A cautionary tale about AI and digital revisionism

Anyone who questions the efficacy of AI’s usage in writing and research, this one’s for you — Please enjoy the following, cautionary tale.

UPDATED 8/13/2025 with a new AI response you may find helpful

During the pandemic, I wrote and published an Amazon Kindle title on coaching youth basketball. I had been “voluntold” to be a Daddy Ball coach some years before. Terrified initially (I’d never coached before), I searched for just such a guide and since there really wasn’t one suitable then — I resolved to write the book I’d wished for, using numerous personal files dating to that timeframe.

My records included emails, handwritten notes from NWAYBA meetings (the Austin youth league I helped coordinate), and my own coaching game plans and postgame writings. 

One such scribble, an aside really, from a 2014 notebook of mine was that Coach Gene Johnson of Wichita State was the inventor of the Full Court Press defense. As first a player and fan (and later, trying to have coaching success), I have always been fascinated with picking up full court, and so as I did my book research had jotted down who it was.

My source at the time would have been Wikipedia and this 1986 Wichita Eagle newspaper article, which states, “In the only year [Johnson] used the zone press at Wichita, 1933, the results were phenomenal. His ’33 Shockers were 14-2 and beat foes by an average [of 13 points].”

Imagine my surprise then, in 2021, when Wikipedia and Google searches uncovered the following news: the inventor of the full court press was now reported to be John McClendon.

Recognized as the first African American basketball coach at a predominantly white university, McLendon’s also enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Still, only one of these men could have been the first to introduce the use of full-court pressure. It isn’t McClendon.

My initial conversation with AI (for background only as I finished my book’s second edition):

Basketball question: Who invented the full-court press?

The full-court press in basketball is credited to John McLendon, a pioneering African-American coach. In the 1940s, while coaching at North Carolina College (now North Carolina Central University), McLendon developed the aggressive defensive strategy to disrupt opponents across the entire court. 

Influenced by the fast-paced style of his mentor, James Naismith (basketball’s inventor), McLendon’s innovation emphasized speed, stamina, and relentless pressure, particularly during his tenure with the Tennessee A&I Tigers in the 1950s. His approach revolutionized defensive play, though it gained wider recognition later through coaches like Nolan Richardson and Rick Pitino.

When did Gene Johnson first use it?

Gene Johnson is credited with using the full-court press in the late 1920s while coaching at Wichita University (now Wichita State University). Specifically, he began implementing this defensive strategy around 1928, when he took over as head coach at age 26. His innovative approach involved aggressive, court-wide pressure, which he developed during his tenure from 1928 to 1933, leading the Shockers to a 74-24 record. Some sources suggest it may have been used as early as the late 1920s by Johnson or contemporaries like Alfred Robinson of Bradley, but Johnson’s work at Wichita is widely recognized as a key early adoption.

Which coach, McLendon or Johnson, used it earliest?

Gene Johnson is the earliest documented coach to have used the full-court press, implementing it at Wichita University (now Wichita State University) starting around 1928. While John McLendon later refined and popularized the strategy in the 1940s, Johnson’s use in the late 1920s predates McLendon’s adoption, making Johnson the earliest known innovator of the full-court press.

Would that make Gene Johnson the “inventor” of the full-court press defense?

Gene Johnson is likely the closest to being considered the “inventor” of the full-court press defense, as he is the earliest documented coach to have implemented it, starting around 1928 at Wichita University. His use of aggressive, court-wide defensive pressure laid the groundwork for the strategy. 

However, basketball history is nuanced—similar ideas may have been experimented with informally by others, like Alfred Robinson at Bradley around the same time. John McLendon, while not the earliest, significantly refined and popularized it in the 1940s. Since Johnson’s implementation is the earliest recorded, he deserves primary credit, though the term “inventor” can oversimplify the evolution of such tactics.

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I then asked a second AI tool, this week:

Who is the inventor of basketball’s full-court press defense?

