checks, Maurice “Mo” 269
Chesak, Howie 346
Chcvious, Derrick 320, 336
Choncs, Jim 22, 361
Cincinnati Gardens 57, 124
Claypool, Sherman 262
Clifton, Nat “Sweetwater'’ 102. 108
Cobb, Lawyer, 41
Cohen, Haskell 102
Cohen, Jerry 228
Cohill. Al 53
Colangelo, Bryan 401
Colangclo, Jerry 198, 2 2 1 .2 2 3 , 294, 295, 369,
4 0 1 ,4 2 5 -2 6
Collins, Chris 142
Coltrane, John 109
Colville* Jay 77, 78
Condon.John 108
Conley, Gene 100, 147
Cook, Mordecai 111 217
Cooke, Jack Kent 178, 240, 241. 243
Cooper, Charles "Chuck 102, 112
Cooper, Lonnie 356
Corbin, Tyrone 28, 294, 295
Cosby, Bill 163
Costello, Larry 112, 124, 167, 169, 170, 173, 174,
177, 178, 188. 192, 195, 196, 201, 207, 209,
212, 214, 215. 218, 220, 224. 226-28,
235-38, 246, 250, 251. 254-57, 263
Cousy, Bob 88, 99, 107, 133, 146, 424
Cowcns, Dave 226, 227. 266, 269. 276, 433
Crcmins, Bobby 300
Croak, Fran 272, 273
Crum, Denny 248. 266
Cullen, IP 255, 267
Culp, Don 56
Culp, Robert 163
Cunningham, Billy 153. 269, 327 28. 42 i
Cunningham, Dick 172, 173, 174, 176, 177,
219
Cunningham, I.ayunie 41
Curry, Dell 16, 292. 298
Daly. Chuck 183, 285, 321,341
Damgaard, Ed 196
Damgaard, Jean 196, 231, 240, 273
Damgaard, Kim 196
Dampier, Erick 371-72
Dampier, Louis 252
Dandcrand, David 263
Dandridge, Bobby 188. 199, 202. 206. 207. 212.
214, 226, 236, 248- 51, 434
Daniels. Md 213. 278, 279
443

Index
Daugherty. Brad 16, 19, 20, 22, 26, 28, 285, 291,
292. 294, 297-99, 305, 306. 310, 311,
320-22. 328. 333, 338, 343. 352, 359-66,
368. 372
Davis, Angela 180
Davis, Mickey 201, 227, 228
Davis, Miles 109
Davis, Ralph 115
Davis, Ricky 432
Davis, Sammy 109
Dayton, University of 55, 56, 58, 61, 77, 86. 93
DeBusschere, Dave 158, 174
DcOlcrq, Andrew 414
Decs, Archie 94, 97, 102
Deitzel, Paul 59
Dclancy-Smirh, Kathy 390
Delauri, Joe 141. 164
Dell, David 324
Dierking, Connie 135
Doby, Larry 31. 45
Dolgan. Bob 303, 343
Donovan. Eddie 239
Douccrtc, Eddie 169, 174, 177
Douglas, Leon 267
Drciling, Greg 365
Drexler, Clyde 341
Dmckcr, Norm 213
Dudley. Chris 2 9 8 ,3 1 1 .3 2 0
Duffy. Bill 339
Dully, Jim 117
Dukes, Walter 8. 98, 111, 114, 116
Dumars. Joe 285, 308, 321
Duncan, Srcphcn 217
Duncan. Tim 375. 381. 424. 424
DunIcaw, Mike 242
Dutt. Tony 400-402. -*04. 407-8
Dwyrc, Bill 243
Dylan, Bob 180
Eagan, John 170 *
Edwards, Michelle 391 *
Ehlo, Craig 28. 28~. 292, 297, 298. 305 8. 316.
319, 320. 336, 343, 345, 347. 359, 370, 393
Ellis, Alex 61
Ellis, Boo 54. 60
Ellis, Buzz 69
Ellis, Ron 73
Embry. Alice “Grandma” 33. 34, 39, 62, 63, 83,
436
Embry. Anna (Gardner) 35—
39. 48. 49, 57, 60, 63,
6 4 .7 2 . 8 9 .9 2 . 101. 104.276
Embry, David 244, 245
Embry, Deborah Lynn (Dcbbi) 119, 156, 166,
171-73, 278
Embry, Erbie 40
Embry, Floyd 3, 34, 36, 37. 48, 49, 60, 63, 64, 72,
82, 89, 92, 95, 101, 104, 276, 436
Embry, Jill 123, 156. 166. 171 73. 196. 270, 278
Embry, Lou 33, 41—
43, 62
Embry, Ruth Ann 35, 40, 49, 63, 64. 80. 270
Embry; Terri (Jackson) 3, 14, 28-30, 7 7 -7 8 , 80,
85. 90, 93, 101, 104, 114, 116, 122, 127,
131-32. 136-37. 139, 150, 156, 158, 164,
166, 167, 171-73, 178, 192, 194, 207, 218,
228, 236, 243, 244, 245, 269, 270, 274, 275,
304, 309, 323, 345, 416, 421 22, 434
Embry, Wavnc Jr. 125, 156, 166. 171, 172, 278
Embry, William “Grandpa” 30, 33. 34, 36-45, 47,
50, 62-63, 82-84, 95, 105, 255, 398. 436
English, Alex 232, 251, 253, 261, 265
Erickson. John 166, 169, 187
Erving, Julius 199, 200, 201, 212, 230-32, 242,
248, 251-53, 260, 269, 424
Eubanks, Weeb 59, 82
Ewing, Patrick 278, 324, 341, 368
Falk, David 324
Feerick, Bob 221
Felix, Ray 108
E’cntrcss, Lee 300
Ferguson, Steve 281
Ferry', Bob 301, 333, 412
Ferry', Danny 314, 316, 317, 324, 325, 333-35,
348-49, 351, 354, 361, 364-65, 371-72,
385 ,4 0 4 , 409 .4 1 2 , 423, 435
Ferry, Tiffany 348
Fields, Kenny 271
Fijalkowski. Isabelle 391
Einkcl. Henry "Hank” 22^
Finnan. Bob 371
Finnane, Dan 255. 2~2. 2“5
Fishman, Marvin P I , P 2 . 2”2
Fitch. Bill 22. 361
Fitzgerald, Jim 23". 255-60, 262-65, 26“-7 3 , 2"5.
283, 296, 303, 304, 396
Fir7simmons, Corron 24. 220. 293
Fitzsimmons, Gary Simmic 24, 25, 2 /, 286, 288.
292. 293, 296. 301, 307, 308, 313. 318, 338,
345, 351. 358, 367, 371, 381-82. 387, 389.
390, 393-94
Fleisher, Larry' 127-28, 268
Fleming, Vern 20, 280
Foley, Jim 195
Foreman, Earl 205
Forrest, General Nathan Bedlord 31
Foust, l.arrv 103
Fox, Jimmy 248
Fratcllo. Mike 5, 30. 352-53, 355-58. 360-62,
364 -6 6 , 368, 373-79. 382 83, 386 88.
444

I n d e x
3 9 2 - 93, 398-401. 406-9, 413-15, 419-23,
426-27
Frazier, Walt “Clyde" 174, 239. 241, 248, 249
Free. World B. 14. 16, 25. 28, 290. 362
Freeman, Robin 56
Frye, Charlie 56
Fuller, Todd 371-72
Gaines. Clarence “Big House” 340
Gallagher, John 186
Gardner, Grandma and Grandpa 40. 89
Garrett, Dick 224, 225
Garrett, Rowland 258
Garrettson, Darrell 254
Gavitt, David 5, 340
Gaye, Marvin 112
Gentry, Curt 85
Gervin, George 252
Gilbert, Rose 216
Gilbert, Sam 204, 205, 206, 216. 21*7 232. 233
Gilliam, Armon 321
Gillman, Sid 59
Gilmore, Arris 252
Glass, I.any 58, 59. 71
Glickman, Marty 108
Gola, Tom 110
Goldapcr, Sam 108
Goldncr, John 109
Goodrich, Gail 190, 241,242
Goodwin, Aaron 339
Gottleib, Eddie 110
Graboski. Joe 110
Grace. Tom 95
Graeff. Burt 303. 318, 371
Graham. |ohn 303, 389, 399. 405, 416
Graham, Mai 15", 164
Granik, Russ 4. 34 1, .376. 394
Grant. Horace 288
Gregory, Ed 19. 23
Green, Si 94. 9~, 102
Greer, Hal 88, 1 12, 153, 158, 161. 170
Grinker. Ron 25, 28, 223. 259. 260, 359, 392
Gross, Milton 108. 118
Grunfeld, F.rnie 261, 341
Guerin. Richie 108. 155, 156, 231
Guidinger, Jay 360
Gund, George 12. 14, 314. 315
Gund, Gordon 5. 12, 14. I”, 19- 24. 26, 30, 287,
288, 294, 295, 299, 300, 303, 308. 312-15,
317, 326, 328, 339. 342, 350-55, 359,
362-64, 367, 369. 372. 377-80, 382-88.
3 9 3 - 94. 397-402, 405-6. 408, 410-12,
114-15. 41” , 419-23. 426-29 433 -34
Hagan. Cliff 92. 106. 112, 114
Hairston, Happy 135
Haley. Alex 187, 244
Hall of Fame 3
Hamilron, Jim 85
l lannaberrv, Miss 46
Hannum, Alex 112. 124, 162, 214. 215
Harlem Globetrotters 57, 77. 88. 102, 391
Harper. Ron 16. 19. 22, 26, 28. 285. 288. 290-92,
294. 297. 298. 305, 307, 311-17, 319, 320,
324, 345, 347, 351. 354. 373, 434
Harrclson, Ken 168
Harris, AJfrcda 186
Harris, Del 368
Harshman, Marv 340
I lartman. Jack 340
Hatton, Vern 102
Havlicck, John 142. 145, 160, 162, 163, 164, 168,
226, 227. 228, 424
Hawkins, Hersey 321
Hayes, Woody 56. 59. T3. 82
Haywood, Spencer 205
Hecker, Barry 19, 23
Hedrick, Darrell 25, 69, 315, 382, 419
Heinsohn, lomruy 99> 10", 12" 28. 139, 146.
150, 225, 226. 227, 228, 263
Helm, Dick 24, 303, 349, 370
Henderson, Cedric 407, 409
Hendricks, Dolly 92
Hcrpel, Ί cd 196
Herrnstein, Richard 374
Herzel, Freddie 174
Higgins, Rod 361
Hill, Brian 365
Hill. Sonny 110
Hill. Tyrone 358. 3 6 0-62. 364- 65, 367. 372-73.
383-85. 389. 3 9 "-9 9 . 419
Hillman. Darnell 213
Hill-.McDonald Linda 390
Hinson. Roy 19
I lotfm.ni, Steve 105
Holley. Mike 371
I lollins. Lionel 269
Holzman, Red
Hood, Woody 136
I lopkins, Pat 60
Hopson. Dennis 321
Howell. Amy, Berh. and Mary Lou 145
Howell, Bailey 144, 146, 150, 160. 164
Howell. Richard 300, 301, 328
Hubbard. Phil 16. 26. 287. 292. 298, 370
Hudson, Kenny 185
1luggins. Bob 340. 352
Hunter, Billy 410, 412
Hutchins, Chink 54
445

