As the New Hampshire primaries rapidly approach, the candidates are pulling out all the stops to win over Hanover-area voters, bringing in political supporters, prominent politicians, even their spouses and mothers to stump for support. But only Bill Bradley had a fellow Basketball Hall of Famer on Friday.
Dave Debusschere played with Bradley on the New York Knicks for seven years, and like Bradley, is now in the Basketball Hall of Fame. He spoke to a group of about 20 people and answered their questions about his friend, the candidate.
While Debusschere stopped short of literally endorsing his former teammate, he spent his time at Dartmouth acting like a character reference, telling people what Bradley is like as a person, describing him as "an above board guy and concerned individual, who is very direct and open."
Debusschere said he supports Bradley because, "Bill knows who he is and what he stands for ... Everyone else seems programmed."
According to Debusschere, the most important issue Bradley supports is racial unity.
He gave an example of Bradley's background of the issue, by recalling a game on the road. While he was walking onto the court with Bradley and team members Willis Reed and Walt Clyde Frazier, who are African American, people in the hallway hurled racial slurs at Reed and Frazier. Bradley expressed his disbelief at what he was hearing and could not understand how these people could say such things without knowing people like Reed and Frazier.
During the questioning period, Debusschere was asked whether Bradley is as aloof in person as he appears to the public. He replied that Bradley is not aloof but is very quiet.
When Debusschere was asked why he thought Bradley was running for President, he answered, "The time is right where he [Bradley] can accomplish something."
Even though Debusschere is not involved in politics himself, he previously helped Bradley campaign in New Jersey when Bradley was running for the Senate seat.
Currently, he is campaigning for Bradley in New Hampshire, Iowa, and the New York metropolitan area. Debusschere noted during his campaigning trips he found that in New Hampshire, people are concerned more about the whole package, while in Iowa, people are concerned primarily with health care and amendments to the Farm Act.
While campaigning he usually gets questions about Bradley's personality and basketball. One of his most interesting experiences was seeing the outlook of kids who were not of voting age. Debusschere said they did not really know who Bradley was.
The reason he is campaigning for Bradley is because he believes in Bradley as a person. Also, he said, "The White House has to get integrity back."
Debusschere is not the only athlete who has shown support for Bradley. Fellow Bradley and Debusschere teammate Phil Jackson, basketball Hall of Famers Oscar Robertson and Julius Erving, as well former tennis player John McEnroe have all shown interest in Bradley's campaign.
Debusschere's relationship with Bradley began when he came to the New York Knicks. As a player, Debusschere said, "Bradley lead by example and was the most hardworking."
During the seven years that they played together, the Knicks won two championships. On winning those championships, Debusschere said personally, it was "an exhilarating feeling ."
