In honor of Black History Month, Hoop Habits would like to pay tribute to some of the African-American pioneers who have had an enormous impact on the sport of basketball in Minnesota. These individuals often faced discrimination and other significant hardships as they broke through barriers once thought impossible. Their perseverance and courage helped pave the way for current and future generations of Minnesota basketball players, coaches and officials.
Lou Hudson, Archie Clark, Don Yates
In the early 1960’s, this trio became the first black men to be offered scholarships to play basketball at the University of Minnesota. All three had outstanding college careers and were drafted into the NBA. “Sweet Lou” Hudson earned All-Big Ten and All-American honors, was inducted into the MClub Hall of Fame in 1991 and had his #14 jersey retired by the University in 1994. Hudson enjoyed a 13-year career in the NBA, was a 6-time All-Star, and was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2022. Clark earned multiple All-Big Ten honors on the hardwood and during the off-season he played for the Gopher baseball team and was the center fielder on their 1964 national championship team. Clark had a 10-year career in the NBA, highlighted by 2 All-Star game appearances. Yates was part of the Gophers’ Uniontown, PA pipeline that also included football standouts Sandy Stephens and Bill Munsey.
Tamara Moore
This Minneapolis hoops legend has always been a trailblazer. In 1998, she became just the second African-American to be named Ms. Basketball in Minnesota after leading the Minneapolis North Lady Polars to a state title. She also participated in the Inner-City All-Star Classic for boys because there wasn’t a game for girls at that time. Moore went on to play collegiately at the University of Wisconsin and had an outstanding career – earning All-American and All-Big Ten honors while becoming the program’s all-time leader in assists and steals. In 2017, she was inducted into the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame. After a 12 year playing career in the WNBA and overseas, Moore went into coaching and in 2020, she made national headlines by becoming the first black woman to coach a men’s college team – the Mesabi Range Norsemen in Virginia, MN. She is now a scout for the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, becoming the first female scout in the organization’s history.
McRae All-Stars
This group of mostly black middle schoolers from the inner cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul became the first Minnesota basketball team to play on the national AAU circuit. The team had incredible success, winning several tournaments, including the 1st annual Las Vegas Invitational in 1984, one of the premier youth tournaments in the country at that time. The team was founded and coached by Ralph Crowder Jr. and was named after McRae Park in South Minneapolis. While the on-court success was impressive, the story of the McRae All-Stars was so much more than that – it was about community, race, culture, and youth development. One of the stars of the team, Derek Reuben, went on to become Mr. Basketball in 1988 following an outstanding career at Minneapolis North. In February of last year, the Minnesota History Center hosted a special conversation to tell the inspirational story of the McRae All-Stars.
On a personal note, we at Hoop Habits would like to express our thanks to this group of basketball pioneers who laid the foundation for future generations of Minnesota hoopers to flourish on the national scene, including our very own Hoop Habits Elite teams that will be debuting this season on the New Balance Circuit.
Linda Roberts
After a standout career at St. Paul Central, where she led her team to the 1976 state title, Linda Roberts became the first African-American to play for the University of Minnesota women’s basketball team. Widely considered the first superstar in program history, she was a 2-time Wade Trophy finalist, an All-American, 3-time team MVP, and graduated as the leading scorer and rebounder in school history – her 1,413 rebounds still ranks #1 all-time. Roberts also became the first black woman to have her jersey (#21) retired at the University. She played professionally briefly with the Minnesota Fillies and later became an administrator at her alma mater.
Bob Williams
Bob Williams was a 6’6 forward from Florida A&M who, in 1955, became the first black player for the Minneapolis Lakers. He was one of just 7 black players in the NBA at that time. In addition to playing for the Lakers, Williams traveled with the Harlem Globetrotters during the off season. Following his playing career, he remained in the Twin Cities and had a successful career at Pillsbury while also co-founding the Minnesota Chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. In 2015, Laker legend Kobe Bryant was in the Twin Cities to play the Timberwolves and arranged to meet Williams so that he could personally thank him for paving the way for black players in the NBA.
Larry McKenzie
In 2014, Larry McKenzie became the first African-American coach to be inducted into the Minnesota Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame. During his legendary career he won 6 state titles and posted an overall record of 481-166. He is the first coach to win 4 consecutive state titles and the only coach to lead two separate schools (Minneapolis Patrick Henry and Minneapolis North) to multiple state titles. After retiring from coaching, McKenzie has continued to be active in the Minneapolis community as a motivational speaker and through his civic engagement and volunteer efforts. He has also published a book, “Basketball: Much More Than Just a Game.” This should be recommended reading for players and parents alike.
Arianna Jones, Tamira McLemore, Camryn Speese, Kaezha Wubben, and Camille McCoy
On November 19, 2018, these women became the first all black starting five in Minnesota women’s college basketball history when they took the floor for Augsburg against the University of Wisconson-Superior. The Auggies won the game 79-63, led by 22 points from McLemore and 14 from Wubben. Not only did this group break long-standing racial barriers, they were also instrumental in the resurgence of the Augsburg women’s basketball program under head coach Ted Riverso. The 2018-19 team went 22-5 overall with a 16-2 record in the MIAC, second only to national power, the University of St. Thomas.
Jim Robinson
Robinson was an officiating pioneer who has had an incredible impact on the Minnesota basketball community. In 1971, he became the first African-American official to work the Minnesota boys state tournament and was also one of the first to officiate men’s basketball games in the Big Ten. A long- time advocate for black officials, Robinson held officiating camps and helped establish an officiating association for minorities in Minnesota. In 1991, Robinson became the Minnesota State High School League’s supervisor of basketball officials and also served on the League’s board of directors. He was inducted into the MSHL’s Hall of Fame in 1993, is a member of the Minnesota Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Honor and was named an NCAA Living Legend at the 2019 Final Four held in Minneapolis. In 2017, Robinson took over as the President of the Minnesota Mr. Basketball Committee and was a fixture at gyms across the state of Minnesota until his passing in late 2020.
What does the Future Hold?
Shining a light on the accomplishments of these courageous pioneers serves as a reminder of the progress that has been made but also the very real struggles and challenges that still exist today. It is incumbent on all of us to be actively engaged in building a more just and equitable society. While this can be a daunting task, perhaps the late civil rights icon and long-time Georgia congressman, John Lewis, said it best: “Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Our struggle is not the struggle of a day, a week, a month, or a year, it is the struggle of a lifetime. Never ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble.”
About the Author
As Hoop Habits’ media contributor, Roger Johnson brings decades of basketball expertise to his articles. Having served as a marketing executive at Wells Fargo & Company and a content writer for Ultimate Hoops, Roger’s true passion has always been basketball. With experience as a collegiate player at Moorhead State University, coach, and parent of successful players, Roger offers unique insights into the game. His dedication shows through his Minnesota Timberwolves season tickets, University of Minnesota basketball support, and attendance at over 3,000 basketball games throughout his lifetime.