Over the last few months, the entire USA’s black community has been raging to get equal rights. It all began when a few police officers shot George Floyd almost the entire country backed up by the “Black Lives Matter” movement. Several NBA players and coaches have come forward to help their community. Former NBA player Craig Hodges was among them.
Hodges used to play in the league back in the 80s when things were even worse for the black community. There was no social media back then, and many things went under the radar. One such thing happened when Hodges requested then-US president George Bush’s staff to provide better treatment to poor communities.
Instead of getting help, Hodges was whiteballed, which ended his career at just 32 years of age.
Craig Hodges in the treatment of his community
According to a report by “The Guardian”, Craig Hodges spoke about the balance between the love of basketball and his community. In the interview Hodges said:
“Black people are my first love, and then basketball. And even though basketball gave me opportunities and opened doors for me my entire life, I wasn’t going to have one without the other. That wasn’t even a question.”
Hodges came forward to help his community amidst these movements. Hodges was a sensational player, but he has proved that he is an even better human. During his career, he was known for his killer 3-point shooting ability.
In fact, he and NBA legend Larry Bird are the only players to win three consecutive 3-point shooting contests. If he was not forced to retire at an early age, Hodges could have achieved a lot more in the league.
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