Celtics ☘️ Sentinel

 I'm talking about Red Auerbach, Walter Brown and Chuck Cooper . We still hear and read a lot about the late Redhead, but little about his former boss, Celtics owner Walter Brown , and the first black player ever chosen in the NBA draft, Chuck Cooper . Brown signed Cooper to a contract with the Boston Celtics despite antagonistic reactions from around the League. Brown famously maintained that he would have selected Cooper even if the latter had sprouted polka dots. Sounds like something Auerbach would say . It is no wonder that Walter and Red got along so well as the NBA was in its infancy. Damn the torpedoes, and full-speed ahead . Cooper could play, and that was all that mattered. Brown took a man for who he was , regardless of race, color, religion or any other designation. He made deals with a handshake and stood by them . Drafting Chuck in 1950 in the second round opened the door for others of color seek fame and fortune on the hardwood. Several years later, Walter signed an...

  Sam Jones and Marcus Smart may be two generations apart, but they share a view of racial bias and perhaps memories of negative encounters with police officers. My readers already know of the respect I hold for both of these men, So, as a white man who has spent 20 years in law enforcement and another 57 years in civilian life, I listen to what they have to say. Here are some comments from Sam when I spoke with him during a phone interview: "The League should have done more about racial bigotry (in the 60's)". "We never should have stayed (in hotels) that segregated us from each other", "In Kentucky, we (black players) could stay in the hotel but couldn't eat in the hotel restaurant". "You have to stand up for what is right". "You gotta walk in my shoes". NOTE: Sam was getting quite intense at this point. "When I can put on my (Army) uniform. When I can die for the people of the United States of America, but they won't...