Brad Gilbert is old school. He was born in Oakland, California and if you ever met him, you would notice he is down to earth and there is nothing pretenious about him.

I met Brad through my long time friend and tennis junkie, LaMont Penry. LaMont has been a main stay at the tennis courts located at 16th and Colorado Avenue, NW in Washington, DC for the past several decades as a Chair Umpire and a Professional Line Umpire

Lamont has since become an International Line Oficial who has worked the Olympics, Davis Cup, Fed Cup and Laver Cup. He has traveled the World, from 16th street, to the U. S. Open to the games at Wimbledon, in Paris, France.

LaMONT AT WORK AT THE U. S. OPEN AS A LINE JUDGE KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON RAFAEL NADAL

I had been participating and covering at what was once The Evening Star Tennis Tournament at the 16th street tennis courts since 1968. In 1967 I was the legendary comedian Petey Greene’s sidekick on his talk show–Petey Geene’s Washington. The show was heard on W-O-L Radio every Sunday evening.

He gave me 5 minutes to talk sports, Redskins, Bullets and Nats. We had a lot of fun for a couple of years. In 1970 he got tired of me and told to get my own show. ]

I switched to W-O-L and the popular DJ Bobby “The Mighty Burner” Bennett in the same building. One year later in 1972 I moved my sports talk show to W-O-O-K Radio1450 on the AM dial in NE Washington, DC.

It was here I took sports talk to another level, thanks to program manager, Carl Fergerson and popular DJ John “Terrible Turk” Edwards, a life time friend.

Inside Sports would become my tag and my Brand. It was during dinner the night before my debut show my wife Hattie gave me the tag Inside Sports, it would change the way we talk and report sports in America and beyond. Sports and political formats were unhear of in the 70s.

One evening after my show, Carl Fergerson brought to my attention that pro tennis was on the menu for the weekend at the Carter Baron Theater on 16th Street NW.

It was called The Evening Star Tennis Tournament. The headliners were Arthur Ashe and Jimmy Connors, two high profile rivals. The tournament sounded like somewhere I needed to be.

When I arrived I saw Arthur Ashe and Jimmy Connors sitting around in an open outdoor tent waiting for their next match. Out of nowhere, I was approached by a gentleman who thought I was lost and asked if he could help me? I did noticed that Ashe and I were the only black faces under the tent.

I told him I was Harold Bell and I was there to cover the tournament. He introduced himself as Charlie Brotman. He was the Press Relations Director for the tournament and for me to make myself at home.

Arthur Ashe was sitting nearby and I went over to introduce myself to him. We shook hands and it went downhill from there. I told him I was a sports talk show host here in DC and I was wondering if he could be a guest on my show? He said, “No” and walked away. So much for Brotherly Love in the Nation’s Capitol!

Suddenly, there was a voice from a nearby table saying, “Sir, I will be on your show.” It was Jimmy Connors.

I went over and sat down and I introduced myself. He wanted to know if we could do the show by telephone? I said, “Yes.” I gave him the time I would be on the air (3 pm) on Sunday and the number to the show.

He didn’t make any promises and said, he would have to check the schedule for Sunday and if he was free, he would call.

On Sunday, I was good because I had the legendary Godfather of the NBA, Red Auerbach and his wife Dotie in studio as my co-host. Red was a big tennis fan, but I did not utter a word to him that Jimmy Connors might be calling in.

Around 3:15 pm Red and I are talking DC playground basketball, when Carl Fergerson bangs on the studio window with a sign reading, “Jimmy Connors on line 2.” I whisper to Red, Jimmy Connors is calling into the show. He says nothing, I click on line 2 and I say, “Hey Jimmy, thanks for calling in.”

Dotie and Red Auerbach smile as we welcome Jimmy Connors to Inside Sports

Jimmy respones, “Hey Harold, I told you if I could break free I would call.” Red almost choked on his cigar and said, “What a surprise!” Jimmy hung in there with us for at least 20 minutes. That was my introduction to pro tennis–I got over the Ashe snub and kept it moving.

photo by don baker

12 YEAR-OLD JOSEPH BAKER AND FORMER NBA PLAYER ADRIAN BRANCH JOIN ME AND RED FOR A INSIDE SPORTS CELRBRITY TENNIS TOURNAMENT IN ANACOSTIA PARK IN SOUTH EAST DC.

I called Henry Kennedy Sr. my partner in all my community endeavors to tell him about having Jimmy Connors’ surprise visit on Inside Sports.

He laughed and said, “I am not surprised, I know Jimmy, his agent and his mother! Jimmy is a Mommy’s Boy. Let me know when you need him again and I will get him for you.” Small World!

This brings me back to Brad Gilbert and LaMont Penry. LaMont and I would become great friends and he would introduce me to the players when an opportunity presented it self. Most important, he made it possible for me to expose my Kids In Trouble program participants to another World. A World that would enhance their opportunities to dream for a better tomorrow.

