1961 Boston Celtics boycott

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On 17 October 1961, five African-American basketball players of the

St. Louis Hawks boycotted a National Basketball Association exhibition game between the teams in Lexington, Kentucky, after facing racial discrimination in the city.[1][2]

Background

Two black players, Sam Jones and Satch Sanders, went to a coffee shop at the Phoenix Hotel on arriving in town, where a waitress refused to serve them. "I'm sorry but we don't serve Negroes," NBA champion Boston Celtics were told.[3] Later, Hawks player Cleo Hill was also denied service. The Celtics players informed Bill Russell of this incident, and the three along with K.C. Jones, Al Butler and Hawks players Woody Sauldsberry and Hill decided to leave Kentucky in protest.[4] Coach Red Auerbach argued the players should stay, but ultimately agreed to drive them to the airport.[5] On arriving in Boston, Russell stated to the media: "Negroes are in a fight for their rights – a fight for survival in a changing world... I am with these Negroes."[6]

See also

References

  1. ^ Sheridan, Chris. "NBA Players' Boycott Is Unprecedented, But 1961 And 1964 Offered Previews". Forbes.
  2. ISBN 978-0-7360-6524-5
    . Retrieved September 9, 2020.
  3. ^ "Sixty years ago, the Boston Celtics staged their own walkout over racial injustice". www.yahoo.com. Retrieved August 1, 2022.
  4. Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  5. Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  6. ISBN 978-0-520-26979-8
    . Retrieved September 9, 2020.
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