RIP Henry Logan

[ladypanther]

Most of you are probably saying ...who is that?

Well, as some people put it...before there was Michael Jordan there was Henry Logan. He paved the way.

If you are old enough and lived in western NC...you know who he was.

 

He played high school basketball at Stephens-Lee High School in Asheville, North Carolina.[1][2]

After high school Logan became the first African-American collegiate basketball player in the history of North Carolina and perhaps at any predominantly white institution in the southeastern United States when he enrolled at and played basketball for Western Carolina University.[3][4]

The Western Carolina University Board of Trustees wrote that Logan was “the first African-American basketball player to be recruited by and play for a predominantly white institution in the Southeast".[3]

At WCU Logan scored 60 points in a game against Atlantic Christian in 1967, and he holds the record for most points in a season (1,049), a career (3,290) and highest career points average (30.7).[3]

Logan led the nation in scoring for the 1967–68 season, when he averaged 36.2 points a game.[4]

Logan helped the United States take the gold medal in the 1967 Pan American Games.[3]

In 2000, the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame inducted Logan as member of its 37th class. Others in his induction class included Duke head basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski and Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson.[3][4]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Logan_(basketball)

Another good read: https://carolinassportshub.com/55-years-ago-this-season-henry-logan-became-a-pioneer-at-western-carolina-in-the-old-carolinas-conference/

Not only was Logan the first African-American to play college basketball in an previously all-white conference in the South, but his playing style foreshadowed some of the greatest players in the history of the sport he played.

And Logan’s impact continues to be felt.

Not only did every league in the South integrate their athletic teams within 10 years of Logan’s historic freshman year of 1964-65 but longtime basketball observers consider Logan’s high-jumping playing style the direct line to future in-state basketball greats like Boiling Springs’ David Thompson and Wilmington’s Michael Jordan.

“He was absolutely stunning as a player,” Dave Odom told The Gaston Gazette in 2004. “You know, people talk about Thompson and Jordan and all these great players. And they were all great players. But none were better than Henry Logan. None.”

Before Logan left Western Carolina after four seasons starring for the Catamounts as a four-time all-conference player and one time league player of the year, Logan held records that will almost certainly never be broken.

As happened too frequently back in those days...a good athlete could just skip academics.  Henry was in college for 4 years...went to the NBA...and he could not read.  He also developed addiction problems.  He conquered both illiteracy and addiction and became a leader in his community (Asheville) after basketball.

He was honored a few months ago:

https://www.citizen-times.com/story/sports/2023/03/16/henry-logan-basketball-asheville-north-carolina-black-segregation-wcu-aba-injury-alcoholism/70004553007/

He died today unexpectedly....probably from heart problems.  I know this because his sister is a very good friend of mine and she called me a short while.

He was a sports legend but I honor him for the man he became.

 

[Anybodyhome]

I listened to stories about him when I lived in Asheville from 1998-2000. Most everything I read about him then was only his athletic abilities and his career at WCU. I was not aware of his post-career life, but everything else I heard and read led me to believe he was a better all-around player than MJ.

[LinvilleGorge]

A lot of ties to WCU basketball here in town with Casey Rogers and Corey Largent playing there and long-time Freedom HS HC Terry Rogers going there to coach (undoubtedly the primary reason Casey and Corey went to WCU, though Casey swore that it was because they were promised to be four year starters which they were).