The National Basketball Association is now a league defined by Black excellence, but it was built within a nation shaped by racial discrimination. When people talk about those who “changed the game,” they often name legendary players like Michael Jordan. Rarely do they acknowledge the Black storytellers who helped reshape how the game was seen.
As Morehouse College professor and pioneering NBA journalist Ron Thomas prepares for induction into the Black Sports Journalists Hall of Fame and his final semester at Morehouse College, he reflects on his journey as one of the first three Black reporters in the league and the doors he opened for future generations. Through his work in the NBA and his mentorship at an HBCU, Thomas transformed sports journalism into a pathway for young Black journalists to claim space, voice, and opportunity.
His story reveals that changing the game wasn’t only done on the court — it was written from the press box.