David Lattin

David Lattin, a Houston native, was the starting center for the 1965-66 Texas Western University team that won a historic NCAA men’s national basketball championship. Today, Texas Western is known as the University of Texas-El Paso (UTEP). The 6-foot-6 Lattin was one of five Black players that started for Texas Western in the title game against Kentucky, which had an all white roster. It was the first time in the history of Division I men’s basketball that five Black players started in a championship game. Texas Western was a heavy underdog but upset No. 1 Kentucky 72-65 on March 19, 1966 to win the national championship. Lattin had 16 points and nine rebounds in 32 minutes in the monumental win. Texas Western’s victory changed the culture of men’s college basketball as we know it today and led many Division I colleges to start recruiting Black players. Lattin played eight years in the NBA, two in the ABA and one with the Harlem Globetrotters.