ROCHESTER, Mich. — More than six decades after his death, basketball pioneer Harry “Buckey” Lew finally received the recognition he so richly deserved when he was posthumously enshrined in the American Basketball Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026.
Oakland University was packed with basketball fans, community leaders and sports legends who came to celebrate Lew and the other members of one of the most distinguished classes in Hall of Fame history.
NBA greats Dave Bing and Derrick Coleman were among those in attendance. Also on hand was former NBA player and Michigan State University standout Greg Kelser, a former teammate of Magic Johnson and a member of the Spartans’ 1979 NCAA national championship team.
Lew made history in 1902 when he became the first African American to play professional basketball. Despite breaking one of the sport’s earliest racial barriers, his remarkable accomplishments went largely unrecognized by the basketball establishment for generations.
Lew died in 1963, but on Sunday, his legacy was brought back into the national spotlight.
“This was one of the greatest classes and induction ceremonies we have ever presented,” said LaMont “ShowBoat” Robinson, founder of the American Basketball Hall of Fame and a Hall of Famer. “I am grateful that so many people came out to support these deserving legends. Most of all, I am happy to see Buckey Lew finally receive his much-deserved recognition.”
Robinson also called upon the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame to honor Lew in Springfield, Massachusetts—the city where Lew lived for more than 35 years and where he is buried.
“Buckey Lew helped open the door for every African American who followed him into professional basketball,” Robinson said. “It is only fitting that the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in the city Buckey called home, induct him sooner rather than later. His story is American history, Black history and basketball history.”
The American Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2026 also included:
- Tom Wilson — Longtime Detroit Pistons and professional sports executive
- Marvin Owens — University of Detroit basketball great
- Julius McCoy — Michigan State University standout and Eastern Basketball League star
- Benny White — Michigan State University basketball standout
- Michael Rizik Sr. — Contributor and influential figure in the Eastern Basketball League
- Debbie Miller-Palmore — Former Boston University star and member of the 1980 U.S. Women’s National Olympic Basketball Team
- Frank Sincek — Member of Farrell High School’s 1959 Pennsylvania state championship team and head coach of the program from 1979 through 1991
Each inductee made a lasting contribution to basketball at the professional, collegiate, high school or international level. Together, they represent the American Basketball Hall of Fame’s mission to recognize celebrated legends, overlooked pioneers and deserving contributors whose accomplishments helped shape the game.
“We will rest today, but on Monday, we begin working on the Class of 2027,” Robinson said. “Our goal is to present the ninth American Basketball Hall of Fame induction ceremony during NCAA Final Four championship weekend. We are going to continue honoring the people whose stories deserve to be remembered.”
For Harry “Buckey” Lew, Sunday’s enshrinement represented more than another Hall of Fame honor. It was a historic wrong finally being corrected—and a powerful reminder that the pioneers who opened basketball’s doors must never be forgotten.
