Photo by Visit El Paso
The Texas Westerns Make History
While this memorable moment wouldn’t be as unusual today, the fact that the Texas Westerns were the first team to draft five African-American males was revolutionary at the time. It was 1966, and basketball was quickly becoming every young boy’s dream sport. In fact, it’s considered so inspiring that it spurred on a movie, Glory Road, in 2008.
While the fact that they were the first all-black starting lineup is remarkable, their performance was also remarkable. The team made it all the way to winning the NCAA Championship during the very first year of play, ensuring that they were entrenched in the memory of the public moving forward. For many young African-American children, it was the first time they were able to relate to sports heroes on a more direct level. Many of today’s most famous black basketball players note that they draw inspiration from these five brave individuals.
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