Zack Clayton
American basketball player / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Zachary M. Clayton (April 17, 1913 – November 20, 1997) was a basketball player for the New York Rens.[1] He was also a Negro league baseball player and a professional boxing referee. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017.[2]
Personal information | |
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Born | (1913-04-17)April 17, 1913 Gloucester County, Virginia, U.S. |
Died | November 20, 1997(1997-11-20) (aged 84) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
Nationality | American |
Career information | |
High school | Simon Gratz (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) |
Basketball Hall of Fame as player | |
College Basketball Hall of Fame Inducted in Baseball career | |
First baseman | |
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
Negro league baseball debut | |
1932, for the Philadelphia Bacharach Giants | |
Last appearance | |
1945, for the Baltimore Elite Giants | |
Teams | |
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As a boy, Clayton's family moved from Virginia to Philadelphia. Clayton played at the Christian Street YMCA along with Charles "Tarzan" Cooper, Jackie Bethards and Bill Yancey. There they began four fruitful careers on a squad called the Tribune Men.[3] Clayton also played for the Harlem Globetrotters.[4] Clayton would win world championships with both teams.[4] Clayton is enshrined in the Philadelphia basketball Hall of Fame.[5] Clayton later became a boxing referee. His most famous bout was the 1974 Ali-Foreman "Rumble In The Jungle". Clayton also refereed Muhammad Ali's last fight, against Trevor Berbick in 1981.[6] Clayton was a lieutenant in the Philadelphia Fire Department for 26 years. He retired in 1979.