Index
Iavaroni, Marc 406
Iba, Hank 340
Ilgauskas, Zydrunas 371-72, 380, 385, 4 0 1 ,4 0 6 -7 ,
409. 414
Inman, Sru 12, 221, 278, 352, 380
Irvine. George 18, 19. 278. 282
Irish, Ned 108
Jackson, Lucious “Luke” 130, 153, 162
Jackson, Phil 174
Jacobs, Dick 362
James, Henry 336
James, LeBron 433
Johnson, Andy 110, 117
Johnson, Dennis 284
Johnson, George 265
Johnson, Gus 174
Johnson, Jack 110
Johnson, Kevin 288. 291-95, 298. 338. 339
Johnson, L. CL 371
Johnson, Lyndon 126, 131, 181
Johnson, Magic 271, 284, 290, 326, 341,370, 424
Johnson. Marques 258. 260. 261,264, 26S. 266T
327
Johnson, Phil 225
Johnson, Vinnie 321
Johnston, Neil 110
Jones. Bobby 269
Jones, Edgar 26, 27
Jones, Evelyn 136
Jones, Jeep 185
Jones, Johnny 157
Jones, K. C. 99, 107, 152, 157, 258, 263, 333, 424
Jones, Ken 136
Jones. Merlakia 391
Jones, Ronnie 136
Jones, Roy 29, 30
Jones. Sam 99, 10", 124-25, 141-42. 146, 154.
158. 160. 162,424
Jones, Steve 213
Jones. Wali 147, 153, P61, 162
Iordan. Michael 15. 271. 28S. 290. 296. 306-8.
3 2 4 .3 2 6 , 32”. 3 4 1 ,3 4 6 -4 8 ,3 5 0 -5 1 ,3 6 1 ,
370, 372, 383-85. 393, 424, 431
Jordan, Phil 116, 117
Journal!, Tom 40
Joyner, Dr. 74
Kalifidis, George 363
Karl, George 13. 23. 362, 392. 400
Keadv, Gene 340
Keane. Cliff 160
Kellers, Sian 413
Kellogg, Clark 18, 280, 281
Kell), Mary 35
Kelser, Greg 265
Kemp, Barbara 401
Kemp. Shawn 383, 389, 392-93, 397-98.
400-402. 404, 406-9, 413-15. 420, 427-28,
434
Kempton, Tim 361
Kennedy, Ed 126
Kennedy, John Fitzgerald 122, 126
Kennedy, Pat 102
Kennedy, Robert 181
Kennedy, Walter 128, 182, 229, 326
Kennon, Bill 73, 74, 75
Kent, Barry 63, 64
Kerner, Ben 112
Kerr, Johnny 112, 124
Kerr, Steve 311, 315, 316, 319, 336
Kesey, Ken 181
Keys, Randolph 298, 320, 339
Killilea, John 263, 265. 267
Kimball, ioby 157
King, Martin Luther Jr. 122, 125, 131, 159, 160,
161, 194
Kinkoff. Dick 66
Klitch, Dick 69
Knight, Billy 406
Knight, Bobby 258, 266, 322, 340
Knight, Brevin 387, 407, 409
Kohl, Herb 273, 274, 380, 398
Koppctt, Leonard 108
Knoshcr, Harley 58, 59, 71
Kratccr, Marvin 139, 145, 152, 164
Krause, Jerry 288
Kroc, Ray 290
Kruger, Lon 340
Kruszeski. Watson ^2
Krzyzcw.ski, Mike 334. 340-41
Ku Klux Klan 28. 31
I.aerrncT, Christian 341
Lafayette Jefferson I ligh School 118
Laimbeer, Bill 285, 321, 322, 323
Lang, Antonio 369
Langdon, Irajan 427
lanicr, Bob 267, 268, 295, 311
Lapchick, Joe 88-89
Lea, Bud 243
Lee, Keith 26, 291, 292, 406
Lee, Norm 61
Ixc, Russell 199, 201
Ixc, Spike 343
Leonard, Bobby “Slick” 212, 213
Lewin. Leonard 108
Lewis, Reggie 344, 346-47
Litdes, Gene 13, 23
Litvin, Joel 292
446

Index
Liuzzo, Viola 132
Livingston, Bill 303, 318, 343
lacker, Jim 240, 242, 243
Lloyd, Earl 102, 111
Lloyd, Scott 232, 251
Logan, Bob 224
Longlcy. Luc 372
Loscutoff. Jim 99, 107, 146-47
Loughery, Kevin 174
Louis, Joe 37, 45, 75, 98
Love, Bob 174, 189. 220, 224
Ixjvclctte, Clyde 93. 112
Lowe, Sidney 365, 389
Lowery. James 122
Lucas, Jerry 85, 115. 125-27, 129. 133-34
Lucas, John 251
Macauley. Ed 106
MacI.cod, John 293, 352
Madkins, Gerald 360
Mahorn, Rick 285, 321, 322
Majcrle, Dan 369
Majcrus, Rick 340
Malone, Kail 279, 305, 383
Malone, Moses 252, 269, 300, 355, 424
Marin, Jack 174
Maroselli, Connie 102
Marshall, Tom 94, 102, 103, 105. 117, 120
Martin. Billy 147
Martin, Slater 103, 112
Massillon High School 64
Maxwell, Cedric “Cornbread” 259, 260
Mayes, Clyde 248
McClendon. John 340
MeGilvary. Doug 40
McGinnis, George 23"*, 252, 265
McGlocklin, Jon 170. 174. P " . 188, 19T. 199.
224, 225. 228. 248
McGuire. ΛΙ 189. 200, 241. 242, 258, 265
McGuire, Dick 111
McGuire, Frank 241, 278
McHale, Kevin 5. 269. 284, 294, 305, 344, 346
Mcl high. Howie 108, 153
Mcllvaine, Jim 393
McIntyre, Brian 284
McKinney, Jack 250, 253
McMahon, Jack 20. 112. 125, 130
McMillan, Jim 190
McMillan, Shelley 111
Meminger, Dean 200
Mcnzcr, Joe 303, 318, 343. 371
Meyers, Ann 248
Meyers, David 240. 24". 251. 253. 258. 265
Miami University 57, 60, 63-91
Michel. Ron 25
Middletown High School 55. 84, 125
Mikan, George 112
Mikkclson. Vern 103
Miles, Eddie 158
Miller, Andre 427
Miller, Bob 76, 77, 88, 99
Millett, Dr. John 65, 90
Mills, Chris 359, 361, 363. 368, 383-86, 393, 419
Minnicfield, Dirk 26
Minny, Lew 136
Minor, Mazie 64, 6 5 -6 6 , 7 1 ,7 2 , 73, 77, 85
Miracle of Richfield 13. 23
Mitchell, Mike 291
Mokcski, Paul 311
Moncrief, Sidney 265, 303
Monroe, Earl 174
Moore, Billie 5
Morton, John 336, 339
Moslcr, £d 109, 116
Moss, Alonzo 53
Most, Johnny 108, 142, 151
Mona, Dick 189, 219, 220, 224, 225, 333, 425
Mueli, Franklin 273
Muhammad. Elijah 201
Mullins, Chris 341
Murphy, Don 225
Murray, Charles 374
Nance, Larry 293-95, 297-99, 305-7, 310, 311,
320. 323, 324, 328, 335. 336, 338, 346-48,
359-64, 370
Nater, Swen 203-6, 261
Naulls, Willie 108
Nelson, Don 11, 23. 160, 164-65, 226, 228, 232,
235, 253, 254, 257-60. 262-77, 283, 297,
303, 304. 341. 353. 3‘73
Nemcova. Eva 391
Nctolicky, Bob 213
Nevaiser, Dan 264
Newcombe. Don 101
Newell, Pete 6. 9, 12, 25, 191, 221, 222. 239-43,
326, 338, 340, 407
Newell. Tom 2_
T
8, 282
Newman, Johnny 19, 2S6
Newton, Huey 180
New York Rcns, 88
Nissalkc, Tom 169, 174, 195
Nixon, Richard 171, 230
Oates, Billy 322
O'Brien, Larry 32
Ohio State University 56, 57, 58, 59
Olajuwon. Hakeem 27<L 300
Olive Branch High School 50
Olsen, Bud 126
447

