Two years later, the “Rens,” as they came to be called, were declared the World Colored Basketball Champions. The squad went on to establish itself as a national powerhouse and competed in some of the ...

The subtitle of “Black Ball,” Ms. Runstedtler’s examination of the role of African-Americans in 1970s basketball, speaks of “the generation that saved the soul of the NBA,” and indeed no ...

On the Shelf. Black Ball: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Spencer Haywood, and the Generation That Saved the Soul of the NBA. By Theresa Runstedtler Bold Type: 368 pages, $29 ...

The impact of Black ball players' fight for higher compensation and labor protections in the ‘70s is felt today, writes Theresa Runstedtler.

In the Big East, seven of the 11 men’s basketball programs are led by Black men. That hiring record dwarfs all other power conferences combined.

C.B. Claiborne was the first Black basketball player at Duke. Credit: Art is Cool & Ideal 48 “I didn’t think of myself as just a basketball player.