Reparations: Experts Compute Hundreds of Billions Owed to Black Californians Former Bruin Lucius Allen Talks Hoops and Life

Continued from page A1 points in the history of the newly built Pauley Pavilion. His frosh teammate Lew Alcindor (now know as Kareem Abdul Jabbar) had 31 points and 21 boards.

The UCLA freshmen team finished the season undefeated and Allen averaged 22.4 points a game.

“Walt (Hazzard) and them were the first to win it (National title),” said Allen. “Sometimes when we got together he would let me know all about it.”

Hazzard was joined by Gail Goodrich, future Laker Keith Erickson and Fred Slaughter from Topeka High (Kansas). They were part of Coach Wooden’s first NCAA championship team in 1963-64- The squad that went 30-0!

Hazzard was named tournament Most Outstanding Player, year’s later he would become head coach of the Bruins. Gail Goodrich went on to play 14 years in the NBA and is now a Hall of Famer.

Slaughter earned his MBA from UCLA and his Law Degree from Columbia University and became the first black sports agent representing former Jamaal Wilkes, Clyde Drexler and Dennis Johnson.

One day he and I was on the sideline at a UCLA football game, He talked about his Bruin teams. “We were killing them, killing them,” said the 6’5 Slaughter. “No one could touch us. After the first few minutes of a game we knew we had most teams beat. You could see it in their eyes.” That was part of a cautious optimism taught by coach John Wooden. That was the attitude most Bruin players had. They were confident because they were so “prepared” said Allen.

In 1967 his sophomore year with the varsity he averaged 15.5 points a game while helping lead the Bruins to a 79-64 win over Dayton in the title game. That wrapped up an undefeated 30-0 season as Allen was named to the All-Regional and Championship teams.

In Allen’s Junior campaign they were off and running until they ran into a Houston Cougar team led by Elvin Hayes. It was billed as the “Game of the Century” with two of college basketball’s big men Hayes and Alcindor squaring off.

It was the first syndicated nationally televised college game played in the Astrodome in front of a then record 53,000 fans. The COUGS and Hayes came out on top 7169. The loss ended a 47- game UCLA win streak. The teams met later in the NCAA West Regionals, this time UCLA assistant coach Jerry Norman designed a diamond defense that had two men on Hayes throughout the game. At times Allen was one of the two. Hayes had been averaging 37.2 points per game only had 10 on the night.

The Bruins came away with a 101-69 win that propelled them to the Final Four again. They went on to rout Dean Smith and North Carolina 78-55 for their second straight National championship. Lew Alcindor was named most outstanding player. He along with Allen and Mike Warren were named All-Tournament team.

Allen didn’t play his senior year. He finished his collegiate career averaging 15 points and 6 rebounds a game. He entered the UCLA Sports Hall of Fame in 2000.

He became a first-round draft pick, the third overall selection for the Seattle Supersonics in the 1969 draft.

A year later he along with Bob Boozer were traded to the Milwaukee Bucks. He rejoined Kareem who was the number one overall pick in the 1970 draft. A 31-year-old Oscar Robertson was acquired by the team also along with Bobby Dandridge.

They won the NBA title in 1971sweeping the Washington Bullets 4 games to 0. Led by Finals MVP and the previous season’s Rookie of the Year Lew Alcindor and Hall of Famer Robertson the Bucks were the fastest expansion team (3-years) to win a title.

It was Robertson that helped him grow as a person and as a professional. He would frequent the Hall of Famers room on road trips.

On one visit the 31-year-old Robertson was unwinding with a bottle of champagne. Allen entered to the room with a bottle of Boone’s Farm wine.

“I could see the difference right away,” said Allen. “He had been around and he had class.”

Allen would be dragging a bit at practice and Robertson would notice. “He would let me know you can’t burn the candle at both ends,” said Allen. “Staying up all night is not a professional. You’ve got to separate good people from the ‘riffraff’ everyday. He (Robertson) was my best teammate as a pro he helped me grow in the league.”

Because of his quickness Allen was known as a solid defensive player. However Earl “The Pearl “ Monroe would always give him fits. Monroe a Hall of Famer had more moves than a moving van, more moves than ex lax. He was thee top playmaker in the NBA.

“When we lined up for the jump to start the game,” said Allen. “There was Earl looking at me grinning like a Cheshire cat. I knew I was in for a rough night.”

Today he and Monroe are friends off the court. They play tennis occasionally and Allen gets the better of this game.

Continued on page A9