Index
Olympics 262, 327, 339, 340-41
O ’Neal, Shaquillc 337
OrlofF, Pat 92
Palmer, Jim 93, 97. 102
Pareghian, Ara 59, 69, 73, 82, 91
Park, Med 116
Parish, Robert 269. 284. 294. 344, 346
Parr. Jack 102
Patterson, Ray 166, 168, 169, 187. 191, 193, 195
Paul, Gabc 31
Paulk, Charlie 174, 188
Pavalon. Wes 8. 187, 188, 191, 193, 194, 2 04-6,
209, 210, 216, 219, 2 3 1 -3 3 , 2.36, 247, 256,
262, 263
Paxson, Jim Jr. 5. 406. 4 2 1 -2 3 , 427
Paxson, Jim Sr. 94
Payton, Gary 392
Perdue, Will 372
Pernr. Curtis 199, 219, 229
Person, Chuck 18, 21
Person, Wes 401 2, 406, 409
Pettit, Rob 92, 112, 114
Perrir, fane 2~2. 304
Pfeiffer, Joe 29
Phills, Bobby 3 5 8 -6 0 . 3 6 2 -6 6 , 368. 372. 373.
3 8 3 -8 6 , 393, 419
Pionrek, Dave 94, 98. 102, 103, 109, 116
Pippen, Scottic 287, 288, 341
Pitino, Rick 377
Players Association, 127-28, 217, 4 1 0 -1 3
Pluto, Terry 213, 303, 318, 343, 371
Podoloff, Maurice 101
Pollack. Harvey 111, 161
Pollard. Jim 103, 112
Pollitis. Mars "8 , "9 . 85. 92
Polvnice. Olden 288
Pont, John 69. 91
Poquette, Ben 26
Portsmouth High School 56. 64
Potapenko, Vitaly 3 7 1 -7 2 , 385, 406. 409, 414
Powell, John 69. 70, 80. 85
Preblood, Arlen 2 17 *
Prescott, Das id 2-*, 38^*
Price, Jim 236, 248
Price, Bob 3 0 1 ,3 1 7 , 408
Price, Dennv 286
Price. Mark 20. 21. 26. 28. 286, 287, 291. 292,
294, 297 99. 301. 305. 306, 307, 320, 322.
323, 328, 333, 3 3 5 -3 8 . 342, 343, 3 5 8-59,
3 6 7 -6 9 . 372. 407
racism
incidents oi 29. 31—
32, 3 - , »2, t i. C . 48, 52,
6 1 ,8 6 , 8 7 ,9 6 , 161, 172
questions abour 45. 133
Radar, Don 51
Ramsey, Frank 99, 107, 142. 147
Ramsey, Jack 220, 425
Raveling, George 341
Raymonds, Hank 200, 241
Redding, Otis 109
Reed. l-arry 196
Reed, Willis 157, 239, 241
Regan. Richie 94
Rickcrts, Dick 94
Rickey, Branch 45
Rider, George 73
Riley, Par 377
Rivers. Doc 355
Roach, Donald 87
Roberts, Fred 367
Robertson. Oscar 15, 86. 95, 115, 117-27,
129 34. 188 90. 195. 198. 1 9 9 ,2 0 1 ,2 0 6 ,
208, 209, 212, 224, 2 2 6 -2 9 . 231, 2 3 4 -3 6 ,
246, 24*7 253. 256. 264. 319. 375. 424, 433
Robertson, Yvonne 131 32
Robinson, David 300. 321, 341, 383, 423
Robinson, Flvnn 177, 188
Robinson, Frank 31
Robinson, Jackie 45, 194
Robinson, Mamie 4 “
Rocha, Red 223
Rockway Elementary School 40
Rockway Junior I Iigh 45, 46, 47
Rodgers, Guy 169, 174
Rodman, Dennis 285, 321
Rogers, Johnny 19
Rohr. Bill 57. 58, 59. 61, 64. 65. 6 7 -7 7 , 7 9 -8 2 ,
8 4 - 8 6 ,9 1 ,9 5 . 104. 249, 277
Rohr, Jimmy 80
Rohr. Mary Flicn 76
Rollins. Phil 116
Rollins, lrcc 301. 305. 311
Rot henberg. Allan 240. 2 4 1 .2 4 2 . 243
Rorhsrein. Ron 358. 3 ■383, 3 8 8 -8 9 , 421. 423
Rudolph. Mendy 162
Rupp. Adolph 86
Russell, Bill 8. 15. 88. 99. 106. 108. 121. 124. 126.
1 3 2-34, 138-50. 152-53, 155-60. 162-64,
166, 168, 173, 174, 178, 212, 225, 254, 270.
350, 424
Russell. Campy 361
Russell, Nipsy 110
Russell. Rose 108, 132
Ryan. Bob 151
St. Jean, Garry 265, 271, 393
Salyers, Bob 2"8. 2S0, 281, 282. 283
Sampson, Kelvin 340
Sampson. Ralph 2^0
448

I n d e x
Samuels, Paul 280, 281
Sanders. Mike 294, 295, 305, 334, 344, 346
Sanders, Tom “Satch" 120, 145. 186, 269
Sauldsberry, Woody 110, 117
Savage, Ted 113
Sazama, Steve “Saz” 228
Schayes, Dolph 112, 124
Schildknect, Jim 51
Schiller. Hcrm 52
Scales, Bobby 180
Sears. Kenny 108
segregation 53, 54, 86, 88. 101, 113, 171
Sellers, Brad 307
Selma, Alabama 131—
33, 172
Scmlcr, Phil· 52
Semple, Jock 108
Sexton, Jimmy 288
Shafer, Lee 124
Shannon, Frank 46, 47, 5 0 -5 8 , 60. 6 1 ,8 4 , 95
Shapiro. Ralph 20's
Share, Charlie 92. 112
Shannon, Bill 88, 99, 107. 190
Shlichr, Jack 366
Shorr-Rube, Dan 292
Shrider, Dick 8 4-85, 87
Shriver, Eunice Kennedy 183
Shue, Gene 111
Sicgfield, Larry 145, 146, 148
Silas, Paul 226, 270, 353
Simon. Herb 12, 17, 20, 21, 278, 280, 282, 283
Simon, Mel 21, 278, 282
Simon, Tom 126
Sloan, Jerry 189, 220
SIusher, Jim 40
Smith, Adrian 86, 123, 134
Smith. Bingo 361
Smith, Dean 258. 286. 340. 352
Smith. Elmore 240, 241, 248, 251. 258
Smith, Gene 1“ . 22
Smith. Greg 174, 188
Smith, Kenny 288
Smith. Leonard 136
Smith. Red 108
Smith, Tommie 182
Snyder, Dick 22, 361
Sonju. Norm 21
Special Olympics. 183
Spinney, Ron 390
Spoelstra. Zelda (Meyer) 102
Sprewell, Latrell 394
Springfield High School 47, 53, 54. 55, 60
Stavcrman, Larry 102, 114. 115
Steinberg. Ted 280
Steinmiller, John 195. 217. 218. 262, 267, 272
Stepien, Ted 13
Stern, David 4. 32. 271, 279. 284, 326, 337, 386,
394. 396. 4 2 4 -2 6
Stewart, Karen 4,
Stipanovich, Steve 281
Stokes, Carl 31
Stokes, Maurice 93—
94, 96, 103, 118, 125, 129,
135. 138. 208, 246, 285
Storcn, Mike 251
Strom, Earl 213, 225
Sund, Rick 20. 2 1 ,2 2 1 ,2 5 8 , 260, 262
Sunset Park 84, 95
Sura, Bobby 368, 407, 409. 419
Sutton, Eddie 265, 340
‘laic, Joe 29
laft, Gov. Robert 47
Tatum, Goose 57
Tecumseh High School 11, 46, 47, 49, 5 2 -5 4 , 56,
60, 63
Temptations 1 12
Termini, Mark 313, 318
Terry, Chuck 201
Thacker, Tom 115. 129, 142-44, 157, 164, 246
Thaler. Warren 415
Thomas, lsiah 285, 321, 323, 424
Thomas, Jim 80, 85
Thompson, David 251, 252
Thompson, George 230, 231
Thompson, John 5, 320, 340
Thorn, Rod 253, 322, 341, 376, 394, 425
Thurmond, Nate 158. 170, 189, 202, 361, 424
Tierney, Joe and Mary Alice 273
Tisdale. Rev. 280, 281
Tisdale, Wayman 279, 280, 281
Tisdale, Weldon 280
Tomasone, Tcddv 364
lomasson, Chris 371
Toney, Andrew 269
Iralcon. Ί Baxter 14, 28
Trimble, Darrell 53
Truax. Pac and Karen 173
Turner, Clyde 206
Turpin, Mel 16, 26. 27. 291. 292. 413
Twyman, Jack 9 4 -9 “'. 99. 100, 103. 103. 105-6.
109, 110, 112, 114, 116, 117, 120, 123 26,
129. 131, 133, 135, 285
Lyra, Charley 108
Unseld, Wes 1 7 4 ,3 4 1 ,3 6 9
Valentine, Darnell 301. 336
Valvano, Jimmy 365
Vandellas (Martha and die) 112
Van Lier, Norm 1S9, 220
Vitale, Dick 265
449

I n d e x
Volk, Jan 225, 228
Volk, Jerry 167
Wallace, George 171
Walls, Dick 69, 71. 73, 75, 76, 82
Walker, Antoine 383
Walker, Chet 153, 161, 162, 189, 220, 224
'Walker, Foots 361
Walker, Wally 392, 397
Walsh, Donnie 17, 20, 21, 278, 283
Walton, Bill 203. 204. 232. 235, 243
W'anzer, Bobby 94, 101, 103, 105, 118
Warfield, Waddell 53
W'arner, Bob 55
W'arncr, Cornell 219
Warner, Jack 184
W'arrcn, Fred/Monsuar, Abdul 209, 210
Washburn, Chris 17, 18. 19
W'atson, Dick 6, 14, 15, 17, 287, 292, 294, 300,
314. 326, 327, 328. 339. 3 5 1 ,3 5 3 . 3 74,
3 7 8 -7 9 , 3 8 7 -8 9 . 392, 394, 3 9 7 -4 0 2 , 4 0 5 -6 ,
409, 4 1 6 -1 7 , 419, 424, 426, 436
Watts, Ronnie 154
Weiner, Irwin 206, 248, 249, 250, 252, 253
Weinhauer, Bob 3 9 7 -9 8
W'eiss, Bobby 170
Weitzman, Ricky 157, 164
Weltman, Harry 12, 22, 23, 291, 362
Wespiser, Jimmy 70
West, Jerry 15. 120, 122, 134, 158, 163, 189, 190,
4 2 5 '
W'est, Mark 26, 287. 294, 295
Westphal, Bea 195. 228
Wliite, Jojo 226, 227
White, Kevin 183
Whitney, Chris 432
W'hitsitt. Bob 288
W'idcman, John f.dgar 424
W'idcman. Jamila 42-1
ilfong, Win I 10
Wilhelm, Mike 390*
W'ilkcns, Lenny 2 3 -2 7 , 30. 120, 270. 286, 290,
291. 2 9 3 -9 5 , 299, *301. 303. 305-9. 311.
3 1 3 -1 5 , 317, 319, 320, 324. 334, 3 3 6 -3 7 ,
341, 344, 3 4 7 -5 1 , 3 5 3 -5 5 , 359, 362. 370,
3 7 3 ,3 8 0 ,4 1 5
Wnlkens. Marilyn 308. 309
W'ilkins, Dominique 355
W'ilkins, Gerald 347, 359, 364. 365, 368, 370
Williams, Fritz 209, 224, 225, 226, 227
Williams, Herb 280
Williams, John “Hot Rod” 22. 27, 285. 286, 291.
293, 294, 298, 305, 311. 320, 323, 3 2 5 -2 9 .
335, 3 3 7 -3 8 , 343, 347, 3 5 9 -6 0 , 3 6 4 -6 5 ,
3 6 8 -7 0 , 372
Williams, Lee 56
Williams, Pat 20, 189, 220, 223, 252
Williams, Reggie 316, 3 1 9 -2 0 , 323, 349
Williams, Roy 340, 352
W'illiams, Sam 174
Williams, Wall 136
Willis, Eddie 44
W'ilson, Earl 167
W'ilson, George 115, 129
W'ilson, Pepper 93, 95, 96, 105, 114, 116, 129
Wingard, Eddie 78, 80
W'inick, Matt 394
Winters, Brian 24, 240, 241, 242, 243, 248, 251,
2 6 1 ,2 6 4 .3 7 0
Withrow Court 58, 64, 65, 84, 92, 95
W'irrcnbcrg Field House 51
W'ittcnbcrg University, 56
Wolf, Bob 189, 23"
Wolf, Charley 120, 125
Womens National Basketball Association (WNBA)
390-91
W'onder, Stevie 112
W'oodard. Lynette 391
W'oodcn, John 203
Woods, Tom 9 5 -9 6 , 114
Woolf, Ann 167
Woolf, Bob 167, 168, 261
Wooten. Morgan 334
Worthy, James 285
X, Malcolm 122
Yardley, George ‘>8. 111
Young, Davis 121
Yount, Robin 7
Yow, Susan 390
Xawinul, Josef 165
Zellers, Dave 56
Zcvcrtnik, Lou 233
Zink, Bob 3 0 1 .4 0 8
Xinkoff, Dave 111, 161, 162
Zollner. Fred 5. 1 11
450

