It may have been a publicity stunt, but the action itself spoke volumes.
In 1977, New Orleans Jazz general manager Lewis Shaffel did something never done before – he drafted Lusia Harris in the seventh round, making her the first woman ever selected by an NBA team.
Although Harris never made it to training camp with the Jazz, mostly because she was pregnant at the time, the legacy she left behind is unmistakable.
One of the pioneers of women’s basketball, Harris died Tuesday at the age of 66 in Greenwood, Mississippi.
“We are deeply saddened to share the news that our angel, matriarch, sister, mother, grandmother, Olympic medalist, basketball queen, Lusia Harris passed away unexpectedly today in Mississippi,” said the family in a statement. “The past few months have brought great joy to Ms Harris, including the news of her youngest son’s upcoming wedding and the outpouring of recognition received by a recent documentary which brought her story to worldwide attention. »
We are saddened to learn of the passing of Lusia Harris, basketball pioneer and the only woman drafted by an NBA team, selected in the 1977 draft by the New Orleans Jazz.
Our thoughts are with his family pic.twitter.com/38zlTMnx25
– Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) January 19, 2022
Harris is known as one of the greatest female basketball players of all time. She scored the first points in women’s basketball history at the 1976 Summer Olympics, averaging 15.2 points and 7.0 rebounds in five games, leading the United States to the silver medal .
All-American while attending Delta State University, Harris was instrumental in leading her team to three consecutive Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) national championships from 1975 to 1977.
She finished her college career as the school’s all-time scoring (2,981 points) and rebounding (1,662) leader. She averaged 25.9 points and 14.4 rebounds per game, going 109-6 throughout her four-year tenure.
Her last accolades came in the 1990s when she was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992, the first black woman to earn the accolade. Then, in 1999, she was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame as one of the first 26 inductees.
“She will be remembered for her charity, for her accomplishments on and off the court, and the light she brought to her community, the state of Mississippi, her country as the first woman to score a field goal. at the Olympics, and to women who play basketball around the world,” the statement read.
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