Before basketball’s three-point line, Shreveport’s Kenny Simpson said, “anywhere in the gym is a good shot.”

Simpson should know. He’s taken them all and made them all and goes into the Ark-La-Tex Museum of Champions Saturday night at 6:30 in the Shreveport Convention Center. (Ticket info below!)

“It’s very humbling,” Simpson, 58, said Wednesday night from his home in Arlington, Texas, where he owns a software technology firm. “It throws you back to the start when I was born at 920 Travis…one of those little shotgun houses.”

He was a hoops star at Fair Park High. When he led the Indians to a 20-point victory over 20-point favorite McKinley from Baton Rouge in the state quarterfinals in the late-70s, he scored 39 points and had 23 rebounds. The headline on the story by Louisiana Sports Hall of Famer Jerry Byrd the next morning in the Shreveport Journal: “McKinley Simpsonized!”

“Loved that,” Simpson said.

Simpson was recruited by UCLA, Kentucky, St. John’s, Marquette, and the list goes on. But he went to Grambling because of coach Fred Hobdy and because he wanted to be a fourth-generation Tiger.

After a Kodak All-America career, he was drafted by Kansas City in 1982, but most of his success came overseas. His career stretched from 1982-1995; he led his Spain pro team to five European Championships.

“It took 38 years (to get to this Saturday night),” he said, “but I’m the only player ever to start every game at Grambling, and if you can do that and Fred Hobdy’s the coach, I guess you gotta be doing something right.”

We’ll have more on Kenny later. See ticket info below, and Designated Writers hopes to see you there Saturday night.

Joining Simpson as members of the Class of 2018 are former big-league lefthander George Stone of Ruston, LSU legend Jerry Stovall of West Monroe, Haynesville star and 10-year NFL veteran Demetric Evans, and the late Don Shows, a Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame coach who won eight state titles at West Monroe High School. Shreveport’s Tim Brando of FOX Sports will emcee.

The public is invited to a free open house at the convention center from 5 to 6:15 p.m. Tickets to the 6:30 p.m. Induction Ceremony are $45 per person.

For tickets, contact Dr. George Bakowski, 318-868-6118. Do it quick(ly)!

-30-