Lusia Harris, the first woman to be officially drafted into the NBA, has passed away at the age of 66. Her family came out with a statement on Tuesday saying that the Queen of Basketball passed away unexpectedly.
She has the credit of scoring the first basket in the Olympics in Women’s basketball and winning three straight national titles. Lusia Harris was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame for her exemplary achievements in the game of basketball.
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Lusia Harris – The Queen of Basketball
Harris was a star player at Delta State University in the 1970s. She led them to three straight championships from 1975 to 1977. Lucy was part of the first-ever US Women’s basketball team for the Olympics, which won the silver medal in 1976.
Later in 1977, she was drafted 137th overall by the New Orleans Jazz. She turned down the offer to play as she intended to start a family. Harris had several records to her name, and she still holds the record for most points and rebounds in Delta State University.
She was 6 foot 3 center who had excellent feet and was solid in the low post. Harris was a versatile defender with very good hands and she could constantly hit the mid-range jumper.
She recently had a documentary released about her called the Queen of Basketball. It documented her career and showcased the struggles she had to face in her life. Former NBA Superstar and Basketball analyst Shaquille O Neal was an executive producer for the movie. Shaq told that he wanted to be a part of the movie because Harris didn’t get the recognition she deserved. He said that he wanted to make Lusia Harris a household name.
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Lusia Harris was a pioneer in her times and she paved the way for women to take up the game of basketball. She made it possible for today’s generation players to do what they are doing. The Basketball world will surely miss her and she will forever be remembered for her extraordinary contributions.