The invention of the full-court press defense in basketball is John McLendon in the 1950s. McLendon, an American basketball coach and the first African American head coach at a predominantly white university, as well as the first in professional sports, developed this high-pressure defensive strategy. His approach, which also included innovations like the fast break and the four corners offense, initially went unrecognized by mainstream basketball but later gained prominence as white coaches adopted it. Some sources also mention Gene Johnson, head coach at Wichita University (now Wichita State), as a potential early innovator, and UCLA assistant coach Jerry Norman is credited with convincing head coach John Wooden to use the full-court press in 1964, leading to UCLA’s national titles in 1964 and 1965. However, McLendon is widely recognized as the primary originator.

Which coach ran the defense the earliest?

John McLendon is widely recognized as the earliest to run the full-court press defense, implementing it in the 1950s while coaching at historically Black colleges like North Carolina College (now North Carolina Central University). His teams used this high-pressure strategy to disrupt opponents, predating other notable implementations, such as Gene Johnson’s at Wichita University or Jerry Norman’s influence at UCLA in the 1960s. No earlier documented use of the full-court press is consistently cited.

When was Gene Johnson the head coach at Wichita?

Gene Johnson served as head coach at Wichita University (now Wichita State University) from 1928 to 1933, where he implemented the full-court press defense. After his tenure at Wichita, he coached in the Amateur Athletic Union and later at Kansas Wesleyan University.

When was Gene Johnson using the full-court press at Wichita?

Gene Johnson is noted for using the full-court press defense at Wichita University (now Wichita State University) during his tenure as head coach from 1928 to 1933. While precise dates for when he began employing this strategy are not well-documented, some sources suggest he was using it by the early 1930s, particularly toward the end of his time at Wichita. This places his use slightly earlier than John McLendon’s more widely recognized implementation in the early 1950s at North Carolina College. However, McLendon is still often credited as the primary innovator due to the broader impact and documentation of his defensive system.

Wouldn’t Gene Johnson, the first to use the defense, then be called its rightful inventor?

While Gene Johnson used the full-court press at Wichita University in the early 1930s, predating John McLendon’s implementation in the 1950s, McLendon is typically credited as the inventor due to his systematic development and broader influence on the strategy. Johnson’s use was earlier, but it was less documented and had limited impact on mainstream basketball at the time, partly due to the era’s lack of widespread media coverage and the regional scope of his program. McLendon, coaching at North Carolina College, refined and popularized the full-court press, integrating it into a cohesive system that gained recognition, especially as his innovations were later adopted by others, like UCLA under John Wooden. Crediting the “inventor” often hinges on impact and documentation rather than just being the first to use a tactic, which is why McLendon is more commonly recognized, though Johnson’s early use is notable.

So the first person to implement the defense, earlier by several years, is not the person who originated it?

In the case of the full-court press, the distinction between “first to use” and “originator” hinges on impact, documentation, and recognition. Gene Johnson employed the full-court press at Wichita University in the early 1930s, making him likely the earliest to use it. However, John McLendon is credited as the originator because he systematically developed, refined, and popularized the strategy in the 1950s at North Carolina College, with greater influence on basketball’s evolution. The “originator” label often goes to someone who not only uses an idea but also formalizes it and spreads its adoption, especially when earlier uses, like Johnson’s, were less documented or impactful due to limited exposure. So, while Johnson may have been the first to use it, McLendon’s work is seen as the origin of the strategy as it’s widely understood today.

What does media exposure have to do with it?

You raise a fair point about the definition of “inventor” as the person who first uses or creates something. By that strict definition, Gene Johnson, who employed the full-court press at Wichita University in the late 1920s to early 1930s, would indeed be the inventor, as his use predates John McLendon’s implementation in the 1950s.

If we focus purely on chronological first use, Johnson’s application of the strategy during his tenure (1928–1933) establishes him as the earliest known adopter. However, the attribution of McLendon as the “inventor” in many historical accounts stems from factors beyond just being first:

1. Documentation and Impact: Johnson’s use of the full-court press was not widely documented or disseminated at the time, partly due to limited media coverage in the 1920s and 1930s, especially for a regional program like Wichita. McLendon’s work, while later, was more thoroughly recorded, studied, and influential, particularly as his strategies were adopted by prominent programs like UCLA. This visibility shaped historical narratives.

