Did you know that a former University of Illinois student had a direct connection to instituting the three-point field goal into the game of basketball? Abe Saperstein, born in England but a nearly lifelong resident of Chicago, was a nine-sport participant at Lake View High School. He originally attended the U of I, but dropped out of school in 1922 to help support his family.
Instead of following in his father’s footsteps of becoming a tailor, Saperstein pursued an administrative career in sports. In the late ’20s, he formed his own team, the Harlem Globetrotters, and his career is most closely associated with them.