Marques Haynes, who was the Globetrotter starting the magic circle, will take the lead. At 6 p.m. Saturday, about 700 will watch the foundation honor basketball pioneers and others during the Fifth Annual Gathering of Legends dinner and ceremony in the Cobo Conference Center's Riverfront Ballroom. During that era, the Brewster Recreation Center was one of the few places blacks could play in. Quotas on the number of black players allowed on teams prevented some players from playing professionally. Wendy Palmer of the Detroit Shock will receive a service and community award.
Funding is needed to teach children the importance of having values on and off the court.
Valerie D. Lockhart is a Metro Detroit free-lance writer.