TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Tommy Curtis, the first Black player to play basketball at Leon High died. He was 69.
Curtis went on to play at UCLA, leading them to a national title in 1972 over Florida State.
Curtis was one of the first 50 black students to attend Leon High School. While there, he won two state championships and was selected as the state’s basketball player of the year in 1969.
Born in Tampa, Curtis' mother was a social activist and a co-founder of the Florida chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and his father served for Central Life insurance company.
A service will be held for Curtis in the Leon High School gym on Aug. 14. Further details have not been confirmed.
The cause of death has not been released.
