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{{Short description|American basketball player (1943–2002)}}
'''Bobby Joe Hill''' (1943-2002) was one of the first Black men in the [[United States]] to play in an [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]] [[basketball]] league.Bobby Joe Hill
{{Infobox basketball biography
Birth: 1943
| name = Bobby Joe Hill
Highland Park (Wayne County)
| image = Bobby Joe Hill 1967.jpeg
Wayne County
| caption = Hill, circa 1967
Michigan, USA
| height_ft = 5
Death: Dec. 8, 2002
| height_in = 11
El Paso
| weight_lb =
El Paso County
| birth_date = {{birth date|1943|06|12}}
Texas, USA
| birth_place = [[Highland Park, Michigan]], U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|2002|12|08|1943|06|12}}
Dynamic basketball player. Bobby Joe Hill was the 5 foot ten point guard on the 1966 Texas Western (now known as the University of Texas at El Paso or UTEP) college basketball team that won the national title. Texas Western's win over top ranked Kentucky, who was nicknamed "Rupp's Runts," in the title game in College Park, Maryland, was one of the most historic games in the annals of college basketball. The school's all-black starting five defeated a lilly-white Kentucky team, 72-65. Bobby Joe Hill was the flashiest player on the court. In the first half, he stole the ball from both Louie Dampier and [[Pat Riley]] within the span of a minute and converted each steal into an easy layup. He led all scorers with twenty points, and his play was complemented by talented teammates Harry Flournoy, Nevil Shed, Dave "Big Daddy" Lattin, and Willie Worsley. Don Haskins coached Texas Western, and the legendary [[Adolph Rupp]] directed Kentucky. The Miners' victory over the Kentucky Wildcats marked the end of racial segregation in college basketball and essentially proved the superiority of black athletes in the sport. It is interesting to note that Don Haskins and the entire Texas Western squad endured racial threats, insults, vandalism, and violence throughout the 1965-1966 season. The coach and his players were undeterred by such despicable behavior and shone brilliantly on the court in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. Bobby Joe Hill stayed in El Paso after his Texas Western career and retired as an executive with El Paso Natural Gas. He died of a heart attack at age 59. Don Haskins deplored Hill's death deeply. The story of Bobby Joe Hill and the 1966 Texas Western national championship has been immortalized in the film "Glory Road," which was released across the country in January, 2006, forty years after the "fabulous five" forever altered the landscape of college basketball.
| death_place = [[El Paso, Texas]], U.S.
| high_school = [[Highland Park Community High School|Highland Park]]<br>(Highland Park, Michigan)
| college = [[UTEP Miners basketball|UTEP]] (1961–1966)
| draft_year = 1966
| career_position = [[Guard (basketball)|Guard]]
| highlights =
* [[List of NCAA Men's Division I Basketball champions|NCAA champion]] ([[1966 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament|1966]])
}}
'''Tyrone<!-- see NYT source --> Bobby Joe Hill''' (June 12, 1943 – December 8, 2002) was an American [[basketball]] player and was the leading scorer of the 1965–66 Texas Western College (now the [[University of Texas at El Paso]]) team,<ref name="NYT">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/13/sports/bobby-joe-hill-59-college-basketball-star.html|title=Bobby Joe Hill, 59, College Basketball Star|last=Litsky|first=Frank|date=2002-12-13|work=The New York Times|access-date=2018-04-26|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> helping the Miners win the [[1966 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament|1966 NCAA basketball championship]]. The victory is considered one of the most important wins in sports history{{citation needed|date=April 2018}} – Texas Western started an all-black starting lineup, against the all-white University of Kentucky.


Bobby Joe Hill was the 5'11 point guard from Highland Park, Michigan on the Texas Western college basketball team that won the national title in 1966. Texas Western's win over the top-ranked Kentucky team, nicknamed "Rupp's Runts," in the title game in College Park, Maryland, is considered one of the most historic games in the annals of college basketball. The school's all-black starting five defeated a white Kentucky team, 72–65. Bobby Joe Hill was one of the most prominent players on the court. In the first half, he stole the ball from both [[Louie Dampier]] and [[Tommy Kron]] twice within the span of a minute and converted both steals into easy layups. He led all scorers with twenty points, and his plays were complemented by talented teammates [[Harry Flournoy]], [[Nevil Shed]], [[David Lattin]], and [[Willie Worsley]]. [[Don Haskins]] coached Texas Western, and [[Adolph Rupp]] directed Kentucky.
He was among the [[Texas Western Miners]] coached by [[Don Haskins]]. He hailed from [[Detroit, Michigan]]. He was portrayed by [[Derek Luke]] in the 2006 film ''[[Glory Road (film)|Glory Road]]''.
[[Image:Bobby Joe Hill 1966.jpeg|thumb|160px|left|Hill, circa 1966]]


The Miners' victory over the [[Kentucky Wildcats]] was a landmark event in the history of civil right and sports desegregation, comparable to [[Jackie Robinson]]'s baseball tenure with the [[Brooklyn Dodgers]], decisively proving that color of skin has no bearing on talent and ability. Of note is that Don Haskins and the entire Texas Western squad rose above racial threats, insults, vandalism, and violence throughout the 1965–1966 season to their against-all-odds triumph.
He was a member of the [[Texas Western]] Miners (now named [[University of Texas at El Paso]]) team that won the [[1966 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament]] National Championship, the team was coached by [[Don Haskins]]. The Miners made history for being the first team to start an all [[African-American]] lineup in the Championship game.

