Black Greeks have dominated on the hardwood for decades (Photo Credit: Jeremy Sadoff/Charisma).
Achievement on the Court: All-Time Kappa Alpha Psi NBA Basketball Team
There’s one thing about predominantly Black fraternities.
In every facet of life, Black Greeks dominate their industries.
From entertainment to politics, Black Greeks have achieved in every field of human endeavor for over 100 years.
Therefore, RegalMag.com would like to highlight some of the best basketball players to come from predominantly Black Greek-letter organizations with a series of articles.
First up, is the All-Time RegalMag.com Kappa Alpha Psi NBA Team.
Starting Lineup
Small Forward: Alex English—It is no secret that Alex English, and Sam Perkins for that matter, is a Nupe because smooth best describes his game back in the day. That silky smooth pull-up jump shot helped the Denver Nuggets of the 1980s become one of the most prolific offenses of all time. It did not hurt that the Nuggets played in Denver’s high altitude. Therefore, when opponents struggled to catch their breath, English often looked like he had not even broken a sweat.
Power Forward: Sam Perkins—Sam Perkins did not get the nickname “Big Smooth” for nothing. While many sports fans credit Robert Horry for being the first stretch power forward, Perkins might actually be the first stretch four. Perkins had a potent three point shot, turnaround jumper and a face up jumper.
Center: Wilt Chamberlain—What can be said about the “Big Dipper?” Chamberlain was so dominant that the rules of the game had to be changed so that he could not dominate while at University of Kansas. In college, the free throw lane was widened so that he could not dominate the paint. In an era without many dominant big men, Chamberlain dominated the NBA from the beginning, scoring 100 points in one game versus the Knicks in 1962.
Shooting Guard: Sam Jones—In his day, many of Sam Jones’ peers viewed him as the best basketball player in the world. Jones had a reputation for scoring in the clutch, especially in the playoffs. He appeared in five All-Star games. After his Celtics teammate and fraternity brother Bill Russell, Jones has the most NBA championships, as a player, of all time with 10 rings.
Point Guard: Oscar Robertson—The “Big O” was Russell Westbrook before Russell Westbrook. Robertson was the first NBA player to average a triple double for a season. He won an NCAA championship with Cincinnati and an NBA championship after teaming up with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Reserves
Center: Bill Russell—It might appear to some as blasphemy that Bill Russell is listed as a reserve on an all-time NBA team. But when your frat brother Wilt Chamberlain is arguably the most dominant offensive force in basketball history, the most dominant defender might have to take a back seat. Russell won at the college level with San Francisco, at the Olympics and in the NBA, winning 11 NBA championships with the Boston Celtics. Russell could dominate without scoring, because he perfected the art of keeping a blocked shot in bounds, which triggered the famous Celtics fast break led by point guard, Bob Cousy.
Point Guard: Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway—Penny Hardaway was the athletic version of Magic Johnson. Hardaway was a wizard with the ball as a passer like Johnson. But unlike Johnson, he could posterize opponents with a vicious slam-dunk. Injuries curtailed what would have been a career that would have made him an all-time great.
Shooting Guard: Rolando Blackman—During the golden age of the NBA during the 1980s and 1990s, Rolando Blackman stood out as one of the best shooting guards of his era while playing with the Dallas Mavericks. He made the All-Star team four times while playing in Dallas. Who could forget him screaming “confidence” as he sank free throws to force the 1987 NBA All-Star Game into overtime? The Panama native made it to the NBA Finals in 1994 with the New York Knicks before heading overseas to finish his illustrious career.
Shooting Guard: Allan Houston—While the Currys get credit for being the first family of basketball, shooting guard Allan Houston comes from a decent basketball family tree too. His college coach/father/fraternity brother Wade Houston is a legend in the game of basketball too. Houston made his name being a sharp shooter for the New York Knicks, hitting an iconic shot in the 1999 playoffs against the Miami Heat. Houston won a gold medal at the 2000 Olympics.
Power Forward: Lorenzen Wright—Although the Los Angeles Clippers selected Lorenzen Wright with the seventh overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft, he did not achieve superstardom. But with career averages of 8 points per game and 6.4 rebounds per game, Wright is the perfect role player to come off the bench and contribute to a winning team.
Shooting Guard/Small Forward: Cazzie Russell—As a one-on-talent, Cazzie Russell could beat Bill Bradley at basketball any day of the week. But because his team needed his firepower off the bench and needed Bradley in the starting lineup, Russell skills on offense made the New York Knicks of the late 1960s nearly impossible to defeat. The Knicks won the 1969-1970 NBA title over the mighty Los Angeles Lakers. For a career, Russell averaged 15.1 points per game. He averaged a career-high 21.4 points per game for the Golden State Warriors in 1971-72.
Shooting Guard: Kerry Kittles—At Villanova University, Kerry Kittles was the personification of a sharpshooter. He had immediate success in the NBA while playing for the New Jersey Nets. However, injuries riddled his career. The New Orleans native later returned to Villanova to earn his Masters of Business Administration degree. For his entire NBA career, Kittles averaged 14.1 points per game.
Head Coach
Bernie Bickerstaff—Bernie Bickerstaff is a basketball lifer. He served as head coach of the Seattle Supersonics, Denver Nuggets, Washington Bullets/Wizards, Charlotte Bobcats and Los Angles Lakers. He won an NBA title as an assistant coach of the Washington Bullets in 1977-78.
