Long Time Coming: A Black Athelete's Coming-Of-Age in America

by Chet Walker, Chris Messenger

A player for the Chicago Bulls during the sixties and seventies and one of the first black basketball stars looks back on his life and career, criticizing the treatment of black athletes by the sports establishment. 25,000 first printing. $30,000 ad/promo. Tour.

258 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 1995

Reviews

[Elliot · Rating 5 out of 5]

very thoughtful and genuine autobiography of a famous basketball player who we never knew; how rich and poignant to know him as a full dimensioned man;

much about being black, growing up in the 40's and 50's; the callous part of college b-ball - Coach Orsborn at Bradley; the racism - not being able to eat or sleep where the white players did in late 50's; glimpses of other players like Oscar Robertson, Wilt, Cliff Ray, Elgin Baylor etc.

what a treat for me having cheered "Chet the Jet" as a 7 year old in Peoria

[Jim Gold · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chet Walker, high school, college, and pro basketball star, was born in 1940 in rural Mississippi and moved with his mother and many siblings to Benton Harbor, Michigan in 1950. He tells revealing and poignant stories of his life and the times that shaped him. Confident on the court, he shares his vulnerabilities and anger off the court in response to the racist world he lived in. One story is of his young sister who died of TB after she was denied admission to a segregated Mississippi hospital.

I was a fan of Mr. Walker when he played for the Bulls in the late 60's and 70's, both for his talent and quiet intelligent demeanor. and this book confirmed my distant admiration. Although far more substantive than the typical sports star bio, the book also is a treat for those who followed basketball during Chet's playing years. It vividly portrays the striking contrasts between the life of an athlete during his era and what we have today.

[Rob Sheinkopf · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has been around a while, but it holds up. I read it when it first came out many years ago, and enjoyed it just as much, rereading it this past week. Really well written and presented, highly recommended.