Bobby Joe Hill stayed in El Paso after his Texas Western career, married his college sweetheart Waltina Malachi in 1966. He retired as an executive with [[El Paso Natural Gas]], and died in 2002 of a [[myocardial infarction|heart attack]] at age 59, the first player from the starting lineup to die. Bobby Joe Hill is interred at [[Restlawn Memorial Park]] in [[El Paso]], [[Texas]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.horizons.utep.edu/Releases/2002/Dec02/hill.html |title=UTEP to Pay Tribute to Bobby Joe Hill Prior to Tennessee State Game |accessdate=2006-12-13 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060904202321/http://www.horizons.utep.edu/Releases/2002/Dec02/hill.html |archivedate=2006-09-04 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>[https://www.utep.edu/glory-road/the-team/bobby-joe-hill.html UTEP]</ref>

The story of Bobby Joe Hill and the 1966 Texas Western national championship has been immortalized in the film ''[[Glory Road (film)|Glory Road]]'', which was released in the U.S. in January, 2006, forty years after the "fabulous five" forever altered the landscape of college basketball. [[Derek Luke (actor)|Derek Luke]] was cast to play Bobby Joe in the movie.


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
* {{cite web | url = http://www.horizons.utep.edu/Releases/2002/Dec02/hill.html | title = UTEP to Pay Tribute to Bobby Joe Hill Prior to Tennessee State Game | accessdate = 2006-12-13}}

* {{cite web | url = http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=13118795 | title = Bobby Joe Hill | accessdate = 2006-12-13 | author = Anthony B | date = 2006-01-25 | work = Find a Grave }}He died at the age of 59.[[Category:1943 births|Hill, Bobby Joe]]
==External links==
⚫
[[Category:2002 deaths|Hill, Bobby Joe]]
{{Portal|Biography}}
*{{YouTube|QeSKfliQhhY|Video of 1966 NCAA Championship Game}}
*{{Find a Grave|13118795}}

{{1966 Texas Western Miners basketball navbox}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Hill, Bobby Joe}}
{{1940s-US-hoops-bio-stub}}
[[Category:1943 births]]
Played black man's ball with a perminent high, this stoner douche lost his life to marriage
⚫
[[Category:2002 deaths]]
[[Category:Basketball players from Michigan]]
[[Category:Hutchinson Blue Dragons men's basketball players]]
[[Category:Point guards]]
[[Category:UTEP Miners men's basketball players]]
[[Category:American men's basketball players]]
[[Category:20th-century African-American sportsmen]]
[[Category:21st-century African-American sportsmen]]

Latest revision as of 18:48, 6 November 2024

Bobby Joe Hill
Hill, circa 1967
Personal information
Born(1943-06-12)June 12, 1943
Highland Park, Michigan, U.S.
DiedDecember 8, 2002(2002-12-08) (aged 59)
El Paso, Texas, U.S.
Listed height5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Career information
High schoolHighland Park
(Highland Park, Michigan)
CollegeUTEP (1961–1966)
NBA draft1966: undrafted
PositionGuard
Career highlights and awards

Tyrone Bobby Joe Hill (June 12, 1943 – December 8, 2002) was an American basketball player and was the leading scorer of the 1965–66 Texas Western College (now the University of Texas at El Paso) team,[1] helping the Miners win the 1966 NCAA basketball championship. The victory is considered one of the most important wins in sports history[citation needed] – Texas Western started an all-black starting lineup, against the all-white University of Kentucky.

Bobby Joe Hill was the 5'11 point guard from Highland Park, Michigan on the Texas Western college basketball team that won the national title in 1966. Texas Western's win over the top-ranked Kentucky team, nicknamed "Rupp's Runts," in the title game in College Park, Maryland, is considered one of the most historic games in the annals of college basketball. The school's all-black starting five defeated a white Kentucky team, 72–65. Bobby Joe Hill was one of the most prominent players on the court. In the first half, he stole the ball from both Louie Dampier and Tommy Kron twice within the span of a minute and converted both steals into easy layups. He led all scorers with twenty points, and his plays were complemented by talented teammates Harry Flournoy, Nevil Shed, David Lattin, and Willie Worsley. Don Haskins coached Texas Western, and Adolph Rupp directed Kentucky.

Hill, circa 1966

The Miners' victory over the Kentucky Wildcats was a landmark event in the history of civil right and sports desegregation, comparable to Jackie Robinson's baseball tenure with the Brooklyn Dodgers, decisively proving that color of skin has no bearing on talent and ability. Of note is that Don Haskins and the entire Texas Western squad rose above racial threats, insults, vandalism, and violence throughout the 1965–1966 season to their against-all-odds triumph.

Bobby Joe Hill stayed in El Paso after his Texas Western career, married his college sweetheart Waltina Malachi in 1966. He retired as an executive with El Paso Natural Gas, and died in 2002 of a heart attack at age 59, the first player from the starting lineup to die. Bobby Joe Hill is interred at Restlawn Memorial Park in El Paso, Texas.[2][3]

The story of Bobby Joe Hill and the 1966 Texas Western national championship has been immortalized in the film Glory Road, which was released in the U.S. in January, 2006, forty years after the "fabulous five" forever altered the landscape of college basketball. Derek Luke was cast to play Bobby Joe in the movie.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Litsky, Frank (2002-12-13). "Bobby Joe Hill, 59, College Basketball Star". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-04-26.
  2. ^ "UTEP to Pay Tribute to Bobby Joe Hill Prior to Tennessee State Game". Archived from the original on 2006-09-04. Retrieved 2006-12-13.
  3. ^ UTEP
[edit]
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