By Claude Johnson

Did you see what “NBA-Insider” David Aldridge wrote about me and BlackFives.com in his column on NBA.com this week?

He referred to me as “the great Claude Johnson.”

Yes he did, and, well, OK, I’ll take it! :-)

Aldridge also wrote that as far as the African American basketball teams that played prior to the N.B.A., BlackFives.com has “made that almost forgotten history come alive.”

He’s the best.

This piece is very flattering and special, of course. But, what does it mean?

Maybe it means that the “mainstream” is finally beginning to notice us, and the relevance of the history of the Black Fives Era.

But what about you?  What’s your view of what you think this means, if anything?

Meanwhile, here is the text of what Aldridge wrote:

Nobody Asked Me, But …

Why did we spend so much time last week listening to an attention-seeking buffoon (whose name I will not mention) “promoting” an all-white basketball league that is little more than a sick publicity stunt, when we can rightly celebrate a true benchmark this week — the 100th anniversary of African-Americans in pro ball?

The great Claude Johnson has spent the past several years chronicling the lost contributions of African-Americans to professional basketball before the NBA was formed in 1947 with his blog, The Black Fives. “Fives” refers, of course, to the number of players on a team; at the turn of the previous century, basketball teams were often referred to as “Fives.” Johnson’s blog has made that almost forgotten history come alive, detailing the trials and tribulations of teams from the celebrated New York/Harlem Rens (whose last living player, George Crowe, hasn’t been feeling well lately; send him some good vibes and prayers today) to obscure squads like the Los Angeles Red Devils and Washington 12 Streeters.

Through Black Fives, I learned that this Friday will mark the 90th anniversary of the accreditation of the first African-American official, Chris Huiswoud, who was sanctioned by the AAU to work a game on Jan. 29, 1920, and that this coming October will mark the 100-year anniversary of the formation of the first all-black for-pay team, the New York All-Stars. The All-Stars were formed by Major Hart, a former rifleman who served the United States during the Spanish-American war.

For a century, basketball has become the game most synonymous with African-American athletes, coaches, general managers and ownership. (As in the Negro Leagues in baseball, blacks were owners of their own teams decades before Bob Johnson bought his way into the NBA’s ownership group.) But while African-American participation in Major League Baseball has fallen dramatically in the last 30 years — and there are a lot of arguments as to why that’s happened — blacks continue to be dominant in the NBA. The quality of today’s game can be debated reasonably, by people who aren’t seeking to exploit racial tensions to line their own pockets. But what can’t be denied is the contributions made by African-Americans to the game we all love.

At any rate, it would be a much better use of your time to check out BlackFives.com than waste brain cells on some yahoo. It’s a great site that provides a public service to anyone who wants to really know the history of the game — and has some great gear on sale to boot.