T H E I N S I D E G A ME
Wayne Embry gives us, shares with us, his unique perspective, not
just into sports but how it all works. And if you are ever so lucky to meet
the Big Fella, maybe at a game, airport, or in Marthas Vineyard, maybe
he will have time to lecture you on how The Big Ό , ” Oscar Robertson,
is the greatest bailer of ALL-TIME and not MJ. Wayne says my main
man Michael Jordan is answer Number 2.
Spike Lee
Brooklyn, N.Y.
9/3/03
CIN CIN N A TI
R O Y A L S
CENTER
WAYNE EMBREY
Wayne Embry's first basketball card
(Courtesy o f Embry family)

Preface
I wanted to write an important book; important in the sense that peo
ple would come to better understand human relationships, what paths
people take along the way, and what motivates people to act the way
they do.
I wanted this book to appeal to more than just sports fans, and I tried
to capture more than just my career as a player. I wanted to talk about
my childhood, and its uniqueness insofar as I was the only black student
in an all-white environment. I wanted to talk about ideas that were uni
versal in nature— the good and the bad in people, as well as the disap
pointments we encounter in those we call our friends. I did this by
exposing breakdowns in loyalty, which we have all experienced in life,
as well as breaches in trust.
I realized that the sports world was no different from the rest of the
world, which is constantly growing and changing. I wanted to talk
about how those social changes influenced the game of basketball and
human relationships in general. In fact, with more than five decades in
the National Basketball Association as a player and executive, I learned
that each decade was unique in shaping the lives of people and their
behavior. I also tried to use my unique experiences to talk about man
agement and leadership— how ro be successful through strong charac
ter and values, and how to overcome adversity. I talked about how
sports now distorts the values of people, which is the opposite of what
I experienced when I began my career in basketball.
I have been asked more than once what it was that first drew me to
the game of basketball; what motivated me to become the player I ulti
mately became. I would have to initially point to my childhood, when
I developed the drive to play the game. Most of this was because of my

Mi l · I N S I D E G A M !
feelings of rejection at a very young age. Perhaps this was an offshoot of
being black and poor. We never had the best of- clothes and, because of
my rapid growrh, I grew out of the ones I had in a short time. I wore my
shoes until they literally fell off mv feet. I he size of my feet, a size that
kept up with mv age until I was seventeen, brought even more attention
to me. In the seventh grade, I was driven to play basketball on a team
because I was seeking a way to gain acceptance. I loved all sports. I was
no different from a lot of kids. But it was basketball that stole my heart.
I can still remember shooting a ball of rolled-up socks at a clothes hang
er and dreaming of making the winning shot in a championship game.
Yet, just making the team was not enough for me. I wanted to be the
best. I was driven to be the best on the team because that was the wav
to be accepted beyond the black community. I was driven to be the best
in the classroom because 1wanted to be accepted intellectually. No mat
ter how much 1 was loved and accepted by my family and my church,
there always were places I could not go, places 1could not feel comfort
able. 1 wanted to eat in the same restaurants as mv classmates. I wanted
to go to a movie theater and not sit in the balconv. I wanted to retain
mv dignity. I wanted to belong. I wanted to break down racial barriers.
I believe the message of this book is important to all people. Sports
competition provides discipline, teamwork, and values that remain an
integral part of one’s social and intellectual development. Reading mv
book will offer insight into my ingredients for success— preparation
through education, practice, hard work, and dedication; perseverance
through developing mental toughness; perception of opportunities and
obstacles that arc pfesented: pride in achievement; persistence in never-
giving up your dream and passion for that which you seek to accom
plish. Even now, five years after my induction into the Basketball Hall
of Fame and my subsequent firing, mv passion for the game burns as
bright as ever.
1 miss playing the Inside Game.

Introduction
1walked to rhe podium in what should have been the proudest moment
of my career, and I was a total wreck.
Here I was, about to be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame,
the crowning achievement for any athlete, a moment of confirmation,
and 1was never less sure of myself,
I looked out into the audience and saw so many of my friends and
familv members, my wife, Terri, my children, my father, Floyd, my col
leagues. Their faces were beaming, sharing my joy at a moment I never
dreamed would come.
I had served as a trustee for the Hall of Fame since 1974, hut it never
occurred to me that I would be enshrined. Even once 1knew I had been
nominated, I looked at the other candidates and told myself I would
never be among them.
1 loved every minute I spent in basketball. It taught me valuable les
sons in pride, preparation, perseverance, persistence, and perception,
which became mv five kevs to success. Prom the time I was a voung bov,
it had been my passion.
Throughout my career as a player and later as a general manager and
president, 1always put the game first. I made all my decisions on what
was best for the sport.
Now, 1was being honored for those decisions and for my contribu
tions to the game. It was an incredible feeling of accomplishment.
And yet, as 1 stood at the podium and looked out into the sea of
expectant faces, one thought kept running through my mind: If I am all
that, whv did I get fired?

T HE I N S I D E G A M E
So much had happened before I approached that podium. The past
four seasons had been the worst in my NBA career, which spanned forty
years as a player or executive.
I was in the midst of the lowest point late one morning in early June
1999, when my assistant, Karen Stewart, burst through the door read
ing a fax.
“You’ve been nominated for the Basketball Hall of Fame,” she said,
handing me the sheet of paper.
“Aren’t you excited?”
I guess I was more shocked than excited at that point. Because I was
a trustee of the Hall of Fame, I got to see the list of nominees before it
was released to the media. As 1 looked over the other candidates, all of
whom were deserving, I did not like my chances of actually being elect
ed. Nonetheless, it was a thrill to be included.
“Yes, I’m excited to just be nominated,” I told Karen.
Two days later, I was at the NBA pre-draft camp in Chicago, a round-
robin tournament where team executives and scouts get one last look at
players expecting to be selected in the upcoming draft. NBA Deputy
Commissioner Russ Granik sought me out to inform me that 1 had been
nominated. He, too, was a trustee.
“You certainly are deserving,” Granik told me. “Good luck."
I shook his hand. “Thanks, Russ, but the whole list is deserving, I
said as we continued to watch the young players.
The news was in the papers the next day, and it was gratifying to
receive congratulations from so many of my colleagues. The pre-draft
camp is almost like a convention of NBA executives. All the biggest
names in the coaching and executive ranks are there, and most o f them
stopped by to shake my hand.
It was a tremendous boost emotionally, because I was struggling to
come to terms with the fact that my career in the NBA was almost over.
I was taken aback two years earlier when NBA Commissioner David
4

Race, Power, and Politics in the N BA
Stern greeted me at the league meetings by saying, “You should think
about retiring."
Then, on Memorial Day weekend 1999, Cavaliers owner Gordon
Gund told me he was not going to retain Mike Fratello as coach and he
was replacing me as general manager with Jim Paxson, whom he had
hired as our vice president o f basketball operations a year earlier. 1 was
to be relieved of my duties as of July 1, even though I had a year remain
ing on my contract. No explanation was given. It was a rather ignomin
ious end after thirteen years with the organization, the first nine of
which had been enjoyable.
While still trying to cope with that, I got a phone call on June 22
from David Gavitt, president of the Flail of Fame, asking me where I
could be reached in the next twenty-four hours. Fie said he expected a
report on the election results from the Honors Committee at any
moment. I gave him my home, office, and cell phone numbers, and for
the next several hours 1 sat on pins and needles, although I tried to hide
my anxiety.
At eleven o’clock the next morning, Karen appeared in the door to
my office.
“There’s a E)ave Gavitt on the phone for you,” she said. “He says he
is with the Hall of Fame."
I took a deep breath and picked up the phone.
“Wayne, I want to be the first to congratulate you,” he said. “You
have been elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a contrib
utor to the game of basketball. I can’t think of anyone more deserving.”
I sat in a stupor for a few seconds before I responded.
Finally, I said, “Thank you, David.”
He told me Fred Zollner, Billie Moore, Kevin McHale, and John
Thompson also were elected. He told me how the news was going to be
released, and he suggested our public relations department arrange a
press conference in Cleveland.
When 1 got myself together, I called my wife and our three kids, my
father, and several close friends. The news traveled quickly through our

offices, and many coworkers came by to offer congratulations. The own
ers of the Cavaliers were in town for board meetings, but it was not until
we met at two o’clock that any o f them acknowledged the honor
bestowed on me and, by extension, the franchise. Maybe they did not
want to interrupt their business, but they did take a lunch break and still
no one sought me out.
When we went in for our meeting, Gordon offered his congratula
tions and shook my hand. A couple o f the others congratulated me with
little sincerity, while still others stoically stared into space. Finally, team
attorney Dick Watson sneered, “Which is a greater achievement? Being
elected to the Hall o f Fame or being the recipient of the Double Cross
Award at Nisi Prius?” That was an honor I had received a couple of
weeks earlier from a local organization o f lawyers. It had touched a nerve
with Guild and Watson, neither o f whom had been so honored,
although Gund’s father had been a previous recipient. After that awards
dinner, Watson and I had an uncomfortable exchange, though I never
did understand why he was so upset.
I did not know what to say to him then, and I do not now.
Later, Gordon said to legendary coach Pete Newell, a Hall of Famer
who was a consultant to the Cavs, “I understand you’re responsible for
Wayne being elected to the Hall of Fame,” insinuating, of course, that I
could not have been elected on my own merits without someone on the
inside pushing for me.
“No way,” Pete told Gordon, explaining that all the committees
involved with the election process are anonymous so there can be no
lobbying.
We had a press conference the next day, which gave me the opportu
nity to share my honor and excitement with my coworkers, the media,
and others who had been influential in my life. Despite what I was going
through with the Cavs, I expressed my gratitude to Gordon. He gave me
the opportunity to extend my career and supported me along the way,
which enabled me to do my job effectively and without interference. I
T H E I N S I D E G A M E
6

have great admiration and respect for him and will always be grateful for
his bringing me to Cleveland.
Now, of course, I faced the monumental task o f trying to come up
with the right words to say at the October induction ceremony. I always
watched the enshrinement ceremonies o f each of the halls of fame. 1
shared the emotion of the inductees as they stood at the podium, fight
ing back tears of joy and humility, acknowledging those who influenced
their lives. Each had a different story about how he got there, but there
were' common themes: sacrifice, dedication, commitment, and hard
work seemed to be the constants. Because I was soon to reach the pin
nacle of individual achievement in sport, 1 watched with special interest
as Robin Yount, George Brett, Orlando Ccpcda, and the rest of the Class
of 1999 was inducted into the Baseball Hall o f Fame a few months
before my induction.
I was overwhelmed by their speeches, and by the flood o f congratula
tory letters I got from friends-—people inside and outside basketball—
as well as business associates and fans. The response lifted my spirits. I
also found myself flashing back to something my grandfather used to tell
me while I was growing up on his farm outside Springfield, Ohio:
Always remain humble.
It was not hard to remain humble in this situation, believe me. I
could not understand why I was being forced into early retirement at the
age of sixty-two. It was hard for me to accept that the NBA no longer
needed my contributions, when, just two years earlier, I had been named
the league’s Executive o f the Year for the second time in five seasons.
During my thirty-five-year tenure as an executive, I sat on various high-
level committees, including the USA Basketball Games Committee that
selected the Olympic teams, and I had been a trustee at the Hall of Fame
for twenty-five years. I had received many commendations for my con
tributions to the game, yet induction into the Hall o f Fame would be
the ultimate recognition for those contributions to basketball and for
standing up for what is right in sports.
Athletes grow up dreaming of winning championships and being able

