Compared to his team-leading achievements in the NCAA, Donald Haskins was better known for his glorious deeds.
The era when Haskins became the Miners' coach in 1965 was the peak of racial discrimination.
In this era, the black civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. had just delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech.
In the society of that time, arrogant whites looked down on the "stupid, ugly, barbaric" blacks.
This atmosphere was especially strong in campus basketball like the NCAA.
Even though geniuses like Chamberlain and Russell had already appeared in the NBA, white people still held prejudices against blacks, considering them a group of savage monkeys.
At that time, the 10 players starting on the NCAA finals court were all white.
Black players were always the lowest creatures on the team, suffering cold stares from whites in the locker room, unable to resist when beaten or scolded. Daring to resist would prove blacks were savage.
Light punishment would be expulsion from the university; heavy punishment could even involve jail time.
And Haskins, in such an era, recruited 7 black players in one breath.
At that time, this could be said to be treasonous.
Whites generally believed Haskins betrayed the white race. He even received a large number of insults and death threat letters demanding he stop using blacks.
All of Texas was ashamed of him, rejecting his team.
However.
Haskins went his own way, insisting on using black players.
Because the Miners only had this way to win at the time.
Yes, Yuuto didn't think Donald was truly that noble; he was just forced by circumstances.
Thinking about it, why would the Miners hire a rookie coach who had only coached a high school girls' basketball team before?
The Miners at the time were completely ignored by the school, the market was dismal, and their record wasn't even worth mentioning.
They had reached a dispensable stage, which gave Haskins the opportunity to take the position.
However, perhaps Haskins wasn't truly that noble, but he was definitely brave and had a unique eye for talent.
He boldly utilized 7 black players with explosive athletic talent.
This decision affected his entire life.
In early 1966, the Miners set sail completely. They swept through everything that year, breaking into March Madness, and finally reaching the championship game.
Their opponent in the final was the Kentucky Wildcats, with countless star players, including the future NBA godfather Pat Riley.
The Wildcats' Rupp showed no respect in the pre-game interview, saying, "I'll teach those blacks a lesson."
These words gained him a lot of support...
36 years later, Donald recalled the situation back then like this:
"They couldn't wait for us to lose, to see us leave the arena in disgrace. But at least 13 people firmly believed we could win. (Players and coaching staff)."
That was the situation.
But Donald was definitely wrong. Blacks in the US at the time all hoped they could defeat the all-white Wildcats.
In the end.
Haskins succeeded. He led the Miners to defeat the Wildcats 72:65 to lift the cup.
This was the greatest achievement of his life.
Through this battle, Donald became one of the greatest head coaches in basketball history.
His achievement didn't lie in how many accolades he won in his life, but that he gave black people the qualification to step onto the court.
The famous coach Rick Majerus, who coached college basketball for a long time, also evaluated this game.
He believed, "This was a victory of great social significance in sports history. This final changed the fate of Haskins and black people; they allowed US basketball to enter a new era of black and white coexistence."
Such a coach—his actions had long surpassed the achievements of his career.
And such a person turned out to be Yamashita Shio's teacher.
"But I heard he passed away last year."
Yuuto naturally knew Haskins. The movie Glory Road adapted the story of Haskins and his disciples, released in 2006.
"Yes, he passed away." Yamashita Shio returned from sadness to reality.
"In fact, Teacher had already announced his retirement in 1999. He hasn't been the coach of the Miners for a long time."
"Then..."
"When Teacher was alive, he had a good friend, Coach Bob Knight."
Another NCAA legend. But this one didn't have as good a reputation as Haskins.
This man was the legendary coach of Indiana University and had once scolded the God of Basketball, Jordan, to tears.
He was the same type of coach as the bald instructor in Whiplash.
He was once fired for choking a student who wasn't polite during an etiquette class on campus.
After that, Knight rested for a year before setting off again, going to TTU (Texas Tech University) to coach, becoming the head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders basketball team.
Setting aside this person's character, his coaching ability was beyond reproach.
During his time at TTU, he led the team to the Sweet Sixteen, creating the team's best record in half a century.
However, according to Yuuto's knowledge, shouldn't this extremely bad-tempered head coach have retired last year?
Yuuto thought for a moment but didn't delve into it. The world was different; he couldn't project the original world onto it.
"What does this have to do with me going abroad?"
"I plan to recommend you to play under Coach Knight."
"Huh?"
"Although the Texas Tech basketball team isn't a basketball powerhouse, the head coach is an excellent coach."
Could he not be excellent?
For TTU, the National Top 16 was a historic achievement, but for Bob Knight, it wasn't worth mentioning.
He had won all honors in campus basketball in the mid-1970s and early 80s, including the Olympic gold medal and NCAA championship.
A college Top 16 meant nothing to him.
"I talked to Coach Knight about you. He is very interested in you, but you are still too young. I hope you finish high school before landing in the US."
Yamashita Shio lit a cigarette for himself.
He believed Yuuto wasn't ready yet—not physically, but more importantly, psychologically.
In Japan, Yuuto would be held in the palms of all head coaches, treated like a treasure.
Not in the US. There were plenty of geniuses like Yuuto there. Not to mention Coach Knight's fiery temper, which even scolded Jordan to collapse.
Without preparation, one couldn't play normally under him.
"He's interested in me?"
"Yes, because times have changed."
Yamashita Shio looked a bit despondent when saying this.
The era belonging to him, Haskins, and Knight had indeed changed.
After Knight coached TTU, he wasn't satisfied with a Top 16. His goal was always the National Championship—that was the only place he belonged.
However.
He had to admit, he could no longer persuade the parents of those geniuses by saying "Come to my school, and I will ensure your son graduates with a degree" like in the past.
In this era, a degree was worthless to a prospective NBA player. Geniuses just wanted to enter the NBA quickly to make big money.
...
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