KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Former University of Kansas star Jo-Jo White averaged 11.7 points for the U.S. men’s basketball team at the 1968 Mexico City Games, helping the U.S. claim a seventh straight gold medal.
White scored a team-high 24 points in a pool-play win against Yugoslavia and a team-high 16 against Brazil in the semifinals.
In a rematch against Yugoslavia in the Olympic final, White scored 14 as the U.S. pulled away after halftime to win 65-50.
White, a St. Louis native, was a two-time All-American for the Jayhawks in 1968 and 1969.
He helped lead KU to the NCAA Tournament as a freshman and sophomore.
The Jayhawks reached the NIT championship game led by White in 1968 and made another NIT appearance in 1969, when he averaged a career-high 18.1 points and 4.7 rebounds.
Overall, White averaged 15.3 points and 4.9 rebounds in 84 career games for KU, which retired his jersey in 2003.
White reached even greater heights with the Boston Celtics, making the NBA All-Rookie Team in 1970 and appearing in the All-Star Game each of the next seven seasons.
He helped the Celtics win two NBA titles, averaging 18.4 points with 5.1 assists and 4.3 rebounds in 10 seasons and also setting a franchise record with 488 consecutive games played.
The Celtics retired White’s No. 10 during a ceremony in 1982.
He closed out his career playing two seasons with the Golden State Warriors and one with the Kansas City Kings.
White was inducted in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015 and also has been inducted into the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame in 2013.
He also has been inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 1991 and the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame.
—
The Kansas City region has a deep, rich history with respect to the Olympic Games. As the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games approach with the Opening Ceremony scheduled for July 23, we will profile an athlete with ties to Kansas City, Missouri or Kansas each day.
41 Action News and KSHB.com is your home of the Tokyo Olympics. Follow our coverage at kshb.com/sports/olympics and check out our complete list of 100 Kansas City-area Olympians as it is revealed.