"Her inspiring story should be bookmarked in history" – Shaquille O'Neal expresses sadness at NBA legend Lusia Harris' death
Four-time NBA champion Shaquille O'Neal expressed his sadness about the death of Lucy Harris on his Twitter account. The late Lusia “Lucy” Harris was a basketball player who has been inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and Women's Basketball Hall of Fame.
O'Neal teamed up with Harris as an executive producer for the documentary “Queen of Basketball.” The documentary brings her story to life, highlighting how she was the greatest women’s basketball player in the United States at the time.
I am extremely saddened at the sudden loss of the unsung legend and fearless trailblazer - Lusia Harris. Her inspiring story should be bookmarked in history. While she rests in peace, let’s celebrate her legacy. https://t.co/r8YAGbsksa
Harris died Tuesday at the age of 66. O'Neal, having spent a lot of time with her recently, was deeply saddened, saying:
“I am extremely saddened at the sudden loss of the unsung legend and fearless trailblazer – Lusia Harris. Her inspiring story should be bookmarked in history. While she rests in peace, let’s celebrate her legacy.”
Harris achieved many historic feats, including being the only female basketball player to ever be drafted by an NBA team. Yes, that's correct. The New Orleans Jazz selected Harris in the 1977 draft. She was surprised to receive the offer, but had to deny it because she was pregnant at the time. O'Neal considers her one of the best sources of inspiration, saying:
“I have three daughters. This is the kind of story that I want them to see.”
O'Neal watched “Queen of Basketball" and then approached Ben Proudfoot about becoming an executive producer on the documentary. He has put in efforts to promote the documentary, leveraging his wide reach. In one of the interviews, Shaq spoke about getting her story out, saying:
“I want to honor Miss Harris, you know, by helping her story get out to the world. I had no idea who she was, and I like to consider myself a basketball aficionado.”
Harris had a noteworthy college basketball career at Delta State, completing a three-peat, between 1973 and 1976. For the United States, she won a silver medal in the 1976 Summer Olympic Games, in Montreal. In five games, Harris averaged 15.2 points and 7 rebounds. She is also the first women's basketball player to score a basket in the Olympics.
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Despite her list of achievements, Harris was unknown to most. Throughout her career, she has put up staggering numbers, playing at a high level. “The Queen of Basketball” is a reminder of who she was and what she did for the sport. In the past, Shaq has explained the impact her story can have, saying:
“I want to see Lusia on the Oscars and the red carpet, and want her to have that moment in which she gets to talk to an even larger audience, and be able to inspire the future generations.”
The documentary has been shortlisted as a nomination for an Oscar. The short film portrays Harris’ career and her impact on the sport. O'Neal seems more than happy he was involved in the process of bringing her recognition.