THE GREATEST MOVES ON WITH QUIET POETIC GRACE

Cassius Clay who later became known as Muhammad Ali followed

the reserve gentleman boxer Floyd Patterson and the brutal stalking

slugger Sonny Liston as the heavyweight champion of the boxing

world.  Clay/Ali became the embodiment of the modern, trash-talking

professional athlete.                                                                                                                             

Sadly he has left us, which once more underscores the essential 

importance of every single life.

In a peculiar way, it made me think of my own brother  who was also a trash talker, Gene (as in

Gene Tunney who twice defeated the immortal Jack Dempsey).

Gene told me,” Hundreds of people told him that their lives were saved by my helping them get rid of their addictions”.

Muhammad Ali and my brother Gene are no longer with us but I am proud to say they are both in my thoughts.

I thank them both for the inspiration each has been to...

yours truly,

Dr. John (Jumpin' Johnny) Kline, Ph.D.

“Barnstormin”- The Historical Journey of African American Basketball Players – The Beginning Years 1891 - 1960 All American “Jumpin Johnny” Kline played with the Harlem Globetrotters from 1953 though 1959, then returned to Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan to earn his Bachelor, Master and Ph.D. degrees. He has put together a “Barnstormin” exhibit of the history of the African American Legends of Professional Basketball. This exhibit is unique and covers all the major teams and stars in African American professional basketball from 1891 through 1960. This exhibit includes Paul LeRoy Bustill Robeston who was a multi-lingual American actor, an athlete, a Basso cantata concert singer, a writer and a civil rights activist. Paul Robeston was also the star of the St. Christopher Club basketball team that won the Colored Basketball World Championship in 1917. The exhibit contains photos of teams and players through the 1920’s and 1930’s that feature the New York Renaissance team called the “Rens” and the Harlem Globetrotters. This “Barnstormin” exhibit is unique and educates fans about the history of African American professional basketball players up to their start in the National Basketball Association (NBA) when they allowed only two Black players per NBA team. The irony is, today when left up to player ability only, over 93 % of all players in the NBA are African American. This exhibit is available to educate the public about African American player’s contributions to the game of Professional Basketball. Here are some of the photos from this exhibit with Dr. Kline. I have maintained this unique exhibit and it has been displayed at Colleges and Universities around the country. It has educated and answered questions about these African American pioneers of professional basketball for many basketball fans. There are more fans that need to know the contribution that African American pioneer players made to professional basketball. Contact me by phone at (615) 457-3418 for more information about this exhibit. Dr. John L. Kline Ph.D. Founder and President Black Legends of Professional Basketball Foundation

“Barnstormin”- The Historical Journey of African American Basketball Players – The Beginning Years 1891 - 1960

                        

          All American “Jumpin Johnny” Kline played with the Harlem Globetrotters from 1953 though 1959, then returned to Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan to earn his Bachelor, Master and Ph.D. degrees.

          He has put together a “Barnstormin” exhibit of the history of the African American Legends of Professional Basketball. This exhibit is unique and covers all the major teams and stars in African American professional basketball from 1891 through 1960.

          This exhibit includes Paul LeRoy Bustill Robeston who was a multi-lingual American actor, an athlete, a Basso cantata concert singer, a writer and a civil rights activist. Paul Robeston was also the star of the St. Christopher Club basketball team that won the Colored Basketball World Championship in 1917.

          The exhibit contains photos of teams and players through the 1920’s and 1930’s that feature the New York Renaissance team called the “Rens” and the Harlem Globetrotters.

          This “Barnstormin” exhibit is unique and educates fans about the history of African American professional basketball players up to their start in the National Basketball Association (NBA) when they allowed only two Black players per NBA team. The irony is, today when left up to player ability only, over 93 % of all players in the NBA are African American.

          This exhibit is available to educate the public about African American player’s contributions to the game of Professional Basketball. Here are some of the photos from this exhibit with Dr. Kline.

   

      

    

          I have maintained this unique exhibit and it has been displayed at Colleges and Universities around the country. It has educated and answered questions about these African American pioneers of professional basketball for many basketball fans.

          There are more fans that need to know the contribution that  African American pioneer players made to professional basketball. Contact me by phone at (615) 457-3418 for more information about this exhibit.

Dr. John L. Kline Ph.D.

Founder and President

Black Legends of Professional Basketball Foundation

Prince Passing: One of Our Own Has Left Us

Re: PPLS. POST: NEW ENDING: PRINCE PASSING: One of Our Own Has Left Us

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Highly paid athletes are always validated in their earnings when their agents and apologists

point out that their salaries are part and privileged parcel of the huge Entertainment and Leisure

dollar that is dished out daily to deliver us from the mundane aspects of our everyday lives. (The

large difference between sports and movies or music-videos is that fans at a sporting event

do not know how a game will end.  The outcome is magically in doubt.)  Prince, an immensely

talented performer, has been a member of that select fraternity of entertainers and athletes for

over three decades.  His passing underscores the significance of life's final lesson:  That this life

always ends in sadness, if not for the person who has left us, surely for those left behind feeling

the loss of a loved or admired one.  And when that life concludes prematurely, as with Prince

or Michael Jackson before him, the tragedy is even greater.  Now, if the coroner's findings bear

out that considerably more than prescription drugs hastened Prince's demise, I have been there,

too, in a previous life.  But, having overcome my own demons long ago, I am most happy and

very content still living here in the present life, thank you.

