It was September, 1960 and we had just finished our second practice of the day at the St. Louis Hawks training camp in steamy St. Louis. Lenny Wilkins (first round draft choice) and I (3rd round draft choice) were rookies that year. We were headed out to get something to eat.

 

As we prepared to walk across the street from the Jefferson Hotel, we were joined by Fred Lacour (2nd round draft choice) from the University of San Francisco and Edgar Smallwood from Evansville College. Fred Lacour might have been the best high school player ever in the City of S.F. and Edgar Smallwood’s achievements were only over-shadowed by those of Jerry Sloan, Chicago Bulls and Utah Jazz great. By the way, we were two colored, one undecided and one white (me).

 

I was first through the door of the restaurant and was immediately met by the manager. His words to me were, “you can eat, they have to go.”

 

My words, “you must be kidding.”

 

Finding a place to eat after that took asking the hotel bellman who pointed the way.

 

The fact that I refused to eat seemed the only thing to do from my vantage point. I have learned that it was a much bigger deal than I had thought. How I know this is provable. If you were talking to Lenny Wilkens today and you brought up my name, he would immediately tell you that story.

 

What seemed like a no-brainer to me was definitely not so for many.