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Along Slant Walk

Along Slant Walk

Sculptor Tom Tsuchiya crafts the Wayne Embry ’58 statue now gracing the main entrance to Millett Hall.

BIG HANDS, BIGGER HEART

While still in high school, Wayne Embry ’58 earned the nickname Goose because even then, his hands were so large he could palm a basketball, just like his favorite Harlem Globetrotter Goose Tatum. The hook shot became his trademark, whether playing varsity at Miami or pro with the Cincinnati Royals (five-time All-Star), the Boston Celtics (NBA champion), or the Milwaukee Bucks. When he became the Bucks’ first Black general manager, he also became the first Black GM in pro sports. When he became the Cleveland Cavaliers team president and chief operating officer, that was another first for Blacks in those roles. He is currently senior basketball adviser to the president of the Toronto Raptors. To recognize Embry’s contributions, his family, friends, and fans gathered outside the main entrance to Millett Hall, home of Miami basketball, on May 18 to unveil a statue capturing his likeness and signature hook shot. At the same ceremony, Wayne and his late wife, Terri ’60, known for her bold activism, were recognized with the university’s Freedom Summer of ’64 Award for advancing civil rights and social justice.

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