Oklahoma State University Athletics

Cowboy Basketball mourns the loss of 'trailblazer' L.C. Gordon
November 10, 2023 | Cowboy Basketball
Lavalius Cyrone Gordon, a 1961 Oklahoma State graduate and the school's first Black men's basketball player, died Nov. 4, 2023 at the age of 86.
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Born June 11, 1937 in Abbeville, Miss. and raised in Memphis, Tenn., Gordon – better known as L.C. – arrived in Stillwater in 1957. Though he scored just 114 points over three varsity seasons (1958-61), he would become one of the most impactful players in Cowboy history, helping blaze a trail for generations of Black student-athletes.
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"The first guy, it's always rough," Gordon told the Oklahoman's Jenni Carlson in 2013 feature story. "But going in, I knew that."
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The 6-foot-1 guard proved to be an excellent fit for Coach Henry Iba's system. A 1961 sports information profile referred to him as "Iba's number-one handcuff man," most often tasked with shutting down the opposing team's biggest scoring threat.
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Gordon graduated from OSU with a Bachelor of Science in secondary education and later added master's degrees from the University of Memphis (administration and supervision) and Texas Southern University (physical education).
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As a player, Gordon was often described as a coach on the floor, so it came as no surprise when he made it his livelihood. Gordon served as a head coach at the high school and collegiate levels, most notably at Texas Southern where he posted a 63-43 record over four seasons and took his team to the 1971 NAIA national tournament.
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Gordon stayed connected to his alma mater, helping organize the Memphis chapter of OSU's Alumni Association. In 2013 he served as Homecoming grand marshal and received the OSU Black Alumni Society's Trailblazer Award.
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Born June 11, 1937 in Abbeville, Miss. and raised in Memphis, Tenn., Gordon – better known as L.C. – arrived in Stillwater in 1957. Though he scored just 114 points over three varsity seasons (1958-61), he would become one of the most impactful players in Cowboy history, helping blaze a trail for generations of Black student-athletes.
Â
"The first guy, it's always rough," Gordon told the Oklahoman's Jenni Carlson in 2013 feature story. "But going in, I knew that."
Â
The 6-foot-1 guard proved to be an excellent fit for Coach Henry Iba's system. A 1961 sports information profile referred to him as "Iba's number-one handcuff man," most often tasked with shutting down the opposing team's biggest scoring threat.
Â
Gordon graduated from OSU with a Bachelor of Science in secondary education and later added master's degrees from the University of Memphis (administration and supervision) and Texas Southern University (physical education).
Â
As a player, Gordon was often described as a coach on the floor, so it came as no surprise when he made it his livelihood. Gordon served as a head coach at the high school and collegiate levels, most notably at Texas Southern where he posted a 63-43 record over four seasons and took his team to the 1971 NAIA national tournament.
Â
Gordon stayed connected to his alma mater, helping organize the Memphis chapter of OSU's Alumni Association. In 2013 he served as Homecoming grand marshal and received the OSU Black Alumni Society's Trailblazer Award.
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