I found out yesterday afternoon that one of the NBA's great unsung players was born on my block. Walking toward Fifth Avenue I saw this handmade sign attached to a chain link fence.
Thomas "Satch" Sanders was a great defensive forward for the Boston Celtics in the 1960s. The Celtics won eight NBA championships with Sanders on the team. Of course, having Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, Sam Jones, KC Jones and others as your teammates helps. In 1961 Sanders and the other African-American players refused to play an exhibition game in Lexington, Kentucky after they were refused service in a local diner. His #16 uniform was retired in 1973. After retiring from playing Sanders coached the Harvard team from 1973-1977 and the Celtics for a couple of seasons after that. Today Satch Sanders is an NBA Vice-President and Director of Player Programs.
Interview with Satch Sanders.
Another interview.
Tom "Satch" Sanders Raising Expectations Basketball School
Maybe this is a sign that I will soon run into another New York basketball legend, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who lives just a few blocks away.
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