Kent Washington (born 10 January 1956) is a former professional basketball player who was the first American as well as the first black professional basketball player to play behind the

Iron Curtain The Iron Curtain was the political boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1991. The term symbolizes the efforts by the Soviet Union (USSR) to block itself and its s ...

. He won the

Polish Cup The Polish Cup in football ( pl, Puchar Polski w piłce nożnej ) is an elimination tournament for Polish football clubs, held continuously from 1950, and is the second most important national title in Polish football after the Ekstraklasa titl ...

in 1983. His popularity was so great in PRL-era Poland during his 5 seasons there between 1978 and 1983 that it was dubbed "Kentomania". Reportedly soldiers assigned to crack down on public gatherings as part of a national

martial law Martial law is the imposition of direct military control of normal civil functions or suspension of civil law by a government, especially in response to an emergency where civil forces are overwhelmed, or in an occupied territory. Use Marti ...

decree would abandon their tanks to seek his autograph. He also appeared in the Polish cult film Miś.

References

Bibliography

* Autobiography:

External links

* PLK History profile - {{DEFAULTSORT:Washington, Kent Living people American men's basketball players Southampton College alumni American expatriate basketball people in Poland American emigrants to Poland 1956 births