You know the names Shaquille O'Neal and Steph Curry, but a University of North Texas grad was with them in receiving the Academy Award for short subject documentary Sunday.
Donnie F. Wilson, who grew up in South Dallas, joined the NBA legends as one of the executive producers of "The Queen of Basketball."
"I'm still processing it. It's so, so, so surreal," said Wilson "I feel like I'm going to wake up in a minute and realize it was just a dream. So, I'm happy, cautiously happy."
THE QUEEN OF BASKETBALL
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The 22-minute documentary is about basketball trailblazer Lusia "Lucy" Harris, who scored the first basket in the history of women's Olympic basketball and was the only woman to ever be drafted by the NBA.
"I was shocked that I had never heard of this woman … all of these accomplishments and I've never heard of her," said Wilson. "And so I started talking to friends, and neighbors, and no one, no one, had heard of this woman."
Wilson said from the beginning he was determined to be a part of making sure others knew her story.
"The Queen of Basketball" is available to stream for free.
"I want every little girl to see this film, because — I mean I'm inspired as a man — but for this woman to be the beast that she was in this game to the level that the NBA acknowledged how fierce she was, and wanted her to play with men, I think that if it inspires me that way, I can't imagine what it would do to little girls."
Harris did get to see a screening of the documentary but died on Jan. 18, 2022, at age 66 — before the world knew her name or the documentary won an Oscar.
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"I just think she would have been tickled pink," Wilson said.
Wilson did not attend the Academy Awards ceremony, he and several others gave their tickets to Harris' four children and their spouses so that they could attend the event.
KEEPING LUCY'S LEGACY ALIVE
Wilson said everyone involved in the documentary is continuing to work to keep Harris' legacy alive. The group is hoping to have a statue of her erected at Delta State University and maybe the name of the venue where she played changed to honor her legacy and even hope to set up a scholarship fund in her name.
Wilson said he hopes the Oscar win will mean more doors open for him to tell more stories, including possibly turning "The Queen of Basketball" documentary into a feature film.
