Story of 'forgotten Hoosiers' one tailor-made for Hollywood treatment
The significant anniversaries, such as fifty and sixty years, have already passed. The next one is due in three years. By that time, the number of participants in Indiana’s renowned 1955 Crispus Attucks state high school championship may have decreased even further.
Those who remain are now around 80 years old, plus or minus a year. They are filled with a significant sense of urgency to ensure that the legacy of the landmark game between Oscar Robertson’s Crispus Attucks team from Indianapolis and Dick Barnett’s Roosevelt High from Gary, Indiana, is maintained.
“Barnett, a veteran who played 14 NBA seasons and is most renowned for being part of the 1970 and ’73 New York Knicks’ championship teams, referred to it as ‘the forgotten “Hoosiers”.’ He said, ‘Although the 1954 Milan event is known to many, the Crispus Attucks-Gary Roosevelt state championship game has been largely erased from memory due to racial issues prevalent during that time. There was no genuine celebration in Indianapolis and minimal activity in Gary.'”
The small-town school, Milan, was renamed “Hickory High” and became famous after being featured in the 1986 movie “Hoosiers”. The “Milan Miracle”, which exemplifies the classic Hollywood underdog tale or David vs. Goliath scenario, was inspired by Milan’s defeat of Muncie Central thanks to Bobby Plump’s game-winning basket. In the movie, Plump was portrayed as “Jimmy Chitwood”.
“The film “Hoosiers” is well-known, a significant part of basketball culture in the nation. However, if there is an underdog story that merits similar recognition, perhaps even a sequel with an intriguing twist, it is the story of the Crispus Attucks’ teams of 1955 and 1956.
In 1955, under the guidance of coach Ray Crowe, Robertson and his teammates made history by being the first all-black team in the country to win an open state championship. The Tigers also had the distinction of being the first school from Indianapolis to triumph in the state’s tournament.
In recent years, the Crispus Attucks team has received tributes from the Indiana Pacers at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse and other locations throughout the state. In 2013, TNT’s “Inside the NBA” also aired an extensive segment on the team’s historic achievement.
Barnett, Robertson and Chuck Hughes are aiming for something larger, seeking the kind of enduring star power and longevity that has allowed films like “Hoosiers” in basketball, “Field of Dreams” and “Bull Durham” in baseball, and “Slap Shot” in hockey, to continually entertain audiences.
‘A positive story that needs to be told’
Honestly, it’s somewhat puzzling that a movie hasn’t been made yet.
Barnett, a Fordham University doctorate holder, discussed a different America and different circumstances that the picture would engage. After years of teaching sports management at St. John’s, he is now retired.
Barnett’s lifelong friend, Hughes, who also serves as the executive director of the Gary Chamber of Commerce, is in charge of the annual Lakeshore Classic tournament. This tournament is a favorite project of Gregg Popovich, the San Antonio coach who hails from East Chicago, Ind., close by. The tournament features schools from both Indiana and Illinois. Hughes also shares a history with Barnett’s iconic Knicks teammate, Walt Frazier, as they both played at Southern Illinois.
The tournament Hughes held in honor of the 2013 Crispus Attucks-Roosevelt game sparked renewed interest. All surviving members of the title game from both teams attended the impactful tribute, which took place years before the march on Washington or the civil rights legislation of the 1960s.
Hughes has mentioned that he proposed a movie project to the NBA, conversed with several NBA teams, and held discussions with Charlies Rosenzweig, the NBA’s Senior Vice President of Entertainment and Player Marketing. Despite having film treatments and a potential script, the project requires momentum to transition from an idea to reality.
“This is an uplifting tale that deserves to be shared,” Hughes stated, who was present with Barnett and Robertson at the 2017 All-Star weekend in New Orleans. “Our reasoning is this: First and foremost, the story is inherently captivating. It is yet to be known by the public. Moreover, we reached out to Charlie Rosenzweig because it involves two high-profile ex-NBA players. Oscar is considered one of the most outstanding players, correct? Furthermore, Dick Barnett was part of the only Knicks teams ever to clinch a championship.”
“Then, you’ll acquire more knowledge about the history of schools.”
A game ahead of its time
Truly, it’s all about the schools.
Roosevelt High in Gary came into existence due to geographical and demographic factors, being established in the black neighborhood where it resides. On the other hand, Crispus Attucks was intentionally designed as a school for black students – a move aimed at segregating them from the predominantly white high schools in Indianapolis.
Thus, when their basketball teams clashed in the final tournament game of 1955, history was inevitably going to be written with an all-black team of champions.
“In a recent phone call, 78-year-old Robertson reflected, “We somewhat surprised them to achieve that.” He added, “It was a game that was ahead of its time.”
Is it time? Robertson painted a picture of an America that most people know mainly through books, documentaries, and movies. This includes experiences like sitting at the back of buses, getting denied service in restaurants and theaters, receiving advice from parents to steer clear of specific areas in the city, and focusing on sports.
Barnett stated, “I’m not sure if the Crispus Attucks-Roosevelt game was ever a topic of concern in the basketball community initially. This was a result of the semi-apartheid conditions we were confronting in America during the 1950s.”
