Lessons Learned from Basketball Star Lusia Harris' Impactful Legacy
By Alex Nellis
The story of Lusia Harris will continue to be told for generations. Lusia was the only female basketball player in history to be inducted into the NBA. Lusia broke countless records on the field, and won numerous awards. She was inducted into five national sports hall of fames, including the Delta State Hall of Fame, Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, and the International Women’s Sports Hall of Fame.
She was also declared the MVP of her high school team and Delta State University, for three years in a row at each school. All while playing in college, Lusia played for the International Basketball Federation and the Pan American Games. She also competed on the first ever U.S. Olympics Basketball team in 1976. Lusia broke barriers and opened door for female athletes of all races.
Seven months before her death, The Queen of Basketball documentary was released in honor of Lusia’s career. It premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 10, 2021. The film provides an excellent history of why Lusia’s story is so impactful generations later. One of the best things about the documentary is that Lusia’s experience is centered. The film does not try to provide commentary from others on why Lusia’s career was so impactful, or assert why viewers should find it important. In this documentary, Lusia narrates her own story.
What can be learned from Lusia’s legacy? In the documentary, she provides us with a number of takeaways that can serve as an inspiration to young leaders:
Lusia turned her uniqueness into an asset
At 6’3”, Lusia was one of the tallest women in her high school. She was frequently bullied for her height. In the film, she shares a memory of being teased by her classmates with the phrase “long and tall, and that’s all.”
Lusia didn’t let this stop her. She knew her height made her different from others, but she chose to see it as being unique. She made her insecurities about her height into an asset. On the court, Lusia’s height helped her take shots that many other players weren’t tall enough to make. Pretty soon, she realized that being taller than other kids wasn’t a bad thing. Rather, it was a strength.
You don’t have to be perfect to leave an impact
Lusia was the first woman drafted into the NBA. However, Lusia turned down the offer, and chose not to continue her basketball career. In the 1980s, the NBA only drafted men. She felt it would be too difficult to compete with men. This didn’t make Lusia’s legacy any less incredible.
After college, Lusia married her long-term boyfriend George E. Stewart. They had four kids together. In the film, Lusia was asked if she regretted turning down the NBA offer. 40 years later, she still feels it was the best decision she could have made. Her four kids followed in her footsteps and became athletes. Lusia signed on as Delta State’s assistant basketball coach. Later, she’d return to her high school, and become a coach there. She got to help kids just like her, at the place where her dream of being a basketball star began.
Some people might view Lusia turning down the NBA as a mistake. However, Lusia shares in the documentary that it made her legacy more well-rounded. She got to live out one of her other dreams of becoming a mother. She was able to coach kids like her at the schools that meant so much to her. Lusia balanced her dreams of becoming a basketball star, becoming a mother, and mentoring kids like her. Lusia’s choice not to pursue the NBA allowed her to leave an impact in other ways that were fulfilling to her.
Leave a legacy that’s meaningful to you
Despite Lusia’s numerous achievements, she remains extraordinarily humble throughout the film. At the end, Lusia shares that she never thought much about her legacy while playing basketball. She didn’t take any of the opportunities she was given for fame or status. Everything Lusia did stemmed from her own passion.
Pursuing goals because they are meaningful to you, rather than doing it for recognition, seems to be a central theme of the documentary. Despite the difficulties she faced, Lusia was determined to achieve her goal of being a basketball player. In turn, her bravery opened doors for other women athletes to achieve their goals as well.
You can watch the full documentary on the New York Times YouTube channel. For more information on Lusia’s career, check out Lusia Harris: Star Basketball Player by Nancy Loewen.
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