 Harkness with theLoyola Ramblersc. 1963 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1940-05-07)May 7, 1940 |
| Died | August 24, 2021(2021-08-24) (aged 81) |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Listed weight | 175 lb (79 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | DeWitt Clinton (Bronx, New York) |
| College | Loyola Chicago (1960–1963) |
| NBA draft | 1963: 2nd round, 9th overall pick |
| Drafted by | New York Knicks |
| Playing career | 1963–1969 |
| Position | Point guard |
| Number | 21, 15 |
| Career history | |
| 1963–1964 | New York Knicks |
| 1964–1967 | Twin Cities Sailors |
| 1967–1969 | Indiana Pacers |
| Career highlights | |
| |
| Career NBA and ABA statistics | |
| Points | 618 (7.2 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 233 (2.7 rpg) |
| Assists | 156 (1.8 apg) |
Stats at NBA.com  | |
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |
Jerald B. Harkness (May 7, 1940 – August 24, 2021) was an American professionalbasketball player. He played for theNew York Knicks of theNational Basketball Association (NBA) and theIndiana Pacers of theAmerican Basketball Association (ABA). Harkness playedcollege basketball for theLoyola Ramblers, where he wascaptain of the1962–63 team that won the1963 NCAA national championship. A consensus first-teamAll-American, Harkness was selected by the Knicks in the second round of the1963 NBA draft. He was also acivil rights activist.
Harkness was born inHarlem. Before playing in the professional leagues, the 6-foot-3-inch (1.91 m) Harkness was a star atDeWitt Clinton High School andLoyola University Chicago.[1]
At Loyola, he was a consensus first-teamAll-American and served as captain of its1962–63 team that won the national championship.[2][3] In the first round ofthe NCAA tournament, Loyola defeatedTennessee Tech by 111–42, which as of 2021[update] remains the largest margin of victory (69 points) in anNCAA tournament game. In the second round, Loyola facedMississippi State in a historic match now known as theGame of Change.[4] Facing Loyola's lineup with four black starters, Mississippi State defied segregationists by participating, breaking an unwritten law against Mississippi teams competing against teams with black players. Harkness was enshrined in history as he shook hands withJoe Dan Gold, the white captain of Mississippi State, prior to tip-off. In a 2013 interview, Harkness toldNPR of the handshake: "The flashbulbs just went off unbelievably, and at that time, boy, I knew that this was more than just a game. This was history being made."[2] Loyola beat Mississippi State, then sailed pastIllinois andDuke to reach the tournament final. Loyola then upset theCincinnati Bearcats in overtime to winthe championship game.[5] Harkness and the other four Loyola starters played the entire game, without substitution.[6]
He then advanced to the pros after being drafted by theNew York Knicks in the second round (10th pick overall) of the1963 NBA draft. Harkness played one season (1963–64) with the Knicks. He spent three seasons with the Twin Cities Sailors of theNABL; in his third (and final) NABL season, he was named All-League (2nd team).[7] The honor played a part in him securing an ABA contract with theIndiana Pacers. He then played two seasons (1967–1969) with theABA'sIndiana Pacers.[8]
Though his professional career was relatively short, he left his mark in the record books on November 13, 1967, when he hit an 88-foot-long (27 m) game-winningbuzzer beater to lead the Pacers past theDallas Chaparrals, 119–118.[a] It was the longest shot in professional basketball until 2001, whenBaron Davis hit from 89 feet (27 m) to end the third quarter.[9] Harkness' shot remains the longest game-winning shot ever made.[4]
Harkness became the first African-American salesman forQuaker Oats.[11][12] In 1970, Harkness became the first African-American fundraiser inIndianapolis, working for theUnited Way of Greater Indianapolis. He was Indianapolis' first African-American sportscaster atWTHR (formerly WLWI) in the mid to late 1970s.[13]
He also devoted much of his time tocivil rights issues. He worked with theSouthern Christian Leadership Conference in the early 1970s,[14] and he served as executive director of the Indianapolis chapter of100 Black Men, a national organization dedicated to supporting and training youngAfrican American males.[15]
Harkness died in Indianapolis on August 24, 2021, at the age of 81.[16][17]
On July 11, 2013, in theOval Office of theWhite House, Harkness and former Loyola teammatesJohn Egan,Les Hunter and Ron Miller met with PresidentBarack Obama to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the school's 1963 national championship.[11] To date it remains the only NCAA Division I basketball championship won by a university from the state of Illinois.[18] In September 2013, Harkness and the entire 1963 Loyola Ramblers NCAA Championship basketball team was inducted into theChicagoland Sports Hall of Fame.[19] The 1963 Loyola Ramblers were inducted in theCollege Basketball Hall of Fame in November 2013.[20][21]
In June 2013, Harkness was awarded the Muhammad Ali Athlete Award.[22] He is a member of the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame[23] and the Loyola Athletics Hall of Fame.[24]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
Source[25]
| Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963–64 | New York | 5 | 11.8 | .433 | .375 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 5.8 | |
| 1967–68 | Indiana (ABA) | 71 | 17.5 | .437 | .200 | .682 | 2.7 | 1.8 | 7.0 |
| 1968–69 | Indiana (ABA) | 10 | 27.2 | .463 | – | .638 | 3.4 | 2.1 | 9.2 |
| Career (ABA) | 81 | 18.7 | .440 | .200 | .674 | 2.8 | 1.9 | 7.3 | |
| Career (overall) | 86 | 18.3 | .440 | .200 | .665 | 2.7 | 1.8 | 7.2 | |
| Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Indiana (ABA) | 3 | 10.7 | .333 | – | 1.000 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 3.3 |
· Basketball Reference | International | |
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