Jack Givens, right, was one of the UK players on the court when five African-Americans played together for the first time at Kentucky during the 1975-76 season. (Larry Vaught Photo)
The University of Kentucky placed life-sized statues outside of Commonwealth Stadium to honor the first four African-American players — Nate Northington, Greg Page, Wilbur Hackett and Houston Hogg — to play football at the school.
Recently Tom Leach, play-by-play voice on the UK Radio Network for Kentucky football and basketball, suggested on “The Leach Report” that it might be time for basketball to do something similar after a history lesson from former UK All-American Jack Givens, his partner on UK basketball broadcasts.
Givens was sharing memories of his former UK teammate Larry Johnson after Johnson’s passing. He talked about what Johnson meant on and off the court to him and others in the 1970’s at UK.
“One of the things I talked about in my book (They Call Me Goose: My Life in Kentucky Basketball and Beyond) was a very historic moment for Kentucky basketball. It probably doesn’t mean anything now but back in those days when we were here it meant a lot,” Givens told Leach.
During Givens’ sophomore season in 1975-76, Kentucky played five African-American players — Johnson, Givens, James Lee, Reggie Warford and Merion Haskins — at the same time. It was the first time that had ever happened.
“I know today that does not probably seem like much but it was then. Times were changing and changing in a positive way,” Givens said. “But to be able to say it was the first at anything like that was hugely important in Kentucky basketball history. LJ (Larry Johnson) was a part of that, so I just thought I would throw in that significant moment in UK basketball history.”
Leach called it “tremendously significant” when he suggested a statue would be a fitting tribute. He also pointed out it recognized a wide area since Givens and Lee were from Lexington while Johnson from Morganfield, Haskins from Campbellsville and Warford from Drakesboro. Warford was also the first African-American basketball player to graduate from UK.
