NBA Hall of Famer Bob McAdoo will be honored with the Trailblazer Award by the International Civil Rights Center & Museum in Greensboro.

The annual gala on July 18 recognizes persons who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to social progress by opening doors to minorities for new opportunities for success. The event is dedicated to raising crucial funds for the Museum's ongoing mission to promote civil and human rights.

The occasion commemorates the historic Greensboro Sit-Ins, which began on Feb. 1, 1960. It is timed to mark the successful racial integration of the F.W. Woolworth's lunch counter on July 25, 1960, six months later.

McAdoo is a Greensboro native whose extraordinary journey from the hallways of Ben L. Smith High School to the pinnacle of professional basketball represents the very best of what determination, discipline and striving for excellence can achieve. Like the principles that distinguished the Civil Rights Movement, these qualities can render extraordinary success.

Born on Sept. 25, 1951, McAdoo came of age in Greensboro during one of the most transformative periods in American history. Not only was the game of basketball advanced during these years but so was the social landscape of a city that sat at the very epicenter of the Civil Rights Movement.

After high school, McAdoo took his talents to UNC at Chapel Hill, where he starred under legendary coach Dean Smith. Selected by the Buffalo Braves in the 1972 NBA Draft, McAdoo quickly established himself as one of the most dominant forces the game had ever seen — earning three consecutive NBA scoring titles in 1974, 1975 and 1976, along with the NBA Most Valuable Player Award in 1975, and five NBA All-Star selections.

He later captured back-to-back NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1982 and 1985 before taking his extraordinary talents to Europe, where he became one of the first American NBA stars to elevate the international game and open doors for generations of players who followed. In 2000, McAdoo was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Yet what makes McAdoo the fitting recipient of the Civil Rights Trailblazer's Award extends far beyond his championships and accolades. He competed at the highest levels when racial barriers in professional sports were present, carrying the pride of Greensboro on his shoulders throughout a legendary career. He integrated himself into spaces that were not always welcoming, excelled on the world's most coveted stages, and consistently demonstrated that talent and character know no racial color. His decades of mentorship, community engagement, and service to young athletes reflect a man who has never forgotten where he came from or the responsibility that comes with the high platform on which he stands.

“Bob McAdoo is one of Greensboro's greatest sons, and his story is inseparable from the story of this city and its enduring spirit of courage and excellence,” said Hurley Derrickson, a personal friend who was a high school basketball teammate and a member of the museum’s Board of Directors. “To honor him here, in the city that shaped him, at the museum that stands on the ground where history was made, is a profoundly meaningful moment for our entire community. It is our privilege to celebrate his remarkable life and legacy at this year's gala.”

For tickets, sponsorships and additional information, visit www.sitinmovement.org or call 336-274-9199.

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