Sidney Moncrief became a basketball legend helping the Arkansas Razorbacks to the 1978 Final Four and leading a Milwaukee Bucks team that was one of the NBA’s best during the 1980s. Moncrief could change a game in any number ways. He could hit the big shot. He rebounded as well or better than any guard who ever played. And the two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year could have an impact when his team didn’t have the ball, too.
In retirement, he has had careers in business, in coaching, and in philanthropic pursuits. Moncrief had the latter on his mind as he celebrated his 60th birthday this past week. He created a series of events in his hometown of Little Rock, Arkansas revolving around the charity he and his wife, Takisha, have named Moncrief GameChanger. Friday, they held a gala fundraiser that doubled as a birthday party. The event at the Arkansas Arts Center included live and silent auctions and featured appearances by former teammates and coaches like Ron Brewer, Marvin Delph, Del Harris, and Junior Bridgeman.
The next day, they held a career readiness seminar for high school and college students at the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center. You’ll see images of the facility in the video interview that is the centerpiece of this post. It houses a museum of Arkansas’s African-American history and its dark wood interior provided a welcoming backdrop. Business professionals gave the young people tips on preparing for the workforce through various presentations and breakout sessions.
That afternoon, the Moncriefs and several local coaching legends joined a couple of Sidney’s brothers to put on a shooting clinic at Philander Smith College. They shared advice on basketball and life.
The Moncriefs will do more career readiness forums in Little Rock in October and December and plan to bring the program to North Texas as soon as possible.
