Asian American Basketball by Joel S. Franks

Author:Joel S. Franks
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: McFarland
Published: 2016-04-29T04:00:00+00:00

During World War II, Al Mar, a Chinese American from Seattle, sparkled as a guard for Whitman College and then the University of Washington. Mar is in the front row, the sixth player from the left, with his Whitman College squad. Courtesy Whitman College and Northwest Archives, WCA80.

Instead of entering the military, Mar headed to the University of Washington. Upon Mar’s joining the Huskies, the Seattle Times informed readers that the Chinese American had previously been an “all-city cager” in Seattle. The Times added that Mar was “small of stature, but an excellent floor man and a good ball handler.” Mar, moreover, was 4-F (physically unable to serve in the military). Thus, he could travel out of town with the University of Washington squad. Bruce Hamby of the Portland Oregonian echoed the Times in predicting that Mar would become a “key man” for the Huskies. Hamby enthused that Mar was “a diminutive Chinese lad from Seattle … a fine scorer and an exceptional floor man.” His coach Hec Edmondson quipped that Mar was a “flashy little floor man who weighs about eight pounds and six ounces.”31

Mar proved an asset for the Washington five. He hit a key basket to help his team down Whitman College in overtime. In late January, “little Al Mar,” according to the Bend Bulletin, sank crucial shots which sank Oregon State’s chances to beat the Huskies. When Washington triumphed over Washington State, Mar had a field day. The Bend Bulletin told readers he hit 12 of 14 shots, which it insisted added up to 22 points. The Bulletin, in any event, seemed right about the point total. The “diminutive Al Mar,” according to the University of Washington yearbook, did indeed hurt Washington State with 22 points. The Seattle Times dubbed Mar one of the “sparkplugs” of the Huskies’ triumph over Gonzaga on February 20. On February 22, Washington beat Idaho and, according to one game account, Al Mar, a “little Chinese boy,” was a key factor. Moreover, the University of Washington yearbook for 1944 pointed out he scored 16 against Oregon. Unfortunately, as the Huskies headed into the 1944–1945 season, Mar reportedly had scholastic issues that kept him off the team. After college, Al Mar would remain involved in community basketball, as well as operate a grocery store in Seattle.32

During World War II, “little Fred (Happy) Lee” played big time college basketball as Oregon State’s “5 foot 4 inch Chinese basketball guard.” Lee was the son of a Chinese American father born in Oregon and a Chinese immigrant mother. In 1930, his father labored for a fish cannery while his mother taught Chinese for a living. Ten years later, his father was a foreman while his mother apparently worked at home.33

Like Mar, Lee handled the pressure of big time college basketball more than adequately. Before the 1944 Pacific Coast Conference play started for Oregon State, Bruce Hamby described the “Chinese youth from Astoria” as small but fast. Regrettably, Lee had an eventual date with the draft board.

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