As New Orleans warms up for games on the NBA’s Orlando campus, fans with a keen eye may notice that the back of each Pelicans player’s shooting shirt features the same two last names: Smith and Carlos. The black-and-white warmups – featuring a clenched fist on the front – are a tribute to two USA Olympic medal winners who combined 52 years ago on one of the most memorable displays in the history of international competition.
Sixteen years before Pelicans guard JJ Redick was born, but three weeks before head coach Alvin Gentry’s 14th birthday, American sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos won gold and bronze medals, respectively, at the Summer Olympics in Mexico City, on Oct.