There was a common theme in Misaka’s life. The Utes path to becoming NCAA champions was like no other. In 2008, a documentary recapping Misaka’s storied life and career was released called “ Transcending: The Wat Misaka Story.” The 1944 NCAA Tournament Ogden, Misaka’s hometown, honored him by naming the court in Liberty park “ Kilowatt Court“. Known for his abundance of energy on the hardwood, Wat “Kilowatt” Misaka’s nickname was fitting to say the least. Misaka was constantly referred to as a “speed demon.” It was his defense and quickness that set him apart from the rest. At 5’7″ and 150 pounds, he was smaller than the vast majority of his competition. He wasn’t your stereotypical pro-basketball player. Americans didn’t trust me because I was Japanese.”Īlthough Misaka’s professional career was short-lived, his play on the court and effect on the game cannot be understated. “I was a man without a country,” Misaka said. This love, however, was not reciprocated. in the military while remaining grateful for his Japanese roots. Rather than letting that treatment get to him, Misaka represented both the United States and Japan to the fullest. In Misaka’s childhood, he was constantly “denied service at restaurants and avoided on the street” due to his race. Misaka recalls growing up poor, living in the basement of his father’s barber shop which was located between a bar and a pawn shop. Misaka broke the race barrier for basketball the same year that Jackie Robinson did in the MLB. He was the first non-white player to play in the Basketball Association of America, which later became the NBA. Misaka was drafted by the New York Knicks in 1947. He eventually rose to the rank of Staff Sergeant before returning from service and leading the Utes to the 1947 National Invitation Tournament title. In the middle of his two seasons playing for Utah, Misaka was drafted into the military. In 1972, they dropped the ‘Redskins’ name and solely identified as the ‘Runnin’ Utes’. The next championship game to go to overtime wasn’t until 1957.Īt the time, the school had two names. The game was the first National Championship game to require an overtime period. Misaka brought the Utes their first, and only, National Championship in 1944. In fact, he played in the 1944 NCAA Basketball Championship Game while the internment camps were still being used. Despite Utah having its own internment camp in Topaz, Misaka was not interned since he had lived in Utah and not a coastal state. Misaka was the son of two Japanese immigrants, Tatsuyo and Fusaichi Misaka.
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