Moonfixer: The Basketball Journey of Earl Lloyd

Acknowledgments

xxxv Acknowledgments During my life I have acquired many “families” of friends and supporters. I would like to give thanks to: My Alexandria, Virginia, family, which included my parents and brothers, gave me love, positive values, and support; My Parker-Gray High School family encouraged my intellectual growth and athletic ability; My West Virginia State College family embraced me, educated me, and guided me into manhood; My Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association family taught me sportsmanship and teamwork; My Washington, D.C., family exposed me to the value of community and perseverance; My Syracuse, New York, and NBA families assisted me with the transition into a racially diverse America and into the world of professional sports; My Detroit, Michigan, family provided me with the opportunity to grow and blossom professionally and personally; My Hall of Fame family recognized me for a professional job well done; My Fairfield Glade and Crossville, Tennessee, family taught me the fine art of relaxation; and To my friend Sean Kirst, thank you for your collaboration, vision, and patience. Finally, a very special note of gratitude and appreciation to my wife, Charlita, and my sons, Kenneth, Kevin, and David, for their love and constant encouragement. xxxvi | Acknowledgments All of you have given me strength and fortitude; I cannot thank you enough. —Earl Lloyd, September 2009 A word of thanks to many friends. Mike Connor, Charlene Wheeler, and Molly Elliott of the Syracuse Post-Standard were generous in their assistance with the location and use of photographs and articles, as were the staff at Earl Lloyd’s beloved alma mater, West Virginia State University, especially Sean McAndrews, sports information director, who made a point of coming up with whatever we needed, fast. Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick, a disciple of baseball history, allowed us to use a rare photograph of Jackie Robinson in Syracuse. Le Moyne College in Syracuse provided full access to the materials in its Danny Biasone Collection. The National Basketball Association was helpful in locating photographs, statistics, and archival material, especially in the frantic last days before deadline. Thank you, Zelda. Many supporting interviews helped with my understanding of Earl’s journey. I am particularly grateful to Don “Peewee” Caldwell, Bill Sharman , Dick McGuire, and Bobby Vaughan for their time and insight. Also, a word of tribute for Eugene “Moon” Williams, jazz aficionado and Earl’s dear friend from the Fifteenth Ward in Syracuse. He did not live to see the publication of this book, but he is part of the celebration. Staff members at the Syracuse University Press were passionate about this project from day one. They handled the manuscript with a gentle touch and endless patience. Thanks to Mike Streissguth, biographer of Johnny Cash, for his wisdom over coffee in the early stages of this book. Bob McCrone, a neighbor and good friend, gave the manuscript a thorough last-minute read. David Ramsey, a fine writer who is now with the Colorado Springs Gazette, shared my reverence for the Nats when we worked in the same building in Syracuse ; I miss our regular conversations about Earl, Dolph, and Danny and the team. Love and thanks, as always, to my wife, Nora, and my children— Sarah, Seamus, and Liam—who remained good-natured about the eternal Acknowledgments | xxxvii stack of papers and documents in the dining room. They had my back; without their support, this doesn’t happen. Finally, it is impossible to express my gratitude toward Earl and his wife, Charlita. My long friendship with the Lloyds, in all ways, has been a gift. —Sean Kirst, September 2009 Moonfixer ...