Harry Bucky Lew - by Chris Boucher (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Harry "Bucky" Lew leapt over pro basketball's color wall in 1902 and continued to integrate every single role in the game over the next 25 years. He was the first Black player, coach, manager, referee, and franchise owner in otherwise white leagues. His accomplishments were well documented in the newspapers of his day, but he has largely been forgotten, despite his assist to the Dodgers in finding a home for their first Black players in the United States and the full integration of all major league sports that soon followed. Covering Lew's entire sporting career and major league legacy, this biography shows how he persevered and triumphed over adversity to provide a shining example for those seeking full participation across the sports spectrum.

Review Quotes

"Detailed and rich, Chris brings 'Bucky' Lew's legacy to life with a keen researcher's precision and a loyal fan's heart. He restores to the record--and to the game itself--a legend too long overlooked."--Jason Winders, author of George Dixon: The Short Life of Boxing's First Black World Champion, 1870-1908

"Boucher's book tells the important story of a man whose name should not be forgotten. Bucky Lew's major league legacy includes the influence he had on the Dodgers' desegregation of pro baseball as well as the AFL's accelerated integration of pro football, led in part led by my father, Patriots' founder William Sullivan, Jr. I'm proud to have learned that my grandfather and great-uncle partnered with Lew over a century ago, and while their names are not known to many, the impact of their actions remains with us today."--Patrick Sullivan, former General Manager of the New England Patriots

"Most basketball historians have heard of Harry 'Bucky' Lew, the game's first Black pro player. But with a longstanding dearth of research into Lew's life, that's often where the conversation ends. That dearth is now officially over with the publication of author Chris Boucher's Harry "Bucky" Lew: A Biography of Basketball's First Black Professional. Boucher has placed his hands and curiosity on the needed research materials to chronicle Lew's wonderful life and pinpoint his enduring legacy to American sports. Do yourself a favor. Get a copy of Boucher's eye-opening book."--Bob Kuska, author of Hot Potato: How Washington and New York Gave Birth to Black Basketball and Changed America's Game Forever

About the Author

A lifelong basketball fan and resident of Lowell, Massachusetts, Chris Boucher hadn't heard of Bucky Lew until he started researching early basketball in his backyard. He was shocked to learn all his hometown hero accomplished and now hopes to get Lew his proper due.