Haskins Is Quite Happy He Led Such a Colorful Life

As one of only a couple of players who had been on the court against blacks, Pat Riley was a minority on the Kentucky team that lost to Coach Don Haskins’ Texas Western Miners in the 1966 NCAA championship game.

During Riley’s formative years in Schenectady, N.Y., his father, a minor league baseball manager named Lee, took him from that city’s lily-white, well-manicured Central Park and deposited him on the concrete courts of the ghetto to expose him to the city game.

Riley told his teammates before they faced the predominantly black Miners that the color of their skin was irrelevant, that the only thing that mattered was the game to be played.

But he said many years later that he could tell most of the Kentucky players were intimidated. From the first monster jam by David “Big Daddy” Lattin, the game was finished.

So, gratefully, was an era. Upon his long overdue election into the Basketball Hall of Fame on Monday, Haskins noted that the Southwest Conference, for one, had no black basketball players in 1966 but that two years later, five players on the all-conference team were black.

Four years later, the two-touchdown, 135-yard game by USC’s Sam “Bam” Cunningham in a 42-21 victory over Alabama had the same impact on college football.

“Our national championship had some social significance that might outweigh anything that would ever happen to me,” Haskins said. “I didn’t know it at the time, but our championship in ’66 opened the doors for a lot of black kids.”

Somehow, I doubt that was much consolation to Kentucky’s venerated but not particularly tolerant coach.

“The last time I saw Adolph Rupp that night,” Riley said, “he was walking down the hall toward his hotel room, carrying a brown paper bag by the neck.”

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Don’t worry, Laker fans. Shaq is going to play against the Bulls. . . .

Isn’t he? . . .

As part of their 30th anniversary weekend, the Kings will go retro, wearing their 1967 sweaters in games against St. Louis on March 13 and Calgary on March 15. . . .

Those sweaters were purple, but owner Jack Kent Cooke insisted they be called “Forum blue.” He didn’t have a problem with the color purple, but he detested the word. True story. . . .

Speaking of hockey sweaters, I like the ones the New York Rangers are wearing occasionally with the Statue of Liberty on the front. The Ducks should try something like that, with Sleeping Beauty’s castle. . . .

What universally recognized landmark could the Kings use, Rockingham? . . .

Robert and Beverly Lewis, whose entry of Serena’s Song and Timber Country was favored before last year’s Kentucky Derby, have another promising pair of 3-year-olds racing this week at Santa Anita. Cromwell goes today in a race for maidens, Silver Charm on Saturday in the San Vicente Stakes. . . .

Silver Charm reminds trainer Bob Baffert of Skip Away because of their breeding. “By nothing out of nothing,” he says. “Let’s hope he ends up making as much money.” . . .

Among speakers for Stovall’s All-Sports Clinic from Thursday through Saturday at the Anaheim Convention Center is new Notre Dame Coach Bob Davie. . . .

In recognition of “Black History Month,” an exhibition of memorabilia from baseball’s Negro leagues is on display Tuesdays through Saturdays in February at Anaheim Stadium’s Orange County Hall of Fame. . . .

With that new $12-million Nike deal, I guess Michael Johnson can afford to buy a bigger share of the Dallas Mavericks. Maybe he can turn them into running team. . . .

Cristen Powell, the drag racing high school senior from Portland, Ore., who did so well in last weekend’s Pomona Winternationals, is the fastest young woman since Oksana Baiul.

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The United States’ second-round matches in the Davis Cup against the Netherlands or Romania, scheduled for April 4-6, probably will be awarded to the Palisades Club in Newport Beach.

But that’s only if the Americans escape the first round this weekend in Brazil, where the crowds were so rude last September that Austria’s Thomas Muster walked off the court and defaulted a match.

Besides the usual, hurling coins and insults, he said the fans used mirrors to reflect the sun into his eyes.

Andre Agassi is passing that up?

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While waiting breathlessly for the matchup between Joe Kleine and Luc Longley, I was thinking: Evander Holyfield will beat Mike Tyson again, now we know why Robert Kraft isn’t nicknamed “Crafty,” hurry back Picabo Street.