Robertson’s school, named after the first casualty of the Revolutionary War in the Boston massacre of 1770, and Barnett’s school were two of the three all-black high schools in Indiana, the third being Evansville Lincoln. The segregation of these schools extended to their teachers and administrators as well, resulting in faculties filled with elite educators holding masters and doctorate degrees.
“Personally, I found it to be a fantastic school,” stated Robertson. “We had teachers with PhDs who, due to racial barriers, couldn’t teach in white schools. They were far more superior to other teaching teams within the school system. Imagine attending a school of 2,000 students, with barely 100 African Americans. The immense pressure exerted by white teachers during that period was inconceivable.”
The basketball coach at Crispus Attucks, Crowe, raised the bar even further. He made players’ grades public and demanded a minimum average of C-plus. During the school week, a curfew was imposed on them. In addition, he taught them sportsmanship and restraint, which must have been challenging to maintain at times, given their circumstances.
Robertson reminisced, “At that point in Indiana basketball history, we were likely the ‘nicest’ team ever. With Ray Crowe as our coach, uttering a single word against a referee or another player was utterly forbidden. If you did, he’d bench you without hesitation. We were required to maintain standard behavior, yet we were expected to exceed expectations. It was clear to me during some of those games that certain referees were biased against us. So, it was crucial that we outperformed in every aspect of the game.”
Title games sparks societal change
Between 1950 and 1957, Crowe’s teams achieved a record of 179-20, despite him never earning the title of State’s Coach of the Year. His team suffered a loss to Milan during their “miracle” season in 1954, however, nothing could halt the momentum of Crispus Attucks the subsequent year.
The team had an impressive run, losing only one game throughout the season and averaging a winning margin of 22 points. This culminated in a 30-1 record, leading them to the championship game on March 19, 1955. Led by Robertson’s 30 point contribution, the Tigers took an early lead and ultimately triumphed with a 97-74 win in front of nearly 15,000 spectators at Butler Fieldhouse.
“Hickory High’s” journey may have ended around that point, but the story of Crispus Attucks was far from over.
The customary championship celebration involved a parade in downtown Indianapolis, specifically around the city’s Monument Circle. However, this time, the players boarded a fire truck and were taken around the circle before being directed towards Indiana Avenue. This street was the heart of Indy’s black community at that time and a bonfire was held there. It’s been suggested that the city’s civic leaders were apprehensive about the potential for exuberant celebrations by the team’s black fans in the city center.
Barnett expressed, “I sensed that people were eager to move forward and ignore the unfolding historical events. Discussions about inevitability are possible, but when it comes to hostility and racial relations in society, it’s been a constant battle.”
Robertson fondly remembers that during the championship game, the radio broadcaster started calling his team “Indianapolis Attucks”, as a way of supporting the city’s first state champion. According to tradition, cheerleaders from the white schools that both teams had defeated in the semifinals teamed up with those from Robertson’s and Barnett’s schools for the championship game.
Following the undefeated championship season of the Tigers led by Crowe and Robertson in 1956, and Crispus Attucks’ subsequent title game in 1959, coaches in Indianapolis began advocating for the enrolment of black athletes in schools closest to their homes. This eventually led to the integration of all predominantly white high schools, with white students first enrolling in Crispus Attucks in 1971. In addition, colleges started to actively recruit black players, with Robertson being the first to play for the University of Cincinnati.
“Sports was the reason for integration,” said Robertson. “It wasn’t because there was a desire to give a kid living a block away from Shortridge or Tech the opportunity to attend those schools.”
“I don’t believe we were savvy enough to understand the situation. However, our educators were. They comprehended what was required for us to truly thrive and succeed. I feel an immense debt of gratitude towards them for their contributions to me and my fellow students at Crispus Attucks that I feel can never be repaid.”
‘It changed basketball in America’
Indianapolis journalist and documentary filmmaker, Ted Green (tedgreenfilms.com), narrated the Crispus Attucks story in 2016 through his work, “Attucks: The School that Opened a City.” However, Barnett, Robertson, and Hughes aim to bring this story to a wider audience across America, not just as another “Hoosiers.” They intend to create a project that merges elements from films such as “Hoosiers,” “Glory Road” — the story of Texas Western’s all-black NCAA team in 1966, and “Selma.”
“Basketball in America was transformed by it,” Hughes stated. “That’s the reason we’re not focusing solely on creating a sports film. There’s a narrative here, with basketball simply serving as the instrument. In our current societal context, it’s crucial for people to understand how significant this could be for many.”
This year’s Academy Awards showed that Hollywood is increasingly receptive to narratives about civil rights and African American experiences. It’s puzzling why there hasn’t been a film or TV series made about Crispus Attucks, particularly focusing on its basketball and educational journey.
“Sports have the potential to transform a city, state, or even a country,” said Robertson. “They can help diminish a lot of prejudices when people watch you play.”
Barnett stated, “The issue of race has been a continuous relay passed onto others. That’s why it’s crucial for us to shed light on the ‘forgotten Hoosiers’ through the movie we are aiming to produce. We want people to understand how the challenges we faced 60 years ago have influenced the NBA and our current situation. Most players, coaches, and owners are unaware of it, just as America in general is largely uninformed about it.”
“They are aware of ‘Hoosiers.’ Our intention is to reveal the broader context of what was occurring in America during that time.”
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Steve Aschburner has written about the NBA since 1980. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on X.
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