You never know who you’ll meet in the campground! Marietta Williams stopped by our campsite to chat. She said that she and her husband, Bob Williams, had bought seven RVs and she liked ours. She then began to tell us about her late husband, Bob Williams. He was the first Black basketball player for the Lakers in the 1950s, and one of only seven in the nation at that time.
She talked about his time in the Air Force and being recruited to play basketball for the Lakers. He called his wife to say he had gotten an offer to play for the Lakers for the grand sum of $6,500 for the entire season. In the off-season away from the Lakers he played with the Harlem Globetrotters. While the Globetrotters were playing trick ball, Bob was hired to play straight ball with them.
Jim Crow
While he loved basketball and traveling with the team, it was still the time of Jim Crow and he was often refused the right to eat in the dining room or stay at the same hotel as the rest of the team. Bob spent many a lonely meal in his hotel room. Marietta told us about a time the whole team went out for a very fancy dinner and Bob was told he needed to eat in the restaurant kitchen. The coach told the manager that if Bob can’t eat with them, no one eats, so the entire team walked out.
When they purchased their house in Minneapolis, someone knocked at their door to tell them that they, and everyone in the neighborhood, were upset about “coloreds” moving into their neighborhood. She wanted them to leave. Bob and Marietta told her that they weren’t looking for a “white” or “colored” house, just a house, and weren’t leaving. Every house except two had “For Sale” signs in their yards the next day. Later, a front-page article came out about Bob playing for the Lakers in the local paper and the “For Sale” signs came down.
Meeting Kobe Bryant
One of the highlights for Bob and Marietta was when they met Kobe Bryant in 2015. It was Kobe’s last game with the Lakers and Kobe wanted to meet Bob, the first Black Laker, and thank him for being a trailblazer.
They talked about the meeting with the local Kare 11 news station shortly after Kobe’s untimely death.
Bob sadly passed away in 2021. Marietta spends her time talking with youth about Bob and his legacy and explains why it’s so important to work hard to follow your dreams and know that the road won’t always be smooth. She is 91 and is still loving RVing.
You never know who you will meet in the campground!
More “Campground Characters”
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(Whatever racist jerk rated this article 1* needs to be removed from the list and banned. We all see your bigotry, even through the interwebs.)
Nanci, this is a lovely story. Thank you so much for sharing the history of someone who was both important to our culture and part of the RV world. We need more stories like this one!
Nanci, I love this! If we leave ourselves open to new experiences there is no telling what interesting stories we will have to share.
Great story! This is what happens when you sit outside and are friendly. Stories and info you can get from conversations like this are just priceless. A big shout out to Mrs. Williams for stopping by.
Future events are not dictated by past events. I for one enjoyed this article. It is always warming to see how far we have come and continue recognizing we have distance to travel still. Welcoming all people to share your campfire is a fresh starting point everytime you strike that match.
Agreed…Well Said, Cancelproof : )
Great story, thank you.
Great article, Nanci! Thank you! Safe travels!