The UWM community has a chance to meet a major figure in basketball and race in America when Nevil Shed speaks about overcoming adversity Thursday, Oct. 4, at 9 a.m. in the Student Union Fireside Lounge.
Shed, nicknamed “The Shadow” for his defensive abilities, was a member of the 1966 NCAA national championship basketball team, the first to feature an all-black starting lineup. The story was highlighted in the 2006 movie, “Glory Road.” The movie will be shown at 2:30 p.m. Thursday in the Fireside Lounge, followed by at Q&A with Shed.
The movie won an ESPY award as best sports movie, and the entire team was later inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. The movie was also nominated for a Humanitas Award for its portrayal of racism, discrimination and student athletics in the 1960s.
Shed’s team, the Texas Western Miners, defeated powerhouse University of Kentucky 72-65 in that March 19, 1966, championship game. (Texas Western is now the University of Texas at El Paso.) Now 75, Shed is the director of basketball camps for the San Antonio Spurs and a motivational speaker.