I brought to LaMont’s attention that there were certain PR folks who were blocking me from getting interviews with James Blake and other high profile players. When Coco made her first appearance in DC those same PR types again refused me press credentials.

LaMont would introduce me to Brad in the early 90s before he became the coach for the great Andre Agassi. By 1994 Andre was red hot and the No. 1 Men’s Player in the World.

On Andre’s next visit to 16th street, Brad made sure I had excess and James Blake followed Andre’s lead.

After Andre had defeated Blake in the semi-finals of the tournament, I interviewed both players at the press conference open to all the media. Brad made sure I got a chance for a few private minutes to discuss the contributions of the great Arthur Ashe. The contributions that benefited both men and women in today’s tennis World. https://studio.youtube.com/video/6gRvsK87kh0/edit?o=U

ANDRE AND I TALK ABOUT THE GREAT CONTRIBUTIONS OF ARTHUR ASHE

When I say, Coco Gauff hit the jackpot, it means she can count on Brad being transparent, truthful and honest as he has been during his entire career as a player and Coach.

COACH BRAD GILBERT AND COCO GAUFF THE NEW SHERIFF IN TENNIS

Coco’s acceptance speech was from the heart when she said, “Honestly, thank you to the people who didn’t believe in me…two weeks ago, I won a 1000 title (in Cincinnati) and people were saying that was the biggest it was going to get,” three weeks later, I’m here with this trophy right now.“

John McEnroe’s respones was a foul no matter the game you played. He said, “I have a hard time believing her claim about her doubters. One reason is because of her young age (being young does not make you a liar).

I heard Coco talking about the people who were writing her off and saying that she was never going to win a major. Who were those people?

I’m not familiar with those people because I think her progress has been steady. It has been really positive, and she was in the final of the French. Okay, so there were a couple of stumbling blocks along the way, but I don’t think anyone didn’t think she was going to win a bunch of majors.”

One reason McEnroe is not familiar with “THOSE PEOPLE” is because he never had to walk in her parents or Coco’s shoes! He and his brother Patrick came from a DIFFERENT WORLD of “White Privilege.”

The player haters and envy and jealous people who were claiming she would never become the player she is now. My advice, ignore them, they will go back in the closet and wait for her to fail. Her winning is like krytonite and the closet is their only defense.

Brad has been hitting home runs right out of the box as a tennis coach. First, with Andre Agassi, Andy Rodick and now Coco Gauff. No surprise envy and jealousy has surfaced among his peers.

If Coco follows Brad and her parent’s lead and leave the McEnroes and his kind locked in the closet, her winning attitude will be more important than any game she wins.

Just think if Arthur Ashe had acted like the idiot McEnroe was, there would be no Arthur Ashe Stadium at the U. S. Open.

NIKE STORE MANAGER LAURA HANES AND I VISIT THE CAPITOL HILL OFFICE OF CONGRESSMAN WALTER FAUNTROY TO GIFT HIM SOME NIKE RUNNIG SHOES AND APPARELL FOR HIS NEXT CAMPAIGN RUN.

I met McEnroe in 1978 in Washington, DC when I was the first Nike Shoe rep on the East Coast.

One of McEnroe’s first visits after signing a Nike Shoe contract was to the Nation’s Capitol for a promo visit at the Nike store on M Street in Georgetown.

Former Boston Celtic and NBA Hall of Fame great, the late Sam Jones was also a Nike rep working with me on the day McEnroe arrived. He was aloof and had very little personality. Forty-five years later, he is who Sam and I thought he was.

OLD SCHOOL TEACHING NEW SCHOOL–NIKE REP AND NBA GREAT SAM JONES AND I HOST A NIKE BASKETBALL CLINIC FOR NEW SCHOOL AT DREW ELEMENTARY IN NW WASHINGTON, DC

Brad has always been a “Class Act!” He has never been a mediorce human being and he was not a mediocre player. He was no John McEnroe, but I would jump over 10 McEnroes to get to one Brad Gilbert.

As a professional tennis player Brad won 20 pro singles tournaments during his career, adding three doubles titles. His best world ranking was #4, which he achieved in January 1990. His best finish at a Grand Slam singles were quarter-final appearances at the US Open in 1987 and at Wimbledon in 1990.

His best year on tour was 1989 when he won five singles titles, and claimed wins over four future Hall of Famers – Pete Sampras, Michael Chang, Boris Becker, and Stefan Edberg. Those were no Howdy Doody tennis players.

Coco’s parents will never have to worry about Brad leading their daughter down the wrong path and giving her bad advice–what they see is what they will get with Brad Gilbert.

Let me say this again, “Every Black Face you see is not your brother or sister–And every White face you see is not your enemy!”

U. S. OPEN MENS’ SINGLES WINNER, THE GREAT NOVAK DJOKOVIC IS ANOTHER CLASS ACT. HE PAYS TRIBUTE TO HIS FRIEND, THE LATE NBA GREAT–KOBE BRYANT.

harold bell–is a radio sports talk show pioneer. His work with at-risk children and youth gangs in DC is legendary. He can be reached at 240-705-3447