Students, family and friends in the University District love Memphis basketball as basketball has been a part of the Memphis soul for decades .
One thing that gets lost in the shuffle of the on-court success is the people who do work behind the scenes.
Among this group is a gentleman named Kenneth “Bear” Harden.
Harden is a 42-year-old native of Brownsville, Tenn. He first came to the city of Memphis and the University of Memphis in 2000 as a student.
He graduated from the U of M in 2008 with a bachelor’s and professional studies degree in Sports Management.
“Bear,” as he is commonly called, was the Tiger men’s basketball team manager for six seasons from 2006-2012.
“Kenneth was a fantastic worker for me," Josh Pastner said. "Dedicated, reliable, countable, and dependable. Plus, he was a very high character human being."