1972 – Don Barksdale Inducted into Bay Area Hall of Fame

On May 15, 1972, Don Barksdale, the first African American to play for the U.S. Olympic basketball team (1948) and one of the NBA’s earliest Black All-Stars, was inducted into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame. Barksdale’s impact went beyond the court—he was also the first Black radio DJ in the Bay Area and one of the first African Americans to broadcast sports games on local TV. His induction celebrated a lifetime of breaking barriers in athletics, media, and business. Barksdale founded programs to support inner-city youth and was a vocal advocate for racial equity in sports and broadcasting. His influence helped open doors for future generations of athletes and sports commentators, making him a quiet pioneer whose legacy lives on in the worlds of both professional basketball and Black media representation.