🏀0️⃣2️⃣8️⃣ Bill Cain

Meet Bill Cain, the New York native who translated his NCAA student-athlete activist experience into a role as a sports ambassador for the United States, France, and Les Bleus in basketball.

Born in White Plains, New York, on February 8, 1948, Cain grew up with a burning desire to see the world. It was a curiosity born from reading books in his local library but realized through basketball, which ultimately served as his passport. In Fall 1966, he arrived on campus at Iowa State University and rapidly earned the nickname “Mr. Steady” on court on his way to an ISU Hall of Fame career.

Bill’s Story

The Civil Rights Movement began to leave an imprint at Iowa State, from racial tensions to student activism. For example, in May 1968, Black student-athletes filed a complaint with the school’s Athletics Council and advocated for greater racial representation within the department at all levels. There was increased political activism within the ISU athletics. Thus, Cain was particularly struck by that October’s Black Power salute by U.S. sprinters John Carlos and Tommie Smith at the Mexico City Olympic Games. Their gesture inspired him to engage in his own acts of protest in support of the Civil Rights Movement.

Cain wrote about his discontent with the status quo in “Beautiful Protest,” published in the Iowa State Daily, in which he opined,

“Two black men proud to be black, but apparently sad to be Americans, did their thing for black freedom. Whether Smith or Carlos were right or wrong is not the point, they did it not for themselves, but for black people everywhere. As a black athlete here at Iowa State, I think the demonstration was beautiful. It made me proud to be part of this black generation and movement and to be a black athlete.”[1]

The piece launched a passionate debate that played out on the newspaper’s editorial pages. Ultimately, it led to Cain’s year-long column, “Cain’s Scrutiny,” that examined the state of U.S. race relations, policies, the portrayal of Black Americans in popular culture, and the situation of Black athletes in Ames and the country at large. He was subject to criticism, but answered on the court where “Mr. Steady” launched a consistent offensive torrent enhanced by master classes in rebounding that earned him the first of two first-team All-Big Eight selections.

*Bill Cain on the cover of L’Équipe Basket’s June 11, 1975 edition.* *Photo via Gallica.fr.*

Selected 42nd by the Portland Trailblazers in the 1970 NBA Draft, Cain was cut during tryouts. He returned to school and finished his degree, then embarked on a professional career in Europe. After a season in Belgium, and three with Vichy, in 1975 Cain began a decorated career with Le Mans, where he helped the team to the 1978, 1979, and 1982 French Championship.

The Sports Diplomacy Connection

At Le Mans, Cain engaged in different types of informal sports diplomacy through his cultural, technical, and knowledge exchanges. He helped translate his homeland, its hoops techniques to French teammates, and the French game and way of life to American teammates. He also exemplified the republic’s ideal that anyone can assimilate and become “French” (he married a Frenchwoman in 1975 and obtained citizenship shortly thereafter) if they assimilate into the public sphere, such as speaking French.

The cultural and technical exchange in and around the basketball court between Cain and his teammates was not limited to Le Mans. The naturalized Frenchman (via 1975 marriage) was invited to play with Les Bleus in 1978, a pivotal turning point for the team as it fought to ascend into the top tiers of European competition. France failed to qualify for the 1969 and 1975 European Championship, placed 10th in the 1971 and 1973 tournaments, and finished in eleventh place in 1977.

When the head coach Joe Jauney approached Cain to play in 1978, the answer was affirmative. “I would have loved to play with the U.S. national team,” Cain recalled, but noted how far-fetched that reality was at the time. Playing for Team France was the closest he would get to playing elite international competitions, and he took it. Across 63 games en bleu from 1978 through 1980, Cain etched his mark in French hoops history.

“It was like building a new foundation when I came. There was only one way to go, but up.”

France finished eighth at the 1979 competition, the team’s best tournament performance since 1961.

Cain also participated in the team’s basketball diplomacy with China in August 1980. On that trip, Les Bleus’ first since its 1966 visit, he formally represented France and informally the United States as Chinese students asked him about his homeland, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Simone de Beauvoir. Thus during his career Cain gave an assist to both of his countries on and off the court.

[1] Bill Cain, “Beautiful Protest,” Iowa State Daily, October 25, 1968, p4.

Mapping the Connection

🏀0️⃣2️⃣8️⃣ Bill Cain

Meet Bill Cain, the New York native who translated his NCAA student-athlete activist experience into a role as a sports ambassador for the United States, France, and Les Bleus in basketball.

⚽🗞️029 Jonathan Johnson

🏀0️⃣2️⃣7️⃣ Tariq Abdul-Wahad