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Nancy Lieberman still remembers when the disease impacted her friends.
In 1986, Lieberman became the first woman to play in a men’s professional basketball league when she joined the Springfield Fame in the United States Basketball League (USBL). Micheal Ray Richardson, her former teammate, died after a prostate cancer diagnosis.
“I spoke at Micheal Ray Richardson’s funeral,” she said. “He happened to be my teammate when there was no WNBA.”
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Nancy Lieberman attends the game between the Dallas Wings and Las Vegas Aces during round two game two of the 2023 WNBA Playoffs at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., on Sept. 26, 2023. (David Becker/NBAE via Getty Images)
Lieberman said Richardson kept the disease hidden from those close to him.
“He didn’t want to tell his wife, Kim,” Lieberman said. “He didn’t want to tell the family.”
Former players Spencer Haywood and Alonzo Mourning, along with ESPN’s Jay Harris, survived battles with the disease.
Those names now drive her message to men.
NFL PRO BOWL TIGHT END SPREADING AWARENESS ON PROSTATE CANCER, A CAUSE THAT HITS HOME
Former basketball player and broadcaster Nancy Lieberman arrives at Symphony Hall in Springfield, Mass., for the 2023 Basketball Hall of Fame induction on Aug. 12, 2023. (Eric Canha/USA TODAY Sports)
The women’s basketball legend has joined the Prostate Cancer Foundation, Ice Cube and the BIG3 to push a simple message: Ask for a PSA test.
“You must tell the doctor, ‘Check the box,’ because sometimes they will not check the box,” Lieberman said.
The box is for the PSA test. PSA stands for prostate-specific antigen. The Prostate Cancer Foundation’s “Check the Box” campaign tells men to talk to their doctor, take a simple blood test and learn their PSA score.
Lieberman said the goal is to make men ask for the test when they already have blood drawn.
“It’s the PSA box,” Lieberman said. “It’s the prostate-specific antigen.”
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Lieberman also called on women to push the men in their lives to act.
“If you’re a woman, we’re going to nudge our men and say, ‘Go to the doctor. Don’t be afraid. We are standing right with you,’” she said.