By David Jordan Jr
Former UCLA and Los Angeles Lakers star Jamaal “Silk” Wilkes is not only one of the greatest basketball players of all time, but he is one of the greatest winners in the history of the game of basketball. In addition to winning many individual accolades as a prep, collegiate and professional player, Jamaal won multiple championships. During his career at UCLA he won two NCAA championships and during his NBA career he won four NBA championships ( one with the Golden State Warriors and three with the Los Angeles Lakers) solidifying his place as one of the games’ ultimate winners.
1975 was a year that saw Jamaal not only win a NBA Champhionship and win NBA Rookie Of The Year, he also starred in a classic film with a legendary cast. “Cornbread, Earl and Me” was released in 1975 and not only starred Wilkes but also was the debut of a young Laurence Fishburne while also featuring legendary actors Rosalind Cash, Moses Gunn, and Bernie Casey, Stack Pierce, Madge Sinclair, Thalmus Rasulala, and Antonio Fargas.
Playing the role of Nathaniel “Cornbread” Hamilton, a high school basketball star that was tragically killed in a case of mistaken identity by the police, the film, and the cast helped bring to the masses the realities that were present in many impoverished black neighborhoods across the United States of America. Jamaal spoke to ESHE about how he was selected for the part and how it came to fruition on screen. Check out the interview below:
