May 19, 2005

PRINCESS ANNE, MD - Maryland State College (MSC), now the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES), Hall of Famer, and NBA player, Kenneth S. McBride, passed away on Saturday, May 14, 2005. He was 74.

McBride, class of 1952 is a Hall of Famer at UMES and was the first basketball player from then, Maryland State, to be drafted into the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Syracuse Nationals drafted him in round 0. The Nationals became the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1963-1964 season. He didn't actually play in an NBA game until the 1954-1955 season when he played for the Milwaukee Hawks, formerly the Tri-Cities Blackhawks. They later became the St. Louis Hawks and then the present day Atlanta Hawks in the 1968-1969 season.

He played in 12 games that season logging 249 minutes and tallying 117 points and 31 rebounds. The 6'3, 190 lb. guard attended Centralia High School in Centralia Ill. and was at Maryland State from 1948-1952 and was inducted into the UMES Hall of Fame in 1973. In his four seasons at MSC his teams recorded 76 wins and 11 losses.

McBride was also a key figure in the integration of the NBA. He was the seventh African-American player to play for the Hawks' franchise, which was one of the first teams to integrate beginning in the 1950-1951 season. It wasn't until the 1955-1956 season, one year after McBride played that every team became integrated.

The address for condolences is 708 N. Elm Street, Centralia, Illinois 62801. The funeral will be held Friday, May 20 at 1:00 p.m. in Centralia.