T H E I N S I D E GA ME
to contribute to that effort. What youngster has not gone to sleep think
ing about making the winning shot as time expires in the title game? But
being elected to the Hall of Fame is beyond all that. It puts you into a
select class, the most elite echelon of athletes in your sport.
How did I get here? All summer 1 reflected on my journey. I realized
how blessed I was to have caring parents, grandparents, and other family
members who taught me what was right and loved me enough to disci
pline me. I thought how fortunate I was to have friends who supported
me, coaches who pushed me to reach my potential, and fans who appre
ciated me. I thought about Milwaukee Bucks owner Wes Pavalon’s bold
move to entrust me with his basketball team at a time when no other
African Americans were running sports teams. I thought about all the
coaches and players I loved, all the hours spent practicing in hot, dingy
gyms or on hard, black-topped playgrounds, or even on the dusty
ground around the basket we had erected on the edge of the garden back
home. I thought about overcoming all of the “isms” and the “ists”:
Racism, skepticism, criticism, supremacists, egotists, antagonists. I
thought of Detroit center Walter Dukes’s elbows, Boston Hall of Famer
Bill Russell’s blocked shots, and Philadelphia giant Wilt Chamberlain’s
challenges. I thought of the 2 A.M. phone calls from the nocturnal Wes
when I worked for the Bucks. I recalled the battles with agents, most of
which ended positively. I thought about the threats on my life for just
wanting to do what I loved. I thought about the train wreck that nearly
ended my life before I had a chance to start my career. I thought how
God had blessed me in so many ways, by being by my side at all times
and giving me the strength to persevere.
By the time October came, I was ready. The first weekend of the month
is Enshrinement Weekend in Springfield, Massachusetts. It is a time when
basketball fans, media, family, and friends of the inductees mingle to share
war stories. They lie and argue about who was the greatest or joke about
who was the cheapest. The atmosphere is surreal as basketball greats from
years past, some moving spryly and some barely moving, gather in one
spot for one memorable weekend.
8

I chose Pete Newell and A1 Attles to escort me. I needed as many
friends and family members as I could find to keep me propped up
through the ceremony. Pete had become a great friend and had helped
me learn the ropes of becoming a general manager. Alvin and 1 had been
friends since our playing days, and he tried to keep me loose. At rehears
al he told me there were two things he did not want to see me do— break
down during my speech or fall down the steps while returning to my
seat afterward.
With that in mind, I made my way to the podium. I thought of
Momma, who was looking down from heaven with that loving smile,
and of my eighty-six-year-old dad who had made the trip despite the
fact he could not get around very well any more. He even endured two
Enshrinement Day at the Basketball Hall ofFame (Courtesy o f NBA)
9

plane rides— the first of his life. My sister accompanied him and said she
could not tell if he was more excited about flying or my enshrinement.
I sincerely expressed my thanks to all the most important people in
my life— my family, friends, coaches, teachers, and players. 1 talked
about the game and the preservation of the game as we now know it.
“I never wanted to be a taker from the game,” I said. “1 attempted to
always give back to my passion— basketball. It has been and always will
be my desire to protect the integrity o f the game of basketball, and I ask
each of you to join me in this pursuit.”
All too soon, my moment in the spotlight was over. Though my voice
had cracked, 1 had not broken down, and I got back to my scat without
incident. When all was said and done, the journev from Springfield,
Ohio, to Springfield, Massachusetts, had been a successful one. But the
trip had taken some strange twists, I can tell you that.
10

C h a p t e r i
The Question
|aybe I should have known right from the beginning how it was
going to end in Cleveland, and maybe I should have been more pre
pared. After all, I had come from Milwaukee, where Coach Don Nelson
stabbed me in the back after 1 hired him.
In the fourteen years since becoming the first African American gen
eral manager in sports when the Bucks named me to that post in 1972,
I thought I had heard almost every racial slur and insinuation. But I was
caught completely off guard when, in the spring o f 1986, during my
very first interview for the general manager position in Cleveland, one
o f the board members, whose name I did not remember, looked me
straight in the eye and asked me, "If you get this job, will you feel com
pelled to hire a black coach?”
I dropped my head, ran my right hand across my forehead, and
paused. Several thoughts ran through my mind, not the least of which
was, “W hat am I getting myself into here?” 1 knew damn well he would
not have asked a white candidate if he would hire a white coach. I felt
as if I were right back in Tecumseh High School in Springfield, Ohio,
where 1 was the only black kid in my class.
After a moment, I gathered myself, looked the board member back
in the eye and said, "I hope that you would want me to hire the best
qualified person. That is what I’ve been taught and believe. Isn’t that the
way it should be?”
But the mood in the room had shifted, and some serious doubts had

crepr into my mind. Maybe I should have listened harder to the little
voice in the back of my head.
I had mixed emotions about even interviewing for the position. I was
not really looking for a job. I was involved in a manufacturing compa
ny that supplied parts to the automotive industry, and I was a part-time
consultant to the Indiana Pacers and G. Heilmann Brewing Company.
Also, Cavs former general manager Harry Weltman had been a friend,
and 1 was sorry to see him dismissed after doing his best to stabilize the
franchise.
On the other hand, there were only twenty-nine of these jobs avail
able and, after spending a lifetime in the sport, basketball still was my
passion. Pacers co-owner Herb Simon had made it clear I was not going
to become the general manager in Indiana. He had not only given me
permission to interview with the Cavs, but had encouraged me to do so.
I was originally from Ohio and would be only three hours away from my
family. I had grown up a Browns and Indians fan, so being in the same
market was appealing.
Plus, after my experience with Nellie in Milwaukee, I had a burning
desire to get back to running a team and proving myself to the rest of
the league even if, in my mind, I had nothing to prove.
So I agreed to meet with owner Gordon Gund, his brother George
and their associates at the O ’Harc Hilton during the annual pre-draft
camp in Chicago. I was scouting for Indiana, but once word got out I
was interviewing in Cleveland, 1 became the most popular person in the
steamy gym at the University of Illinois-Chicago Circle, where every
unemployed coach in America sought me out.
I left downtown early, anticipating traffic on the Kennedy
Expressway. But I arrived in plenty o f time and tried to relax by
doing the Chicago Tribune crossword puzzle as I waited in the lobby.
I was surprised how nervous I was. I knew that the Gunds had talked
to legendary Celtics President Red Auerbach, longtime N BA execu
tive Stu Inm an, who had been with several teams, and my old friend
Pete Newell, and 1 knew they had gotten good reports from all three.
12

Race, Power, and Politics in the N B A
But it was still with some trepidation that I entered the conference
room.
I was met by about six stately men dressed in pinstriped navy or gray
suits. Power suits, we called them back then. O f course, 1 fit right in
because I was wearing my power suit, too. I recognized Gordon imme
diately, because I knew he was blind. 1 recognized his brother, too. The
other men were introduced as associates o f Gund Investment Company.
The Gunds, who also owned the Minnesota North Stars, bought the
CaValiers in 1983, rescuing the team from the much-maligned Ted
Stepien, whose many personnel blunders forced the league to adopt
rules to protect the Cavs from themselves. The team had finished over
.500 just three times in its thirteen-year history. The highlight of the
franchise came during “The Miracle of Richfield” in 1976, when the
Cavs, in their first play-off appearance, knocked off the powerful
Washington Bullets in the first round before losing to the eventual
champion Boston Celtics in six games in the second round. In their last
season under Stepien’s ownership, the team finished 2 3 -5 9 .
Three years later, the team was coming off a 2 9 -5 3 season under
Coach George Karl, who was replaced by Gene Littles for the last fifteen
games. Major changes were in store, which was what brought me to that
interview. But halfway through the process, I wondered if I had made a
mistake— or if they thought they had.
Though I continued to answer their questions, my interest in the job
had waned after that one troubling question. While I wanted nothing
more than to get away from that one guy, a few members of the group
were heading downtown for dinner and asked me for a ride, which 1
grudgingly provided.
W hen I got back to the gym that night, I felt like the Pied Piper.
Wherever I went, I was followed by job seekers. “Did you get the job?”
I was asked time and time again. But I shocked all o f them by saying 1
had no interest in the position. I did not offer any explanation.
I got back to the hotel late but 1 had a hard time sleeping. 1 tossed
and turned all night. Much as I tried to convince myself otherwise, I

really wanted the job. 1 just could not stop thinking about that question
about hiring a black coach. I knew some owners were concerned about
the increasing number of black players in the league. It was only natural
some of those players would pursue careers in coaching. Maybe I was
naive, but this was 1986. Why should it matter who I wanted to hire?
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission would have loved
this. Finally, I decided I would remove my name from consideration.
When I got home and talked to Terri, she agreed with my decision. She
could not believe I had been asked that question either.
I called Thaxter Trafton, president of the Cavs, and told him not to
consider me for the job. “Was it because of that question?” he asked, not
having to specify which question.
I told him yes. I said I did not think I could function in that envi
ronment.
“I knew that was going to be a problem as soon as I heard it,” Trafton
said.
Gordon called the next day and was very apologetic. Then he asked
me to reconsider my decision and come for a second interview.
“You’re our Number 1 candidate, and I want you to meet one more
person,” he said. “I promise you that silly question does not reflect my
views, or those o f my brother, and our views are the only ones that
count.
He was convincing enough that 1 agreed to schedule a second inter
view in Cleveland. When I walked into the suite at the Sheraton Hotel
at the Cleveland airport, I was greeted by Gordon and George and intro
duced to Dick Watson, a part owner and the team attorney. Dick
extended a warm welcome and proceeded to tell me he did not know
anything about basketball. But he mentioned he was instrumental in
signing the team’s star player, World B. Free, flying him in by helicopter
and ushering him into the old Coliseum on a red carpet.
“Oh, my,” I thought. If he was trying to impress me, he was not
doing a very good job.
14

