In the early 1980s Kent Washington became the first Black American to play professional basketball in Poland. He won 1983’s Polish Cup playing for Zagłębie Sosnowiec, learned a Polish way of life, and played in the cult Polish comedy film ‘Teddy Bear’ (Miś). His presence in communist Poland also inspired a movie called The Wizard of Harlem (Czarodziej z Harlemu). He considers his time in Poland as ‘the greatest experience he ever had’ and has just published a memoir about this time. Although coming from a capitalist democracy to a communist country in 1979 was challenging due to cultural and political differences and language barriers, he had never thought of his decision and career in Poland as of a great achievement. This changed when he met a Polish-Norwegian journalist who helped him understand that what he had achieved was historical, impactuful and courageous. In the introudution to his book he writes: „I made history by being the first Black American to play professional basketball in a European communist country. Was it significant because I was an American, or because I was „Black?” In the talk with the Jagiellonian University students he will reflect on his achievements, on how he learned to understand the hardships and ways Polish people were accommodating themselves to the reality of living under a communist regime; he will discuss his personal experiences, the reactions of Polish fans to him winning the 1983 Polish Cup and… describe how he ended up in „Miś”.