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Hometown Hoopsters
Become National Names
Successful teams and players have always been noticed in their
communities. The success of Chassell basketball squads in the mid-1950s
was appreciated not only locally, but across the Upper Peninsula. Coach Lofton
Greene's basketball dynasty in River Rouge gave the entire community a
focus and a point of pride. Flint residents noticed the McGee sisters'
success at Flint Northern and followed the 1984 Olympic team as a
result. Individual players brought attention to their Michigan hometowns when they went on to play professionally. Here are a few
stories from Hometown Hoops.
Magic Johnson
 Earvin Johnson earned his nickname
"Magic" at Lansing's Everett High School when he was 15 years
old. He led Everett to a state championship, took Michigan State
University to the NCAA title in 1979, and won the NBA Championship with
the Los Angeles Lakers in his 1980 rookie year. He played in
All-Star games and won an Olympic gold medal as one of the "Dream
Team" at the 1992 Barcelona Games.
These record books from the Everett Vikings 1974-75, 1975-76 and
1976-77 seasons are in the exhibit. In the photo, the 1976-77 book is
open to the page for a game played against Lansing's Eastern High
School. The first row of stats for the forwards lists Earvin Johnson.
The Flintstones
  Four players from three different Flint high schools—Charlie Bell
(Southwestern Academy) Mateen Cleaves (Northern H. S.), Morris Peterson
(Northwestern H. S.) and Antonio Smith (Northern H. S.)—took Michigan
State University to the NCAA Final Four in 1999, losing to
Duke. The city of Flint honored them at a "Flintstone Community
Celebration Day," May 17, 1999. In 2000, Bell, Cleaves and Peterson
led the team to the NCAA championship, defeating the Florida Gators. Michigan's U.S. senator Carl Levin cosponsored a Senate resolution honoring the MSU
win, entering these words into the Congressional Record:
Mr. President, I join Senator Abraham in sponsoring this
resolution which commends and recognizes the extraordinary successes
of the Michigan State Spartans. As we speak today, about 150,000
people are lining the parade route in Lansing, MI, after a rally at
our capitol, to welcome home and cheer on our heroes. . . . 'The
Flintstones'—seniors Mateen Cleaves and Morris Peterson and junior
Charlie Bell, have become heroes and role models to those from their
hometown of Flint. (Congressional Record, April 5, 2000, 106th
Congress, 2nd Session)
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