Sept. 9, 2016
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Cumberland "Cum" Posey, Jr., recognized as the first African-American student-athlete in Penn State history, was inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Friday in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Posey enrolled at Penn State in 1909 and played forward on the freshman basketball team (1909-10) and the varsity basketball team (1910-11), while also playing on the freshman baseball team (1910). Although he did not play in enough games to earn a varsity letter as a Nittany Lion, Posey's impact and influence at Penn State goes well beyond the bound of official records.
Widely regarded as the best African-American basketball player of his time, Posey was one of 16 nominees presented to the special direct-elect Early African American Pioneers Committee for the Hall of Fame.
Posey left Penn State after less than two seasons and went on to play three seasons at Duquesne (1916-18), leading the Dukes in scoring for three seasons under the alias Charles Cumbert. He also joined the Monticello Athletic Association, which later became the Loendi Big Five. By the following year, Posey was the star player and operator (which included managing, booking, and promoting) of the club. Loendi won the Colored Basketball World Championship four years in a row from 1920-1923.
Posey went on to become one of the great entrepreneurs of professional sports. He played for and then owned the Pittsburgh-based Homestead Grays, one of the most successful franchises in Negro Baseball League history. He owned the Negro Baseball powerhouse until his death on March 28, 1946.
On Feb. 27, 2006, Posey was honored for his contributions to the game by being one of 17 Negro League greats selected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. With the induction Friday, he is the first person to be named to both the National Baseball and Naismith Basketball Halls of Fame.
Joining Posey in the Class of 2016 inductees are: ABA superstar Zelmo Beaty, 27-year NBA referee Darell Garretson, 11-time NBA All-Star Allen Iverson, two-time NABC Coach of the Year Tom Izzo, the first African-American coach in a professional league John McLendon, three-time NBA Finals MVP Shaquille O'Neal, iconic Chicago Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf, four-time WNBA Champion Sheryl Swoopes and global ambassador of the game Yao Ming.