A children's book released on the life of Maurice Stokes and his place as the NBA's first Black superstar is available for purchase through Amazon ($19.99 hardcover). The picture book is by Ty Chapman and John Coy with illustrations by Lonnie Ollivierre and published by Millbrook Press. 

The book is Stokes' story of his rise to fame and the widely unknown legacy that he left behind due to his short professional career. The book aims to educate young readers about Stokes' impact and role as one of the first Black superstars in the league. 

Stokes, a member of the NBA Hall of Fame, is one of the greatest players to have worn a Saint Francis uniform before he played for three years in the NBA. Stokes was the second overall pick of the Rochester Royals in the 1955 NBA Draft. Stokes' impact on the league was immediate as he took home NBA Rookie of the Year honors in 1956. In only his second season of pro ball, the 6-foot-7, 235-pound forward broke the NBA's single-season record for rebounds with 1,256. His professional career was cut short after he was knocked unconscious and revived with smelling salts during the last regular season game of the 1957-58 season. He posted 12 points and 15 rebounds in a playoff game against Detroit three days later but became ill on the flight back to Cincinnati. He suffered a brain injury and paralysis and never played basketball again. He died of a heart attack on April 6, 1970, and is one of only a few nonfriars buried on the Saint Francis campus.

Stokes, a native of Pittsburgh, helped put Saint Francis on the map during the Golden Era of Basketball for the then-Frankies. Stokes is the program's all-time leading rebounder (1,819) and ranks second in career points (2,282). He helped Saint Francis to a pair of NIT bids and was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player despite the team finishing fourth in 1955. Stokes posted a then program-record 43 points in the NIT semifinals against Dayton. This season marks the 70th Anniversary of that game against the Flyers, and the 2024-25 Saint Francis teams open the season at Dayton.

In addition to being in the NBA Hall of Fame, the NBA created the Stokes-Twyman Teammate of the Year award, which has been handed out annually since 2013. Minnesota's Mike Conley, a two-time winner, won the award for 2023-24. Stokes is in the Saint Francis Hall of Fame, and his number is retired at Saint Francis (No. 26) and the Sacramento Kings (No. 12). NOTE: Stokes played for the Rochester Royals (1955-57) and Cincinnati Royals (1957-58). The team moved to Kansas City in 1975 and changed its name to the Kings before moving for the final time to Sacramento in 1985.

Also, check out a great newspaper article in the Saint Francis newspaper by Ava Dzurenda including quotes from the authors. CLICK HERE to read the article