Bob Presley

Robert Nathaniel Presley (April 30, 1946 – March 25, 1975) was an American professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the California Golden Bears and was an eleventh round selection by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1969 NBA draft. Presley played professionally in the Philippines, Belgium and in the American semi-professional Western Basketball Association (WBA).

Presley was raised in Detroit, Michigan, where he attended three high schools and struggled academically despite having potential as a basketball player. Presley was sent to California where he benefitted from alleviated academic standards and graduated from high school. He became eligible to attend Mt. San Jacinto College where he starred on the basketball team as a sophomore. Presley transferred to play for the Golden Bears from 1967 to 1969. His suspension and subsequent reinstatement in 1968 sparked racial tension on the team and resulted in the resignations of head coach Rene Herrerias and athletic director Pete Newell. Presley was expected to start his professional career with the Denver Rockets of the American Basketball Association (ABA) in 1969 but quit the team before appearing in a game. After his release from prison for grand theft in 1971, Presley aspired to play in the NBA and toiled in minor leagues.

Presley's personal life was marked by turmoil and poverty. He struggled to make an adequate income from his basketball career and failed in other business ventures. After experiencing several mental breakdowns in his pursuit for a successful basketball career, Presley drowned himself in the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon.

Early life Presley was born on April 30, 1946, in Birmingham, Alabama. His parents had wanted to name him Nathaniel Robert but the hospital where he was born reversed the names on his birth certificate. Moore did not have an interscholastic sports program so Presley transferred to Pershing High School when he was aged 16 because of his potential as a basketball player. In October 1964, Presley arrived at Northern while intoxicated and punched a teacher, starting a brawl that took four teachers and multiple policemen to control him. The Eagles achieved a 25–5 record, He was expected "to become one of the best centers in the country" with the Golden Bears. A professional scout noted that, "next to Lew Alcindor, [Presley] is the best big man in the nation." On January 22, a team meeting occurred where the black players begged off and sided with Presley. Later that day, 11 white players and a manager of the Golden Bears basketball team resigned in support of Herrerias after allegations that administrative pressure was invoked to have Presley reinstated.

On January 23, Presley appeared alongside a group representing black athletes at the University of California, Berkeley who made demands that California fire Herrerias and Golden Bears football assistant coaches Bill Dutton and Joe Marvin "for reasons of their inability or unwillingness to relate to Black Athletes." They also declared that black athletes at the university had been subjected to derogatory comments because of their appearance, had to find housing on their own and received poor academic counselling because of an assumption they lacked intelligence. Presley stated that he was "shocked" at the action of the white players quitting the team and claimed that he did not think Herrerias was "qualified to coach." The 11 players responded to the black athletes' demands with a statement on January 23 that urged "all team members, both black and white, be treated equally and fairly."

On January 24, Presley and all members of the Golden Bears returned to practice. The 11 players had relented after they had a conference with Herrerias where he confirmed that he made the decision to reinstate Presley. On February 2, Presley appeared in his first game with the Golden Bears since his suspension where a team spokesman observed there was no sign of the short-lived racial rebellion. On February 10, Presley was returned to the Golden Bears' starting line-up. Presley finished the season with averages of 18.1 points and 13.8 rebounds per game. He set a program record with 27 rebounds in a game against the Saint Mary's Gaels. Presley was selected to the All-Athletic Association of Western Universities (AAWU) second-team in 1968.

In March 1968, Newell resigned as California athletic director; the Los Angeles Times alleged that it was the result of the Presley scandal and made Newell "the first casualty of racial unrest in college sports." On April 11, Herrerias resigned as head coach and stated that the black protest was a contribution but not "the sole factor" in his desire to leave. Presley announced that Herrerias' resignation was "a great thing" as he had been contemplating not returning to the basketball team if Herrerias was to stay. Herrerias was replaced by freshman coach Jim Padgett.

Senior season In a November 1968 interview, Presley stated: "All the ill feelings from last year are gone, because the causes are gone."

Professional career On April 15, 1969, Presley was selected by the Denver Rockets of the American Basketball Association (ABA) in the second round of the 1969 ABA draft. On April 26, he signed a three-year contract with the Rockets. Bill Ringsby, the Rockets president, stated that the team considered Presley "a fantastic player who is destined to become a superstar."

On September 23, 1969, Presley participated in a workout with the Rockets and then left the team training camp with no explanation. Head coach John McLendon did not speculate on why Presley had left but admitted that he had criticised Presley for lagging. A Rockets spokesman stated: "we may have to write it off as a bad investment. I don't think management is too concerned right now." Presley's contract with the Rockets meant that he could not play for another team in either the ABA or NBA without additional action by the team.

On November 13, 1969, Presley was jailed on charges that he orchestrated an alleged traveller's cheque fraud in Berkeley, California. In December, he was charged with grand theft while charges of conspiracy and fraudulent use of checks were dropped. On August 19, 1970, Presley pleaded guilty to grand theft.

In 1971, Presley played for the Meralco Kilowatts in the Philippines. On October 4, Presley was the final player cut by the Floridians before the start of the 1971–72 ABA season. He returned to the Philippines for the 1972 season and then had a short playing stint in Belgium.

In 1973, Presley joined the Richmond Believers of the Western Basketball Association (WBA). and Presley moved to the San Francisco Sugar Hills for the remainder of the season.

In a March 1975 interview, Presley lamented how his professional career had unfolded and credited his problems to his suspension at California.

Personal life Presley was married but experienced a sadomasochistic relationship with his wife. Presley worked as a janitor to supplement his income while playing for the Muirs. Presley attended a SuperSonics game where he directed abusive remarks at rookie center Tommy Burleson and had to be evicted from the locker room by head coach Bill Russell. It was believed to have been in the water for several weeks. The Berkeley Gazette speculated that the body was Presley's on May 12, A medical examiner declared that Presley had died of drowning,

Legacy Presley's life was documented in the 1980 book Almost a Famous Person by Herb Michelson, a columnist for The Sacramento Bee.