Downtrodden Yet Determined: Exploring the History Of
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DOWNTRODDEN YET DETERMINED: EXPLORING THE HISTORY OF BLACK MALES IN PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL AND HOW THE PLAYERS ASSOCIATION ADDRESSES THEIR WELFARE A Dissertation by JUSTIN RYAN GARNER Submitted to the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Chair of Committee, John N. Singer Committee Members, Natasha Brison Paul J. Batista Tommy J. Curry Head of Department, Melinda Sheffield-Moore May 2019 Major Subject: Kinesiology Copyright 2019 Justin R. Garner ABSTRACT Professional athletes are paid for their labor and it is often believed they have a weaker argument of exploitation. However, labor disputes in professional sports suggest athletes do not always receive fair compensation for their contributions to league and team success. Any professional athlete, regardless of their race, may claim to endure unjust wages relative to their fellow athlete peers, yet Black professional athletes’ history of exploitation inspires greater concerns. The purpose of this study was twofold: 1) to explore and trace the historical development of basketball in the United States (US) and the critical role Black males played in its growth and commercial development, and 2) to illuminate the perspectives and experiences of Black male professional basketball players concerning the role the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) and National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA), collectively considered as the Players Association for this study, played in their welfare and addressing issues of exploitation. While drawing from the conceptual framework of anti-colonial thought, an exploratory case study was employed in which in-depth interviews were conducted with a list of Black male professional basketball players who are members of the Players Association. The general findings of this study revealed six major themes. From the perspectives of the participants, it was implied that there was a 1) history of lived experiences of racism, 2) Black players are insulated from racism but not disbarred from it, 3) superstars have the most social impact potential, 4) progress is accomplished ii through strategic responsiveness to interest convergence (SRIC), 5) the NBPA is serviceable but limited, and 6) Black male professional basketball players are leaders of self-determination for Black communities. Implications for theory, policy, practice, and future research are discussed. iii DEDICATION To my family, friends, fraternity, and most importantly my heavenly father, I am because you are. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First, I must give glory to Yahweh because without him I would not be able to accomplish anything. The intelligence and strength required to complete my doctoral program and write my dissertation are gifts that were afforded to me by Your will. For that and many other blessings I am grateful. Many thanks to my parents, Sharon and Bertram, for the love and support they give unconditionally. I sincerely appreciate how you instilled in me at a young age the importance of education and learning my history, especially being conscious of what it means to be a Black man in America. You essentially provided the foundation for this project. I would like to thank my advisor and committee chair, Dr. John N. Singer. I am grateful for your mentorship throughout my doctoral process. I am fortunate to have such a supportive Doctoral Chair at my defense. Additionally, I want to thank my committee members Dr. Natasha Brison, Dr. Paul J. Batista, and Dr. Tommy J. Curry, as well as former committee member Dr. Akilah Carter-Francique. I appreciate each of you for the lessons and guidance you provided over the years as well as dedicating your time to contribute to my dissertation research. Thanks also goes to Coach Howard “Smity” Smith and all the participants of this dissertation. This research is more yours than mine, as it is your narratives that give this dissertation significance. Thank you for your allowing me into your world and for the opportunity to share your stories. Most importantly, I am grateful for your contributions v to the development of one of the most prominent sports in the world and towards social justice within basketball and beyond. Finally, I must give a special thank you to my wife Sarah for the patience, love, and support given throughout my doctoral process. So often were there times where you had to compromise your plans because of my doctoral work. I am blessed to be married to a woman with whom I can share my aspirations vi CONTRIBUTORS AND FUNDING SOURCES Contributors This work was supervised by a dissertation committee consisting of my chair Dr. John N. Singer and committee members Dr. Natasha Brison and Dr. Paul J. Batista of the Department of Health and Kinesiology, and Dr. Tommy J. Curry of the Department of Philosophy. All work for this dissertation was completed independently by the student. Funding Sources There are no outside funding contributions to acknowledge related to the research and compilation of this document. vii NOMENCLATURE ABA American Basketball Association CBA Collective Bargaining Agreement CMS Critical Management Studies HBCU Historically Black College(s) and /or University(ies) HGT Harlem Globetrotters MLB Major League Baseball NBA National Basketball Association NBPA National Basketball Players Association NBRPA National Basketball Retires Players Association NCAA National Collegiate Association of Athletics NFL National Football League POTUS President of the United States PWI Predominately White Institution SRIC Strategic Responsiveness to Interest Convergence US United States WNBA Women’s National Basketball Association YMCA Young Men’s Christian Association viii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT .......................................................................................................................ii DEDICATION .................................................................................................................. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................... v CONTRIBUTORS AND FUNDING SOURCES ............................................................vii NOMENCLATURE ....................................................................................................... viii TABLE OF CONTENTS .................................................................................................. ix CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................... 1 Background Summary .................................................................................................... 3 Organizational Theory.................................................................................................... 7 Race in Management Studies ......................................................................................... 9 Anti-Colonial Thought in Sport Management ............................................................. 11 Purpose and Significance of the Study ......................................................................... 16 Definition of Key Terms .............................................................................................. 20 CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW ......................................................................... 22 Black Labor in the US .................................................................................................. 22 The Problem of Colonialism ........................................................................................ 24 Thoughts on Resisting Racism ..................................................................................... 32 Critical Perspectives and Colonial Thought in Sport ................................................... 35 Analyzing Colonialism in Sport ............................................................................... 37 History of Black Males in US Professional Basketball................................................ 40 Here Come the Black Giants .................................................................................... 43 NBA Golden Era ...................................................................................................... 46 History of the Players Association ............................................................................... 52 CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY .................................................................................. 60 Paradigmatic Assumptions ........................................................................................... 60 Researcher Positionality ........................................................................................... 61 ix Research Design ........................................................................................................... 64 Data Collection ......................................................................................................... 67 Data Analysis ........................................................................................................... 71 Ethical Considerations .............................................................................................. 72 CHAPTER IV FINDINGS .............................................................................................. 74 History of Lived Experiences of Racism ..................................................................... 76 Black Male Athletes