Race, Rower, and Politics in the N BA
Then he asked me many questions about my philosophy in building
a team.
“I will try to build a team with people who have character and strong
values,” I told him. “Ob course, I’ll look for talent. Talent may win
games, but it is character that wins championships. I would go so far as
to say that talented players without character always will be also-rans.”
I have often been criticized for wanting players with character. I have
been told choir boys do not win championships. But the people who say
that do not understand what I mean by character. By character I mean
strength, courage, fortitude, moral fiber, integrity, and the will to win.
My family and my coaches instilled character in me using various tools,
including the almighty switch, laps around a hot gym, or even sitting me
down for a game if 1 had not done what I was supposed to do. Character
helps you overcome adversity. Players with character do not make excus
es. Players with character play hurt. Players with character practice self-
discipline and restrain from harmful influences. They respect each other
and the team above all. Selfish players make it difficult to win. You never
know if you can count on them. As a captain on my basketball teams, I
have gone to management more than once to report a player who was
threatening the unity of our team.
Look at some of the great basketball players: Bill Russell, Jerry West,
Oscar Robertson, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird. Each was a man of char
acter. 1 was looking for players with that kind o f heart and determina
tion. 1 told Watson I did extensive background checks on draft prospects
and explained that I did not want any surprises. I always asked prospects
what their parents did so I could gauge their work ethic. I asked who
had had the biggest influence in their lives and who they would like to
be like when they grew up. I found the answers very telling. I also
explained that I liked to draft players out of good college programs
because I thought coaches with character were likely to instill character
in their players.
I am sure my passion on this subject came through, and Dick later
told me how impressed he was with my philosophies. He was much less

impressed when he asked me to critique their current personnel and I
told him the only player on their roster I liked was Phil Hubbard.
“What about World?” he asked, referring to aging star World B. Free.
“He is very popular with the fans and the press. He’s the only star we
have.”
I knew the well-traveled World quite well, and 1 did not think he was
a very good fit for the Cavs. O f course, 1 did not know at the time that
Watson had pushed for his signing and dreamed up the idea of deliver
ing him to training camp in a helicopter that landed on a red carpet.
“World is a talented player who likes to score,” 1 said. “In order to
score, you have to shoot, and he loves to shoot. If he dominates the ball
as he’s done in the past, the young players will never develop. You have
the eighth pick in the draft, and there’s a very good chance Ron Harper
will be there. If he is, World can B. Gone. World is a good player, but
we need to focus on youth. I also think two or three years ahead as to
how good a player will be. I would also be concerned that when the team
becomes a contender World will be too old.”
I think they liked the fact that I said “when the team becomes a con
tender,” not “if.” The review of the current roster continued, and I was
asked about Mel Turpin, a beefy center who had just signed a long-term
deal with the team.
“We would not have drafted Mel with our late second-round pick,” I
said, “let alone sign him to the contract you gave him.”
Again, I did not realize this had been Watson’s idea. But I figured I
had nothing to lose at this point so I wanted to be as candid as possible.
The job was not going to be worth taking if I was not going to be
allowed to build a team the way I wanted. I also explained that person
nel decisions would have to be made by the coaches, scouts, and me.
From there, we shifted to the draft. They asked me to rank the play
ers in the order I would draft them. I put North Carolina center Brad
Daugherty' at Number 1, reiterated my preference for Ron Harper at
Number 8, and suggested Dell Curry would be a great alternative. The
1986 draft was a strong one, featuring players like Daugherty,
16

Race, Power, and Politics in the N B A
M ary lan d ’s Lcn Bias, and North Carolina State’s Chris Washburn, and
with Number 8 and two high second-round picks, the Cavs were posi
tioned to come out of it pretty well.
After a few more hours of philosophical discussions, I was offered the
job. I told them I would accept only if I was given the authority that
went with the responsibility.
“There are many rewards that accompany this job, but there is also a
lot of stress,” I explained. “In this job, I expect to be criticized by fans,
media, and even people within the organization. But players need to
know I am in charge. I don’t want players to be able to circumvent my
authority, and I don’t want other team personnel to bypass my authori
ty. As long as I know I have the authority, I can handle the criticism."
Gordon agreed, though he reserved the right to have the final say on
financial issues, which was as it should be. I also informed Gordon that
I wanted to report directly to him. This was not meant to offend
Thaxter, who was president of the team. But my scouts and I were going
to spend most of our waking hours evaluating players, and I wanted the
final say, which Gordon granted me.
Perhaps the most important thing Gordon did that day was dismiss
my initial fears about the job. He must have told Dick about the ques
tion I was asked in Chicago, because Dick was eager to tell me that he
did not know I was black until I walked into the room.
That did not do much for my ego. I had been in The League for thir
ty years. How could he not know 1was black? The more I thought about
it, I realized it was a lie. I have come to believe it was probably the first
thing he knew about me.
I turned the contract negotiations with the Cavs over to my attorney,
Gene Smith, and I returned to Indiana to help with the upcoming draft.
Herb Simon told me he was going to name Donnie Walsh president and
general manager of the Pacers, and he wanted me to report to him. 1 said
I would, but I could not help but wonder why he had chosen Donnie
over me, given my credentials. It was nothing against Donnie, who was
17

impressed when he asked me to critique their current personnel and I
told him the only player on their roster I liked was Phil Hubbard.
“What about World?” he asked, referring to aging star World B. Free.
“He is very popular with the fans and the press. He’s the only star we
have.”
I knew the well-traveled World quite well, and I did not think he was
a very good fit for the Cavs. O f course, I did not know at the time that
Watson had pushed for his signing and dreamed up the idea of deliver
ing him to training camp in a helicopter that landed on a red carpet.
“World is a talented player who likes to score,” I said. “In order to
score, you have to shoot, and he loves to shoot. If he dominates the ball
as he’s done in the past, the young players will never develop. You have
the eighth pick in the draft, and there’s a very good chance Ron Harper
will be there. If he is, World can B. Gone. World is a good player, but
we need to focus on youth. I also think two or three years ahead as to
how good a player will be. I would also be concerned that when the team
becomes a contender World will be too old.”
I think they liked the fact that I said “when the team becomes a con
tender,” not “if.” The review of the current roster continued, and I was
asked about Mel Turpin, a beefy center who had just signed a long-term
deal with the team.
“We would not have drafted Mel with our late second-round pick,” I
said, “let alone sign him to the contract you gave him.”
Again, I did not realize this had been Watsons idea. But I figured I
had nothing to lose at this point so I wanted to be as candid as possible.
The job was not going to be worth taking if 1 was not going to be
allowed to build a team the way I wanted. I also explained that person
nel decisions would have to be made by the coaches, scouts, and me.
From there, we shifted to the draft. They asked me to rank the play
ers in the order I would draft them. I put North Carolina center Brad
Daugherty at Number 1, reiterated my preference for Ron Harper at
Number 8. and suggested Dell Curry would be a great alternative. The
1986 draft was a strong one, featuring players like Daugherty,
16

Race, Power, and Politics in the NBA
M ary lan d ’s Len Bias, and North Carolina States Chris Washburn, and
with Number 8 and two high second-round picks, the Cavs were posi
tioned to come out of it pretty well.
After a few more hours of philosophical discussions, I was offered the
job. I told them I would accept only if I was given the authority that
went with the responsibility.
“There are many rewards that accompany this job, but there is also a
lot of stress,” I explained. “In this job, 1 expect to be criticized by fans,
media, and even people within the organiz.ation. But players need to
know I am in charge. I don’t want players to be able to circumvent my
authority, and I don’t want other team personnel to bypass my authori
ty. As long as I know I have the authority, I can handle the criticism.”
Gordon agreed, though he reserved the right to have the final say on
financial issues, which was as it should be. I also informed Gordon that
I wanted to report directly to him. This was not meant to offend
Thaxter, who was president of the team. But my scouts and I were going
to spend most of our waking hours evaluating players, and I wanted the
final say, which Gordon granted me.
Perhaps the most important thing Gordon did that day was dismiss
my initial fears about the job. He must have told Dick about the ques
tion I was asked in Chicago, because Dick was eager to tell me that he
did not know I was black until 1 walked into the room.
That did not do much for my ego. I had been in The League for thir
ty years. How could he not know I was black? The more I thought about
it, I realized it was a lie. I have come to believe it was probably the first
thing he knew about me.
I turned the contract negotiations with the Cavs over to my attorney,
Gene Smith, and I returned to Indiana to help with the upcoming draff.
Herb Simon told me he was going to name Donnie Walsh president and
general manager of the Pacers, and he wanted me to report to him. I said
I would, but I could not help but wonder why he had chosen Donnie
over me, given mv credentials. It was nothing against Donnie, who was
7

T HE I N S I D E G A ME
a knowledgeable basketball man, but he had no front-office experience
at the time.
On the Saturday morning before the draft, 1 met with Donnie. I told
him 1 had agreed to a contract with the Cavs and had a press conference
scheduled for the day after the draft. I also told him if he was uncom
fortable with me participating in the Indiana draft meetings, I would
excuse myself. H e assured me he trusted my integrity and valued my
input. Indiana had the fourth pick and Cleveland the eighth, so he did
not think there would be any conflict. H e also said he would expect me
to be involved in Cleveland’s pick at N um ber 8. 1 was flattered by his
trust. This might seem unusual to business people not involved in ath
letics. After all, an outgoing Ford executive is not likely to finish up
designing a car before leaving for a new job at General Motors. But this
was not an uncom mon situation in sports. College coaches routinely
coach one team in a post-season bowl game after agreeing to terms with
a new team.
Anyway, Indiana had decided to draff Chuck Person, a small forward
from Auburn. H e was a logical choice, since Clark Kellogg, the Pacers’
current small forward, had missed much o f the season with knee prob
lems. Still, we spent the weekend researching other prospects, watching
videos, and eating the best ham shavings I had ever had, courtesy o f the
deli next to the Pacers office.
W e had decided we needed a back-up plan in case Person was not
available, and we were looking at center Chris Washburn from N orth
Carolina State.- I had heard there were some character issues with
Washburn, as well· as rumors o f drug use. Pacers coach George Irvine
and 1 decided to fly to High Point, N .C ., to interview him .
Unfortunately, his agent spirited him out o f town to avoid us, which
should have been our first clue that something was not right.
We accepted his mother’s coffee and cake and talked to her about her
son. She assured us none of the bad things we had heard were true. In
fact, when we asked her to name the worst thing her son had ever done,
she told us about an incident once when he had forgotten to take his lab
18

