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Lindsay Hairston

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Lindsay Hairston
Personal information
Born (1951-12-08) December 8, 1951 (age 72)
Detroit, Michigan
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Listed weight180 lb (82 kg)
Career information
High schoolKettering (Detroit, Michigan)
CollegeMichigan State (1972–1975)
NBA draft1975: 4th round, 64th overall pick
Selected by the Detroit Pistons
PositionSmall forward
Number45
Career history
1975–1976Detroit Pistons
Career highlights and awards
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata

Lindsay Hairston (born December 8, 1951) is a retired professional basketball player who spent one season in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Detroit Pistons during the 1975–76 season.

Born in Detroit, Michigan, Hairston played high school basketball at Kettering High School in Detroit before playing collegiately for Michigan State,[1] averaging 19.3 ppg and 11.5 rpg in his senior season (1974–75), and was twice named first-team All-Big Ten.[2]

Controversially, Hairston was one of a number of black players who walked out on Michigan State coach Gus Ganakas before a key Big Ten game on January 4, 1975, against Indiana. Ganakas elected to start Jeff Tropf, who was white, 10 black players, led by team captain Hairston, walked out of the team meeting, returned for the game but were then suspended by Ganakas. Michigan State lost the game 107–55 with a patchwork roster that included junior varsity players. Tropf led the team with 21 points. The players would meet with Ganakas the next day, aired a number of grievance, were reinstated after apologizing, and then defeated Ohio State 88–84 the next day. Tropf would transfer to Central Michigan at the end of the season.[3][4]

Hairston was selected by the Pistons during the fourth round (64th pick overall) of the 1975 NBA draft, spending one season with the hometown NBA team, averaging 5.8 ppg in the 1975-76 Detroit Pistons season. He went on to play in France for several years, winning the FIBA Korać Cup in 1984 as a member of the team of Élan Béarnais Pau-Orthez.[5][6]

References

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  1. ^ "Lindsay Hairston College Stats". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com.
  2. ^ Couch, Graham. "MSU's top 50 basketball players: No. 21 Lindsay Hairston". Lansing State Journal.
  3. ^ Solari, Chris. "Tropf returns to MSU 40 years after player walkout". Lansing State Journal.
  4. ^ Couch, Graham. "MSU's top 50 basketball players: No. 12 Terry Furlow". Lansing State Journal.
  5. ^ "Lindsay Hairston Stats". Basketball-Reference.com.
  6. ^ "Lindsay Hairston, Basketball Player". Proballers.
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