May 1973

Tom Bradley became the first Black mayor of Los Angeles, winning in a city where Black residents were less than 20% of the population. He served five terms until 1993, demonstrating that Black candidates could win majority-white electorates — a phenomenon that came to be called the 'Bradley effect' when polling and results diverged.

Walt Frazier leads the New York Knicks to their second NBA championship, defeating the Los Angeles Lakers. Frazier's combination of style, grace, and skill on both ends of the floor made him one of the era's signature players.