European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 17, 1978, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Nullon team they coach warm travel All Over Greece with team Back at the by Rick Hampson Aas dated Preu after 10 years in a City that Calls itself the Birthplace of Basket the basketball Hall of Fame still struggles or the rec ignition and acceptance its executive director says to were proud of our u is he if you come to America and want to know about you have to come Lee Williams but despite his an Aura of frustration and unrealized potential hangs heavy Over basketballs 10yearold museum and shrine in items always Low in comparison with the baseball and pro football Halls of dropped about 10 percent last m when businessman Paul Bradley re signed As president of the Hall in no vember for what he said were personal he admitted something had to be done to Spruce it the Hall up Community support of the Hall and its associated events is a contrast to love affair with baseballs Hall of Fame and Ohio with pro footballs Lee Williams insisted the Halls prob lems have been largely the result of negativism on the part of the Media and the Halls own friends and 1 refuse to be if 1 you will theres been too much negativism around this the Halls can be traced to when the National asm Cutko of basketball sent James mais nth where basketball was making us Defaut As an olympic in 1891 a Lsmith had invented Basket Ball while teaching physical education at what is now Springfield sum struggling for recognition basketball Hall of his students were bored with indoor sports like marching and leap so he Drew up 13 Hung peach baskets Al either end of the and tossed nil students a soccer balt Basket Ball was according to Naismith had some expense Money left Over when he got Back from in and wanted it put toward starting a shrine far basketballs greats and a museum of hoop world War ii caused the lint of Many and i until in the Fouada Uon basketball coach and athletic director at Colby was hired As executive director in on the doors but last year the museum still was drawing Only around Down from a 1975 High of in b77 the base Ball Halls attendance was and pro several factors inhibit the museum is tucked away on the Campus of Springfield College in the Middle of a residential Section of the Lee Lold me exactly Bow to get but i still had said Don publicity director of the pro football halt at least part of the problem seems to be the sport which is younger and less popular than football or Williams said other sports popularity does not explain the hoop Halls tit were still the Aew kid on Ibe basketball darted out u a dance Ball sport they used to play before the dancing started ifs had to Elbow its Way of its a  and have Ai Many but a tour of the museum and talks with other suggest Hitre Are other Rea sons Why the Public Doea not flock to the As in former president Indi the Hall May need a there Are a lot of newspaper clippings tacked on the said one visitor from nearby you could read that stuff Home or in a Library another complained about some display pictures of pro captions Are written in the present As if Bill rus sell or Jerry West still were such inattention detail is wide a do inlay featuring former Lexington High school Star Ron Lee it Mem inc l and alien off the other Are incorrectly or sloppily the seemingly random arrangement of exhibits can be even though Williams himself liable to explain Why each item is where it the tall has not been overwhelmed by Community one Large insurance company helps sponsor Springfields pro Tennis but it bought no tickets for the annual National basketball Assort Alon Benefit exhibition the Hall has its and they enjoy the museums replica of the gym Nail truths game was first its tastefully done tribute to the late Mau Rice and Detroit Piston Center Bob lancers size 20 Williams is specially proud of the honors where the games greats Are each Man has his portrait and a Brief biography set into too Roceil ing panels of hand painted Williams said consultants have been retained for advice on Interior redecoration and addition of audiovisual hardier round Tail com gladly spend Days Al Ibe poring Over looking at films and to but Williams admits that Alt Tough the Hall operates in the it must try to Allatt the average John fan is looking for a circus at and i guess Well have to give him some of the stars and stripes Page 15