NBA’s First Black All-Star a Bullet and a Celtic

In February, Barksdale was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame by the Early African-American Pioneers Committee. Barksdale, a Berkeley, Calif. native, was influenced greatly by baseball great Jackie Robinson, who played college football at UCLA, a school Barksdale would later attend. “I was about 14 years old when I first saw Jackie, and I’d have to say he was my first big hero,” said Barksdale.