Race. Power, and Politics in the N B A
coat to science class. If she knew about his drug use, she was not going
to let on to us.
While we were there, the agent called to see if we had arrived. He said
if we wanted to interview Chris, we would have to do so in New York,
where he was awaiting the draft. W hat he did not figure was that,
because we had our owner’s private plane, we actually could make a trip
to New York— and we did. After a short visit, neither George nor I was
impressed. We just did not have a good feeling about Chris and, as it
turned out, we were right. He was taken third by Golden State and
proved to be a total bust. His career lasted just two seasons.
O f course, we did not know that would be the case when we recon
vened Tuesday morning in the draft room, com m only called the “war
room ,” in Indianapolis. Person was still our man, and we were positive
he would still be there at Num ber 4. The consensus was that Daugherty
and Bias would go with the first two picks. If we could just figure out
one more pick, we would be home free. Later in the day, rumors were
circulating that Washburn would go third. W e were ecstatic, and we
started to concentrate on the second round.
While I was in Indianapolis, scouts Ed Gregory and Barry Hcckcr
were in the Cavs war room . I was sure Miami o f Ohio guard Ron Harper
would be there at Num ber 8, and in an earlier trip to Cleveland to final
ize my contract, I had suggested the Cavs take Johnny Newman and
Johnny Rogers with their second-round picks.
After a long day, I headed back to the Embassy Suites, my home in
Indianapolis. I was reading the paper when the phone rang.
Wayne, Gordon G und,” the voice on the other end bellowed.
Let me get right to the point. We are talking to Philadelphia about
trading for the first pick. W e will have to give them Roy Hinson and
cash. W hat do you think?”
I could not believe my cars.
Do it,” I said without hesitation.
I could not believe the Sixers really would trade the first pick in the
draft, which I felt certain could be used on Daugherty. But I had had
19

T H E I N S I D E GAME.
enough discussions with Philadelphia officials Pat Williams and Jack
McMahon to know they did not like the North Carolina center. I could
not understand that. I knew a lot o f NBA scouts had labeled him “soft”
and did not think he was tough enough or physical enough. But not me.
1 had watched Brad develop from an underage freshman to one o f the
best centers in recent drafts. I liked that he had gotten better ever)' year.
He was still young and had room for improvement. He would lose the
baby fat he carried on his 260-pound frame and be stronger than most
centers in the league. He was one of the few centers who had a low-post
presence. I was glad no one else felt the way 1 did.
I slept well that night, confident the Pacers would get their man and
that my new team would have a terrific draft, particularly if the trade
was consummated. Then mid-morning, several hours before the draft,
Gordon called again to tell me the trade was final. But, he said, there was
a slight problem.
“We have some mixed views on who we should take,” he told me.
“Some think we should take Len Bias.”
I nearly choked, although I had no way of knowing Bias would be
dead o f a drug overdose within days. “Gordon, please take Daugherty,”
I pleaded. “I have some reservations about Bias. I think there are some
character issues. Since I’m coming in tomorrow, lets get started on the
right foot.”
Gordon finally agreed. “Daugherty it will be, he said and hung up.
When we assembled for the draft, I told Herb Simon and Donnie
that the Cavs; had traded for the first pick. Their main concern was
whether the Cavs' would take Person, but I assured them that would not
happen. The first round went pretty much as expected, although we
were surprised to see that Georgia Tech point guard Mark Price was not
taken in the first round. He was a player the Pacers wanted to team with
Vcrn Fleming in the backcourt.
Dallas had the second pick in the second round and was shopping it.
Herb looked at me and said, “Wayne, you have a good relationship with
Rick Sund from your days together in Milwaukee. Call him and see
20

Race. Power, and Politics in the N HA
what it would take to get the pick.” I made the call and we made a deal.
There was euphoria in the room because we had never expected to come
out of the draft with Person and Price.
In the midst of a round of handshakes, the phone rang. It was Sund,
the Dallas general manager.
“Big Man,” he said, using the nickname 1 had picked up in
Milwaukee, “I must apologize. While we were talking, Norm Sonju
made a deal with Cleveland for the pick.” (Sonju was the Dallas presi
dent.)
I shouted into the phone, “Rick, that cannot happen. We had a deal.
Ail eyes turned to me, and I had to explain what had happened. I was
visibly upset, not to mention embarrassed that my integrity was being
called into question. But Herb Simon was more upset than I was. He
called me outside the room and gave me a verbal lashing the likes of
which I had not experienced since growing up on my grandfather s farm.
Herb showed me courage and passion. I had witnessed his temper
throughout the year as I listened to him and his brother, Mel, go at it.
Never did I think I would be the recipient of his wrath.
I could only try to convince him that I had no knowledge of the Cavs’
involvement with the Mavericks. In fact, once things calmed down, I
called Gordon and asked him to reconsider the deal. He turned me
down, and as it turned out, it was one of the better deals in the history
of the franchise. I had to eat crow for weeks, but eventually Herb and
Donnie were convinced I had nothing ro do with the deal.
For a while, they tried to get a draft pick as retribution. The Cavs
resisted, insisting they had done nothing wrong. Donnie later wrote a
letter absolving all of us. I was glad that chapter was closed.
I was even happier that Mark ended up in Cleveland. In later years, I
told Mark that, for a moment, he had been a Pacer. His tenure was not
much shorter than mine. I was there a little more than a year. Then we
both became Cavaliers.
21

C h a p t e r ι
Moving to Cleveland
|n June 19, 1986, the day after the draft, Gordon introduced Brad
Daugherty, Ron Harper, and me to the Cleveland media. He began his
remarks by saying this was the most pivotal day in the history of the
franchise.
Even though I had yet to actually sign my contract, I followed
Gordon to the podium, expressing my happiness at returning to Ohio
and having the opportunity to work with Mr. Gund and finish the job
Harry Weltman had started. I said our ultimate goal was to build a team
that would be a contender for a championship in four years. I added I
was looking forward to working with the players selected in the draft, as
well as John “Hot Rod” Williams, the talented six-foot-eleven-inch for
ward from Tulanc whom Harry had the courage to draft the previous
season, before Hot Rod was cleared of the gambling charges brought
against him. I thought the nucleus for a very good team was in place if
we had the patience to let it develop.
I told our fans I wanted them to experience the kind of excitement I
had witnessed during the seventh game of the 1976 playoff series
against the Washington Bullets. I had come from Milwaukee with agent
Gene Smith as a guest of his client, Jim Chones, the Cavs center. More
than twenty-one-thousand fans crammed into the Richfield Coliseum
to cheer their team to victory. It was the largest crowd I had seen at an
NBA game, and perhaps the loudest. It was one of the most thrilling
games I had seen, as Bill Fitch’s young Cavs upset the Bullets on Dick
12

Snyder’s running shot in the closing seconds of the game, which came
to be known as the “Miracle of Richfield.”
After all the interviews, we adjourned to a room where I finally signed
my contract. Talk immediately turned to candidates for our head coach
ing position, our top priority, as well as a variety of other front-office
jobs. George Karl had been released with a few games left in the season,
and his assistant, Gene Littles, finished the season. Gene and General
Manager Harry Weltman were let go once the season was over. Barry
Hecker and Ed Gregory were the scouts and did a good job helping with
the draft, but I did not know much about them beyond that. 1 told
Gordon 1 would like to bring in my own people, and he gave me per
mission to do so. I was starting much as I had in Milwaukee— with a
completely new staff. But this time I had some ideas about whom I
wanted to hire.
Lenny Wilkens was the current general manager in Seattle. He was
the coach until the Seattle owner bumped him upstairs after a couple of
down years. Lenny had been a very successful coach, winning the NBA
title in 1 9 7 9 .1 recalled a conversation we had a few months earlier when
I was still with the Pacers and we were both scouting the Big East tour
nament in Madison Square Garden. He had approached me at halftime
as we were walking up the steps to the refreshment stand, and told me
he would be available if I was looking for a coach. He told me coaching
was his passion and he longed to return to the bench. 1 had known
Lenny since 1960 when he came into The League as a player. I knew he
had a great knowledge of the game when he played. I watched him
transfer that knowledge to his players as coach of the Sonics, who beat
up on the young Bucks in the 1980 semifinals.
Lenny and I were not what you would call friends. We developed a
mutual respect as competitors. Unlike much of the NBA, I would never
hire a friend just for the sake of hiring a friend. I did that with Don
Nelson in Milwaukee and it was a disaster as far as our friendship was
concerned. Emotion must remain out of the decision-making process.
I told Gordon that Lenny was at the head of a very short list of can

T H E I NS I l ) £ G A M E
didates. I gave no consideration to the fact he was black, although,
believe me, I had not forgotten my first interview with the team. But, as
I had stated at the time, I thought he was the best qualified person avail
able.
After interviewing a number o f candidates, Gordon approved my hir
ing Lenny, and on July 9, 1986, he was introduced as the new coach of
the Cavaliers. I could not help but wonder what my questioner, who I
learned later was David Prescott, was thinking. But I refused to be
intimidated by him. I stuck to my principles, and much later I learned
that some board members were worried that I would also sign all black
players. How absurd. This w'as 1986.
Generally speaking, Lenny and I were warmly received, though
there was the usual hate mail I had come to expect. Though there were
many, many positive responses, I cannot help but remember the one
that read, “Mr. Gund, you hired a black general manager, which was
bad enough, and he hired a black coach. That is more than I can take.
I am keeping my green money.”
1 hated reading that kind of stuff but, as always, I was eager to prove
my critics wrong.
After Lenny was hired, we had to hire two assistant coaches. He want
ed to hire Dick Helm, a coach from W heaton College who had worked
with him in Seattle. I recommended he hire one of my former players,
Brian W inters, who was Pete Carril’s assistant at Princeton. Brian was
one o f the best shooters in The League as a player, and I had watched
him help Quinn Buckner and Junior Bridgeman become better shoot
ers when we were together in Milwaukee. Lenny agreed, and we had our
staff.
Next we had to hire a director of player personnel. One of the first
calls I got after I was hired was from veteran coach Cotton Fitzsimmons.
He was between jobs and I thought he was looking for work. As it
turned out, he was not calling about himself but rather about his son,
Gan,·. Actually, Gary already was on my list. I had observed him doing
his job while he was with other teams, and 1 liked his approach. He liked
24

Race, Power, and Polities in the NBA
to work, unlike a lot of scouts who just like to socialize. After one inter
view with Gary, I hired him. I added the well-respected Pete Newell as
a consultant, along with Darrell Hedric, an assistant coach while I was
at Miami University' who became the head coach later, and Ron Michel
as regional scouts. Our staff was complete. Now it was time to sign some
players and get ready for the season.
In my first meeting with my newly assembled staff, I conveyed my
philosophy on building a team. I wanted to use the same template that
worked in Milwaukee after we traded Kareem Abdul-Jabbar— building
through the draft. O f course, that meant being in a position to get high
picks, which usually meant losing. I hate losing, although 1 can stomach
it if it has a purpose. If you lose while playing young players, at least they
will gain experience while you gain higher picks in subsequent drafts. As
I saw it, there was no need to keep around players who would be over
the hill when the team was ready to contend. 1 knew older players who
did not play would become malcontents, and 1 did not want the young
players influenced by them. We also wanted our new group to grow
together on and off the court.
Lenny had demonstrated he had the patience to develop young play
ers in Seattle, and he was agreeable to doing the same thing in Cleveland.
Most coaches cannot accept losing, no matter what the plan is. Their
egos cannot take it. I hey' arc also worried about their jobs and their rep
utations. But Lennys job and reputation were secure. We were more
concerned about where we would be in three years than in our first y'ear
together.
I hat meant we were not interested in extending World B. Free’s con
tract. I planned to make him an offer far below what he expected. I
knew it would be an unpopular move, but I knew it was for the best. 1
explained to his agent, Ron Grinker, that we did not want to tie up
World for a long period o f time, so we were offering him a one-year deal
for the same money he had made the previous season. They were
shocked, and after weeks of negotiations, we wound up releasing World
so he could sign elsewhere.

