Description
As captain, Renick led the U.S. Basketball team to glory at the 1948 London Olympics, becoming the second Native American to win an Olympic gold medal. According to Bill Anoatubby, Governor of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma, Renick was not only “a great basketball player known for his energy and enthusiasm; he was a leader on the court. He had a unique ability to unite team members of diverse backgrounds.” On their way to London, Renick and the U.S. team played an exhibition tour in Scotland. The team’s manager, Lou Wilke, recalled that they travelled “in a modern bus and played exhibition games wherever a court could be found.” They visited Perth and Kirkcaldy, performing at the towns’ ice rinks to almost 4,000 people. The Fife Free Press reported that the audience was only somewhat impressed by the performances, noting that while the Fifers were “quite pleased to have seen the spectacle once, [they] have no desire to see any more.” Wilke took a more positive view, claiming that the team were received “enthusiastically” and that they had “probably made more friends for basketball than they realized.” The tour also had a notable impact on the team itself; the coaches developed and refined their winning substitution strategy while in Scotland.
Bibliographic sources
Details text from KR Scotsman article. Image credit: Phillips 66 – 1946-47 Phillips 66ers basketball yearbook/program, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=35424428