Episode 70: What Basketball Means to Lawrence, KS

Dear Adam Silver

Back in February of 2020, I was a project based resident at Lawrence Arts Center and spent two and a half weeks researching the history and current state of basketball in Lawrence, KS. The history of the game runs deep in this college town as James Naismith, the inventor of the game, was the first basketball coach at the University Kansas (KU) and worked with many people in the town and region on the development of the game. As I am sure you can imagine, I learned a lot while I was there and can't wait to get back to continue to working through how the game lives in this majority basketball crazed town!

I want to thank the Lawrence Arts Center for supporting this work and providing me with Jayhawks Men’s basketball tickets. Especially Kyla Strid and Justin Harbaugh for all their logistical and conceptual support. I also wanted to thank all my guests; Nick Krug, Leo Hayden, Curtis Marsh and Linda Reimond answered so many of my questions and were patient with my tight schedule. And thank you to Tim Gaddie of the DeBruce Center for all of his knowledge. And thanks to the Lawrence Public library for letting me use their recording studios! And thank you for my contacts at Haskell Indian Nations University for sitting down with me and sharing with me about the school. And also thank you to anyone else who was willing to talk to me or gave me a ride when it was too far to walk. And finally, thank you to my dear friend Adam Meistrell who encouraged me to come to Lawrence. He and his family opened their home to me while I was there and I couldn’t be more grateful. And thank you, to you all, for listening, and Happy New Year.