Lacy J. Banks (1943 – March 21, 2012) was an American sportswriter who worked for the ''

Chicago Sun-Times The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has the second largest circulation among Chicago newspapers, after the ''Chicago ...

'' from 1972 until his death. The newspaper's first African-American sportswriter, Banks covered the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...

and the

Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded on January ...

. A native of Lyon, Mississippi, Banks studied French at the

University of Kansas The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. T ...

and served in the United States Navy during the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...

. In addition to his writings on basketball, he co-authored the book ''Winning Boxing'' (1980). He died at age 68 in 2012 after suffering from prostate cancer, a

brain tumor A brain tumor occurs when abnormal cells form within the brain. There are two main types of tumors: malignant tumors and benign (non-cancerous) tumors. These can be further classified as primary tumors, which start within the brain, and seconda ...

, and heart disease in his later years.Toni Ginnetti.
Trailblazing Sun-Times sportswriter Lacy J. Banks dies
. ''Chicago Sun-Times''. March 21, 2012. Retrieved on March 22, 2012. He and his wife, Joyce, were married 43 years, with three daughters and five grandchildren.

References

1943 births 2012 deaths American sportswriters Chicago Sun-Times people Chicago Bulls People from Coahoma County, Mississippi University of Kansas alumni Place of death missing Journalists from Mississippi African-American journalists United States Navy sailors 21st-century African-American writers African-American United States Navy personnel African Americans in the Vietnam War {{US-journalist-1940s-stub