.mw-parser-output .hidden-begin{box-sizing:border-box;width:100%;padding:5px;border:none;font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .hidden-title{font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .hidden-content{text-align:left}You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in Polish. (May 2023) Click [show] for important translation instructions. View a machine-translated version of the Polish article. Machine translation, like DeepL or Google Translate, is a useful starting point for translations, but translators must revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate, rather than simply copy-pasting machine-translated text into the English Wikipedia. Consider adding a topic to this template: there are already 1,411 articles in the main category, and specifying|topic= will aid in categorization. Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low-quality. If possible, verify the text with references provided in the foreign-language article. You must provide copyright attribution in the edit summary accompanying your translation by providing an interlanguage link to the source of your translation. A model attribution edit summary is Content in this edit is translated from the existing Polish Wikipedia article at [[:pl:Kent Washington]]; see its history for attribution. You should also add the template ((Translated|pl|Kent Washington)) to the talk page. For more guidance, see Wikipedia:Translation.
Kent Washington
Personal information
Born (1956-01-10) 10 January 1956 (age 68)
New Rochelle, NY, United States
NationalityAmerican
Listed height178 cm (5 ft 10 in)
Career information
CollegeSouthampton College (1974–1978)
Playing career1974–1995
PositionPoint guard
Career history
As player:
1978–1981Start Lublin
1981–1983Zagłębie Sosnowiec
1983–198?IFK Linköping
198?–19??Plannja Basket Luleå
19??–1995BC Växjö
As coach:
00000000IFK Linköping
00000000Luleå BBK
00000000Iona Gaels

Kent Washington (born 10 January 1956)[1] is a former professional basketball player who was the first American as well as the first black professional basketball player to play behind the Iron Curtain.[2][3][4] He won the Polish Cup in 1983.[5]

His popularity was so great in PRL-era Poland during his 5 seasons there between 1978 and 1983[2] that it was dubbed "Kentomania".[4][6] Reportedly soldiers assigned to crack down on public gatherings as part of a national martial law decree would abandon their tanks to seek his autograph.[3] He also appeared in the Polish cult film Miś.[7]

References

  1. ^ "Historia Polskiej Ligi Koszykówki Mężczyzn". www.plkhistory.ugu.pl. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  2. ^ a b Jakub Wojczyński (2 May 2023), "Amerykanie są jednocześnie zbawieniem i przekleństwem. Podbili świat. Nie ma innego wyjścia?", onet.pl (in Polish), Przegląd Sportowy
  3. ^ a b Nancy Haggerty, lohud. (ed.), "Breaking barriers: Washington first American to play pro basketball behind Iron Curtain", lohud.com, Rockland/Westchester Journal News
  4. ^ a b "Cut by the NBA, He Found Fame in Communist Poland". Sports History Weekly. 8 January 2023. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  5. ^ Marek Kępa (29 June 2021), I Felt Polish: A Chat with American Basketball Pro Kent Washington, culture.pl
  6. ^ Kent Washington (2021). Kentomania: A Black Basketball Virtuoso in Communist Poland. independent. pp. 1–247. ISBN 9798786557979.
  7. ^ Żelazko, Basia (15 May 2020). "Kent Washington: pamiętacie koszykarza z "Misia"?". film.wp.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2 May 2023.

Bibliography