The Peculiar Truth about the Pro Athlete Who Became a TV Cowboy
Published in
4 min readJun 11, 2024
- Only 13 men have ever played for both the NBA and Major League Baseball. Notable among them was Danny Ainge, Dave DeBusschere, Dick Groat, and Chuck Connors.
- Connors was best remembered for his portrayal of Lucas McCain, the lead character from the TV series The Rifleman.
- Although he became famous for his gunslinger image, Connors’ early life had nothing in common with cowboys.
- Born in 1921, he was raised in Brooklyn, NY, a child of the Great Depression. His true name was Kevin Joseph Aloysius Connors. His parents were Irish immigrants by way of Newfoundland. Young Kevin was a Catholic altar boy and a gifted athlete. He dreamed of joining his beloved Brooklyn Dodgers.
- The Dodgers signed him to a contract in 1940 and he was sent to the minor leagues where he became a first baseman. But he languished there and instead went to college at Seton Hall.
- In 1941, he joined Seton Hall’s basketball team where he was the second-string center (at 6’ 6”).
- While at college, Connors also discovered his natural ability for public speaking. That came in handy in the years to come.
- The next summer, the Yankees signed him to a minor league deal, and he played for their farm club.
