Richard "Dick" Barnett (born October 2, 1936 in Gary, Indiana) is a former American professional basketball player. He spent 14 seasons in the NBA (1959–74), but is mostly known for his 9 seasons with the New York Knicks. Barnett played in the 1968 NBA All-Star Game and was a part of the famous 1970 Knicks team, that won the NBA championship against the Los Angeles Lakers. He scored 15,358 regular season points in his career.

A three-time All-America player at Tennessee A & I (now Tennessee State University), Barnett led his team to three consecutive NAIA national championships for Hall of Fame Coach John McLendon. Barnett was named championship MVP in 1958 and 1959.

The top draft choice of the Syracuse Nationals (now the Philadelphia 76ers) of the NBA, Barnett played with the team until 1962, when he jumped ship from the NBA to play in the American Basketball League (ABL) with the Cleveland Pipers, who were owned by George Steinbrenner, now New York Yankees owner. Barnett led them to an ABL Championship in the 1962-63 season. He then returned to the NBA to play with the Los Angeles Lakers for three seasons (legendary Laker announcer Chick Hearn nicknamed him "Fall Back Baby") and played on two NBA championship teams with the New York Knicks in 1969-70 and 1972-73.

William Felton "Bill" Russell (born February 12, 1934) is a retired American professional basketball player who played center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A five-time winner of the NBA Most Valuable Player Award and a twelve-time All-Star, Russell was the centerpiece of the Celtics dynasty that won eleven NBA Championships during Russell's thirteen-year career. Along with Henri Richard of the National Hockey League's Montreal Canadiens, Russell holds the record for the most championships won by an athlete in a North American sports league. Before his professional career, Russell led the University of San Francisco to two consecutive NCAA championships (1955, 1956). He also won a gold medal at the 1956 Summer Olympics as captain of the U.S. national basketball team.

Russell is widely considered one of the best players in NBA history. Listed as between 6'9" (2.06 m) and 6'10" (2.08 m), Russell's shot-blocking and man-to-man defense were major reasons for the Celtics' success. He also inspired his teammates to elevate their own defensive play. Russell was equally notable for his rebounding abilities. He led the NBA in rebounds four times, and remains second all-time in both total rebounds and rebounds per game. He is one of just two NBA players (the other being prominent rival Wilt Chamberlain) to have grabbed more than fifty rebounds in a game. Though never the focal point of the Celtics' offense, Russell also scored 14,522 career points and provided effective passing.

Arthur Louis Shamsky (born October 14, 1941, in St. Louis, Missouri) is a former Major League Baseball player. He played right field, left field, and first base from 1965 to 1972 for the Cincinnati Reds, New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, and Oakland Athletics. In 2007 he was the manager of the Modi'in Miracle of the Israel Baseball League.

Shamsky is Jewish and was born in St. Louis. He attended University City High School in St. Louis and played on the school's baseball team as did fellow major leaguer and Israel Baseball League manager Ken Holtzman four years later. After playing ball for the University of Missouri in 1958-59, he was signed by Cincinnati as a free agent in 1959.

Shamsky began his professional baseball career as an 18-year-old with the 1960 Geneva Redlegs, and homered in his first at-bat. A roommate of Pete Rose that year, he hit .271 and slugged .480. His 18 homers were second in the league, well ahead of Tony Perez and Dick Allen. Shamsky led the league's outfielders in assists, and made the All-Star team.

Emerson Boozer (born July 4, 1943) is a former running back in the American Football League and in the NFL. In the last year of separate drafts by the AFL and the NFL, Boozer signed with the AFL's New York Jets, rather than with an NFL team. He played his entire professional career with the Jets. Boozer was a member of the Jets team that defeated the NFL's champion Baltimore Colts, 16-7, in Super Bowl III. Before joining the American Football League, Boozer played college football at the Maryland State College, which is now the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.

Boozer's natural athletic ability came to the attention of football coaches at Lucy Laney High School in Augusta, Georgia. Despite his proven talent there, football scholarships were not widely offered to the black star. Boozer excelled as well at the college level, where he showed open field ability as a back as well as strength and intensity as a player that exceeded his 5'11 190-pound size.

Not widely sought by the NFL, Boozer was drafted by the Jets, who were assembling a team of talented and enthusiastic players under George Sauer Sr. and Wilbur ' Weeb ' Ewbank. The team already had fullback Matt Snell and figured Boozer to be paired with him at halfback. Sharing the job with Bill Mathis as a rookie, Boozer worked hard and became a starter in 1967. His ability to block with intensity earned him a league-wide reputation.

Travis Grant (born January 1, 1950 in Clayton, Alabama) is a retired American professional basketball player. He is most known for being the all-time leading scorer in men's college basketball history while at Kentucky State University by amassing 4,045 points. Grant was a first round pick of the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1972 NBA Draft and of the Utah Stars in the 1972 ABA Draft. Grant played professionally in the National Basketball Association and American Basketball Association from 1972 to 1976, for the Los Angeles Lakers, San Diego Conquistadors and Indiana Pacers. His best season came in 1974-75 for the San Diego Conquistadors when he averaged 25.2 points per game and 6.2 rebounds per game with a 54.4% field goal percentage.