Yours truly,

Dr. John "Jumpin' Johnny" Kline

An open letter to "Steph" Curry of the Golden State Warriors from Jimal Mack the Great Grandson of Dr. "Jumpin' Johnny" Kline:

Dear Mr. Curry,

I write on behalf of my great grandfather, Dr. John Kline, who is the oldest living Harlem Globetrotter at age 85.  There are so many parallels between you and him that I felt compelled to pen you a short note that hopefully will be of interest and concern.  In his day, Jumpin' Johnny (as he was called) was, like you, the best player on the best professional basketball team of his era: the Harlem Globetrotters. Like your team today, they would never lose.  In fact, that is the title of his autobiography, Never Lose, now in its third printing.

I wish that never losing had been the case for my great grandpa when he tried out for the Detroit Pistons in 1957. 

Despite excelling, particularly in tandem with their best player, George Yardley, who went on that year to become the first NBA player to eclipse 2,000 points,  Jumpin' Johnny was cut from the squad before the regular season opened.  His coach, Charlie Eckman, had a difficult time telling him, as my great grandfather well recalls, and even said that if it were his decision-- and not the front office's-- he would have signed him on.

As a result, he was deprived of a handsome living and today receives no pension from the NBA. 

Rather than seek some measure of "reparations", Dr. John recently sought employment once again at his golden age with the league as an historian-at-large and roving ambassador of the sport.  Again, he was declined by the NBA and offered, instead, token concessions that had more to do with recognition-- he is already an honorary member of the Hall of Fame-- than they did with meaningful restitution of lost income and pension.

In conclusion, I write to you to see if you might conceive of a creative way toward righting the injustice in the same manner as your imaginative play on the hard court.

As my great grandfather often says:  there might be a statute of limitations regarding legal recourse, but there is no statute of limitations when it comes to human decency.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Jimal Mack

Saving Black Professional Basketball Pioneers

by Darlene House

After decades of earning distinction both on and off the basketball court, Dr. John L. “Jumpin’ Johnny” Kline could just rest on his laurels. The All-American and oldest living Harlem Globetrotter player is a living legend destined for more than days in a rocking chair reflecting on his past. Kline pledged to focus on securing a brighter future for other African-American professional basketball pioneers.

“The NBA would not be what it is today without the contributions of these outstanding athletes,” Kline explained. These individuals are not household names although perhaps they would be if it were not for an unwritten policy.

“The ‘two-fer’ system was practiced by a lot of white owners in the 1950s to 1960s who didn’t want to have a lot of African-Americans playing for them,” Kline explained. “It controlled the flow of African-Americans into major sports where the owners felt minorities could or would not be willing to buy large quantities of tickets.” Kline experienced the impact of this prejudice-linked policy when he tried out for the Detroit Pistons.

There are five other living African-American basketball pioneers dealing with consequences of “two-fer” policy implementation. Those seasoned athletes and the teams that turned them away are Ernie Wagner-Milwaukee Bucks, Carl Green-Philadelphia Warriors, Herman Taylor-Baltimore Bullets plus George Brown and Bob Williams-Minneapolis Lakers. They represent what Kline calls the “Soul of Basketball” featuring an all-inclusive history of the game spotlighting its often forgotten pioneers.  Including himself, Kline calls them all “The Legends Six”.

“Some of the players who were my contemporaries are struggling to survive,” Kline shared. They don’t have pensions or the means to pay for their medical expenses much less keep up with the cost of living increases. As the Black Legends of Professional Basketball Founder and President, Kline has kept in touch with and offered support for needy players. He has literally kept some of them from being homeless.

It has been said that noteworthy men are often appreciated more away from their homeland. Harlem Globetrotters acted as “Goodwill Ambassadors” traveling near and far in support of domestic affairs and international diplomacy before NBA gained fame abroad. Like Negro Baseball League players, African-American basketball pioneers during the Barnstormin’ period experienced severe discrimination and prejudice with minimal pay and opportunities for improvement. “Barnstormin’ offered a way for struggling players to make extra dollars,” Kline explained.

Kline realizes he can’t correct past wrongs and change the world all by himself. He is seeking assistance from the NBA, corporations, organizations and individuals. One way to help is make a 100 percent tax deductible donation to Black Legends of Professional Basketball Foundation for “Soul of Basketball” players in need of assistance.

Other “Soul of Basketball” support options include hosting a traveling exhibit spotlighting African-American professional basketball from 1900 to 1950 and purchasing related Barnstormin’ merchandise including caps and shirts. Kline is available to continue his tradition of working hard for money by being a keynoter/Q & A session facilitator. Kline can also share insights about sure-fire lessons of his innovative Power Living Lifestyle program. For additional information, visit blacklegends.org or call 615.457.3418.