Sports' Forgotten Heroes

Archie Clark broke into the NBA with the Los Angeles Lakes in 1966. He came off the bench his first season (1966-67) and averaged 10.5 PPG. Over the course of the next few seasons, Archie brought two new moves to the game that so any players use today, the “Shake and Bake” and the “step-back”. And while Archie was an innovator on the floor with such moves, it was what he did off the court that has made the most important and lasting impression for the NBA stars of today – he challenged management when it came to contract negotiations. Very few players whose names weren’t Chamberlain, Russell, Baylor, etc. saw the big dollars of the day. But Archie fought and won. It was his determination that paved the way for today’s “supporting” players. But, Archie was more than a supporting player. He was a star, albeit, for teams that weren’t so great. After spending the first two years of his career with the Los Angeles Lakers, Archie was traded to the Philadelphia Warriors (before they moved to San Francisco) for Wilt