This cleared the way for rookie Ron Harper to get the necessary play
ing time. Playing Daugherty and Price was necessary, too, but they
would have to beat out Mel Turpin and John Bagley. Edgar Jones, Dirk
Minniefield, Keith Lee, Ben Poquette, M ark West, and Phil Hubbard
were the other remaining veterans.
O ur first look at our future came during the summer league in
Windsor, O ntario, and we liked what we saw. We felt as though we
would be good in a couple o f years if we continued to build on what we
had, remained patient, and stayed the course.
As the summer passed, Gordon, Lenny, and I were establishing a great
working relationship. W e shared the same values and believed in the
same disciplines. This made it easy to establish the principles that would
govern our team. I could tell that Lenny was going to be easy to work
with because o f the mutual respect we had developed over the years as
players and executives. 1 told him I would not interfere with his coach
ing unless he asked me to com m ent on things I saw during practice or
in games. O ur job descriptions were well defined, which made it com
fortable to com m unicate openly.
After a summ er o f house hunting and getting acclimated to a new
city, we were eager for the season to start. We opened training camp with
the usual team dinner after a day o f physicals. I gave my usual speech
about team goals and objectives and the responsibilities each o f us had
toward achieving those goals. I told them ownership had hired me to
create a positive environment so that they could maximize their poten
tial as people and as players. Winning, I told them, was an attitude. I
defined character as I' understood it and how it related to winning,
which was our main objective. 1 made it clear winning the N BA cham
pionship was our ultimate goal. I closed by telling them they should not
do anything that would embarrass them, their families, their teammates,
or the franchise. Lenny followed with a similar message, and when we
were finished, we asked anyone who did not share our vision to leave.
Naturally no one did. W e also informed them that in order to get to
know them better, we would meet with them one-on-one as training
26

Race. Power, and Politics in the N B A
camp went on. I had learned from my earlier experiences that one had
to understand the needs o f each individual to effectively manage.
It did not take Lenny long to figure out who the keepers were in this
bunch. Turpin had reported out o f shape, and he did not seem the least
bit interested in pushing himself to correct the situation. At the conclu
sion of every evening practice, Lenny lined up the players on the baseline
to run the dreaded suicide drills, an exercise all coaches use for condi
tioning. The players race against each other or a clock, and the winners
are excused from the next round. Mel was always last, just plodding along
behind everyone. Finally, Lenny had had it.
“M el,” he said, “you’re not even trying to win. D on’t you have any
pride?’
Mel turned to him and said, “Coach, you can run me long, but you
can’t run me hard.”
Lenny, knowing full well that the terms o f Turpins contract made
him all but untradeable, turned to Gary Fitzsimmons and me and said
in exasperation, “W e have a problem .”
Lenny’s patience was tested continually. Four days into camp, Edgar
Jones had not hit a lick. H e spent more time with trainer Gary Briggs
than all o f the other players put together. He was nursing an injury from
the previous season. He occupied a spot on the mats stored along the
sidelines during practice. Lenny had just explained a play to the team
and, as the players began to execute it, Edgar, clad in sweats, jumped up
horn his perch and dashed onto the floor shouting, “Coach, that’s not
how we run that play. Let me show you.
Lenny could not believe his eyes. Neither could the rest of his staff.
Those who had been with Edgar before just shook their heads and began
to chuckle. After practice. Lenny asked me if we could get rid of Jones.
W ithout hesitation, I said, “Yes, we can.” 1 did not care what the terms
o f his contract were, we were not putting up with that nonsense.
We opened the season with a win against Washington and compiled
a rcc°rd before a seven-game losing streak. Still, there were encour-
aging signs. Hot Rod Williams was the N BA player o f the week during
27

THE INSIDE GAME
that stretch, which was followed by an 8—
7 December, including a 7—
3
record at the Coliseum. Ron Harper looked as good if not better than
we thought he would, and he was the Rookie of the Month in
December. Brad Daugherty continued to impress with his ability to
score, rebound, and pass, and he recorded a triple double— double dig
its in points, rebounds, and assists— in a game against Utah. As John
Bagley’s backup, Mark Price began to show those who passed on him in
the first round that they had made a mistake.
In January, Bagley suffered a severely sprained ankle and Mark had an
appendicitis attack. Both spent most of the month on the injured list,
while we scrambled for replacements. Grinker came through, letting us
beat out several other teams for the services of a CBA guard named
Craig Ehlo. A true pro as an agent, Grinker harbored no hard feelings
toward us for not signing World. We also signed Tyrone Corbin.
I was loving Cleveland. We moved into a new house in Moreland
Hills in December. I was reuniting with some old friends and making
many others. I saw my dad often. I was involved in the community. Terri
and the kids were happy. The team was performing better than expect
ed. Everything seemed to be falling into place.
Until Judy, my assistant, stormed into my office one day with a letter
she had just opened. She was shaking as she handed it to me.
“Who would do such a thing?” she asked, on the brink of tears.
It was an anonymous letter whose author denounced blacks in gener
al and threatened to shoot me in the head or the groin. “Black people
should all be dead,” it concluded.
I ordered her to pass it along to team president Thaxter Trafton. I
really was not too concerned, but I wanted to be safe and pass it on to
the authorities. When two similar letters arrived the next day, I started
to get a bit more worried. It had been many years since I had seen Ku
Klux Klan rallies in southern Ohio, but I should have known they were
still in existence. Eventually, the police were summoned. They examined
the letters and ordered us to put them in a file and not let anyone else
handle them.
28

Race, Power, and Politics in the NBA
A few days later, 1 was sirring in the press room visiting with the
media before a game when one of our security officers appeared in the
doorway.
“Wayne, Joe would like to see you in his office," he told me.
Joe Pfeiffer was the director of security, so I knew something was up.
“What’s wrong?” I asked as soon as I entered his office. My initial
thought was that something had happened to Terri driving to the game.
As I sat down, he reached into his pocket and pulled out an unspent
bullet about two inches long.
That got my attention.
“This was found on your seat in your box with a message,” he said.
He did not elaborate.
I was dumbfounded.
“Is your wife here?” he asked me.
I told him she probably was in the wives room, and 1 continued to sit
speechless when she was brought in and Joe repeated his story. Terri
recovered first. After her initial shock, she asked what we should do.
“I want the two of you to go home and stay there until further
notice,” he said. “We will have a sheriff follow you home. We have
advised the Moreland Hills police, and they will put your house under
surveillance. We will bring your car inside the building because we can’t
take any chances on you going out to the ramp. We have details search
ing the building as we speak.”
We sat in stunned silence on the way home, until Terri finally mur
mured, “Let’s get out of this place.”
Still shaken, I could not respond. 1 just kept looking in the rearview
mirror to make sure the sheriff’s car was still in sight.
We turned onto our street and were greatly relieved to see a police car
sitting in our driveway. They briefed us, and then we settled in to listen
to Joe Tait broadcast the game on the radio. It did not take long to sec
why he was so popular.
R°y Jones, vice president of operations at the Coliseum, called first
thing the next morning to inform me that a security officer was being
29

T H E I N S I D F . G A M E
sent out to escort me into the office and back home. He told me the
process would continue indefinitely.
“Gordon has informed me to do whatever is necessary to make sure
you and Terri are safe,” Jones said. “W e have informed the FBI, and they
have begun an investigation. They also have assigned two agents to sit
vvith you at every game for the rest o f the season. We have got it all cov
ered.
“Any questions?”
I hardly knew where to begin, and I knew he would not have the
answers I was really looking for anyway.
Gordon called, sounding as shaken as we were. He told me everything
would be okay. I wanted to believe him.
As it turned out, things got back to normal and for the next nine years
in Cleveland, I was as happy as I had ever been. My family was doing
well, the team was doing well, and I thought we were on the right track
for a long and successful run. But I never really got over that incident. I
rarely sat in my assigned seat. I usually stood during games.
Still, I would never have guessed how things would turn out. I did not
know at the time that eventually I would have to replace Lenny and hire
Mike Fratcllo, which did not work out too well for either o f us. I had a
rocky start in Cleveland, and I would have a rocky end, too. But I was
able to get through it all with my dignity intact because o f the lessons I
had learned at my grandfather’s knee.
My Grandpa had warned me there would always be some people who
did not like me because ol the color o f my skin. And just as my grand
father refused to-let me quit high school in spite o f the taunts I received
as the only black in my class, these threats were not going to keep me
from doing my job, either. I was more determined than ever to succeed
at The Inside Game.

T imeout
N umber O ne
There were reports that the Klan and other supremacist
groups were headquartered in Northeast Ohio and harassed
blacks who were in prominent positions. This was why the
law enforcement agencies were so cautious with me. al
though I was still surprised I had been a target. In the 1960s,
Cleveland had elected Carl Stokes, making him the first black
mayor in America. Frank Robinson became the first black
manager in baseball when Gabe Paul tabbed him for the
Cleveland Indians. Larry Doby had been the first black play
er in the American League years before that.
The birth of the Ku Klux Klan came during the period of
Reconstruction after the Civil War. when blacks were given the
right to vote, among other rights. Originally, the Klan was a
group of Confederate veterans led by General Nathan Bedford
Forrest. It started as a social group that wanted to preserve
white superiority by terrorizing blacks. Jews, and Roman
Catholics. There were several major periods of Klan activity after
the Civil War, including the 1940s and 1950s, during school
desegregation, and again in the mid-1970s, during another
major reconstruction period in America in the wake of the
Vietnam War and the race riots. At that time, the Klan was
protesting the racial equality so many had worked and died to
bring about.

I had history on my side. The post-civil rights movement
brought radical change to our country between the mid-
1970s and the mid-1980s. Corporate America developed
affirmative action programs to make it possible for more
blacks to enter the mainstream of our capitalistic society.
Special grants and loans from the government made it pos
sible for more black business people to become entrepre
neurs. It was similar to what happened at the end of the
Civil War, when former slaves were promised forty acres
and a mule in order to start an independent life away from
their former masters, although history showed that few
slaves actually received either land or mules. Now, the
NAACP. Operation PUSH, and the Urban League were play
ing instrumental roles in facilitating change. Progress was
being made in corporate America, academia, and in sports.
The NBA, under the leadership of Larry O'Brien and then
David Stern, was well ahead of the NFL and major-league
baseball in hiring black coaches and executives. In fact, the
complexion of the NBA was changing drastically, causing
concern in many of the boardrooms around the league.

THE INSIDE GAME - Wayne Embry

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