The most interesting aspect of covering Don Haskins' memorial service is how little time the folks closest to him spent talking about the impact of his decision to start five blacks players in the 1966 championship game against an all-white Kentucky team. Instead, they spent much of their time talking about the impact the man had on their lives. Only Nolan Richardson, the former Arkansas coach, spoke at length about Haskins' decision. Antonio Davis, who had a 16-year NBA career, said Haskins' decision to start five black players had no impact on his decision to attend UTEP. "I just wanted to go to a school where someone would teach me the game," he said. "I didn't start playing basketball until my sophomore year and I wanted someone to teach me how to play the right way." --Jean-Jacques Taylor ...
Anytime
