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2008Jun, 19

Bennie Swain

Bennie Swain, American basketball player and coach (b. 1930)
Bennie Samuel Swain (December 16, 1933 – June 19, 2008) was an American professional basketball player.

A 6'8" forward/center, Swain played at Texas Southern University in the 1950s. He led the NAIA in scoring during the 1957-58 season and was named an NAIA All-American. After graduating, Swain was selected by the Boston Celtics with the eighth pick of the 1958 NBA Draft. He played one season for the Celtics, contributing 4.6 points and 4.5 rebounds per game en route to the 1959 NBA Championship.

He was the first Texas Southern University player to earn an NBA Championship ring.

Swain later served as a high school basketball coach.

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Events on 2008

  • 11Jun

    Canadian Indian residential school system

    Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper makes a historic official apology to Canada's First Nations in regard to abuses at a Canadian Indian residential school.
  • 7Aug

    South Ossetia

    The start of the Russo-Georgian War over the territory of South Ossetia.
  • 29Sep

    Dow Jones Industrial Average

    Following the bankruptcies of Lehman Brothers and Washington Mutual, The Dow Jones Industrial Average falls 777.68 points, the largest single-day point loss in its history.
  • 29Oct

    Northwest Airlines

    Delta Air Lines merges with Northwest Airlines, creating the world's largest airline and reducing the number of US legacy carriers to five.
  • 10Nov

    Phoenix (spacecraft)

    Over five months after landing on Mars, NASA declares the Phoenix mission concluded after communications with the lander were lost.