Basketball, Black Struggle

History of Sports

NBA All-Star highlights, held in New Orleans, USA, February 14 to 16 2014, full of excitement. Glitter party entertainment is at once reminded again, basketball bitter memories of segregation, namely discrimination on the basis of skin color.

Less than 10 years after basketball James Naismith discovered in 1891, it started playing the sport of black people, including women. Black basketball club is growing rapidly in the 1920s, but black players playing in the league should not be white. Finally, black players formed their own league.

The League players match live around blacks, the day can play four times. The team that debuted at that time was the Harlem Globetrotters, the New York Renaissance, and Philadelphia tribunes.

Entering the 1930s, segregation is so strong. The black players rejected by hotels and restaurants. In the tour, they were forced to sleep on the bus and a potluck meal. In fact, the distance between where the game can be hundreds of kilometers.

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Change occurs when World War II broke out. Club basketball athletes because of lack of white players drafted into the army. This is a golden opportunity for black players.

Chicago Studebakers is the first basketball club which eliminates segregation due reinforced black and white players. Chicago Studebakers step was followed by other clubs so it's pretty much black players playing in the white club.

After the National Basketball League and the Basketball Association of America joined together to form the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 1949, the NBA opened the door wide open for black players.

Harold Hunter was the first black player signed to play in the NBA for the New York Knicks in 1950.

Since then, black players started to become a football star. But, still override the discriminatory treatment of black players, such as discrimination and attitudes of supporters.

Bill Russell (80), Boston Celtics legend, is the player who most loudly protesting the discriminatory treatment. Russell, 11 time NBA champion and five-time NBA best player was, until now actively voicing equality.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, a legendary LA Lakers player, said, he began to play basketball in the 1960's when black people still treated differently.

"At that time black people angry at the situation, but do not know what to do. Bill Russell taught me to control the anger and channel it intelligently without violence," said Kareem Abdul-Jabbar when attending the event giving grace to Bill Russell in New Orleans.

Currently, discrimination against blacks, especially in basketball, only a memory. Many NBA stars with fame and fortune are exorbitant black players. Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and the others are a few examples.

Basketball became an example, sport is a world without borders; state boundaries, political ideology, race, or beliefs. (Vishnu ad)