2. Systematic Development: McLendon is credited with formalizing the full-court press as part of a broader, innovative system that included the fast break and other tactics. His approach was deliberate, repeatable, and taught widely, which gave it a lasting legacy. Johnson’s use, while earlier, is described in sources as less systematized and more situational, with fewer details on its scope or consistency.

3. Cultural and Historical Context: McLendon’s contributions were initially overlooked due to racial barriers, as he coached at historically Black colleges. Later recognition of his work, especially as basketball historians sought to correct these oversights, elevated his role as the “originator” in the eyes of many, even if he wasn’t the absolute first.

Your argument that Johnson, by starting it, should be considered the inventor is logically sound based on first use. The historical preference for McLendon reflects not just who did it first but who shaped the strategy’s identity and legacy in basketball. If we strictly define “inventor” as the first to implement, then yes, Gene Johnson deserves that title for his work in the late 1920s. The nuance lies in how basketball history has prioritized influence and documentation over strict chronology in assigning credit.

Alright. Then who would you say invented the full-court press in basketball?

Based on the strict definition of “inventor” as the first to use or create something, I would say Gene Johnson invented the full-court press, as he employed it at Wichita University in the late 1920s to early 1930s, predating other known implementations. However, John McLendon, who used it in the 1950s at North Carolina College, is often credited as the originator due to his systematic development, broader influence, and lasting impact on basketball. If we’re talking pure chronology, Johnson gets the nod; if it’s about who shaped and popularized the strategy, McLendon is the key figure. Since you emphasized first use, I’d lean toward Johnson as the inventor.

Post note: I looked again today at the Wikipedia entry which has been updated (not because of me, that isnt my point). It describes McLendon as the defense’s “inventor.” One paragraph later, Johnson is listed as its “creator.“

UPDATE: AUGUST 13, 2025

I asked a newer-gen AI the same question. For anyone curious, I personally am not viewing my question through any lens other than: Who came up with the idea for the full-court press? Who is its originator. There can be only one “first mover.” 

Here’s the AI response:

The full-court press, a defensive strategy in basketball where pressure is applied across the entire court to disrupt the offense, force turnovers, and speed up the game, has a somewhat debated origin due to parallel developments in different coaching circles and the impact of racial segregation on historical recognition. 

Based on a review of multiple sources, the earliest credited originator is Gene Johnson, who implemented it in the late 1920s while coaching at Wichita University (now Wichita State University). Johnson, born in 1902, served as head coach there from 1928 to 1933, during which he developed full-court pressure defense as an innovative tactic to compensate for talent disparities and create chaos for opponents. 

His teams achieved strong records, including a conference co-championship, and he later applied similar strategies in AAU and Olympic contexts, influencing coaches like John Wooden, Denny Crum, and Ralph Miller. 

Historians often point to Johnson as the inventor, with possible even earlier uses by coaches like Alfred Robinson at Bradley University or high school teams in the Midwest. The strategy gained traction in the 1930s, aided by rule changes like inbounds passes after made baskets (replacing jump balls), and was used in notable games, such as Stanford’s 1938 press that dominated Duquesne.

However, John B. McLendon, a pioneering African-American coach, is frequently credited in many sources — particularly those highlighting overlooked Black contributions to the sport — with independently inventing or popularizing the full-court press in the 1940s and 1950s within segregated African-American college leagues. 

McLendon, who began coaching at North Carolina Central University in 1940, introduced the tactic alongside innovations like the fast break and pressure defense to emphasize speed and aggression, leading to dominant performances (e.g., his team’s 44-point win in the secret 1944 integrated game against Duke). 

Due to segregation, his work was largely ignored until later, when similar strategies were adopted by coaches like Dean Smith and John Wooden. This has led to dual crediting in some histories, with McLendon’s role emphasized for its revolutionary impact on up-tempo play.

The discrepancy likely stems from separate evolutions in segregated basketball ecosystems and varying definitions of “invention” (e.g., first use vs. popularization). Chronologically, Johnson’s implementation in the late 1920s predates McLendon’s by over a decade, making Johnson the more substantiated originator based on historical timelines and specialist discussions. Later adopters, such as Ken Loeffler in the pros (1940s), Ralph Miller (1950s-1960s), and Rick Pitino (1980s-1990s), refined variants like the matchup press, but they built on these foundations.

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