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Newspaper
Lawrence Journal World
Location
Lawrence, Kansas, United States of America
Date
Mar 05, 2017
Page
2
A new PBS film directed by Kevin Willmott recounts John McLendon’s race breaking work in basketball, crediting him with early plays and integration efforts. The KU alum and Naismith Hall of Fame inductee died in 1999 at 84, with a legacy spanning KU, Naismith, and civil rights milestones.
Kevin Willmott notes John McLendon’s drive to use basketball for social progress. McLendon fought segregation on and off the court, led Tennessee State to historic invites and three straight NAIA titles, and introduced innovations like the fast break and full court press while breaking racial barriers in college, professional, and Olympic contexts.
PBS KCPT in Kansas City MO will broadcast Fast Break The Legendary John McLendon at 830 p.m. on March 13 16 and 18. The film profiles McLendon the first black physical education graduate from the University of Kansas mentored by James Naismith and traces his coaching career across high school college professional and Olympic levels. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor in 1979 and posthumously as a coach in 2016.
Milton S. Katz, biographer of John McLendon, lauds the country and the Basketball Hall of Fame for doing the right thing, saying persistence and courage over time show institutions can change.
Producer Scott Unruh and Rockhaven Films reedited a project that began as The Forgotten Coach into Fast Break The Legendary John McLendon. They interviewed about 60 people over more than three years and used footage of McLendon from an earlier documentary plus coaches players and writers to show his key role in modernizing basketball and his obscurity at KU.
EU and higher education reporter Sara Shepherd can be reached at 832-7187. Followers are invited to connect via Twitter at saramarieshep.
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