Mike Glenn, a former NBA guard with the Buffalo Braves, New York Knicks, Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks from 1977 to 1987, encouraged Bainbridge High School students Tuesday to go for their goals both academically and athletically.

His remarks came during a Black History Month address in the school gymnasium.

“If you are a good athlete, it doesn’t mean you cannot also be a good student,” he said. “I did a lot of reading growing up. Every time I read a book, my mother, who was a teacher, would ask me what lesson I got from it.

“Because of her love and concern, I am able today to summarize, analyze, compare and contrast the things I read and hear about.”

Glenn. a 6-foot-3 guard who has written several books on famous black Americans, holds an All-Star basketball camp in the Atlanta area each summer for the deaf and hard of hearing. It is open to 14-to-18-year-old junior high school and high school students.

A 1973 graduate of Coosa High School in Rome, Ga., where he was an All-State performer, Glenn still holds the school record in points scored with more than 2,400.

He was an All-Missouri Valley Conference player at Southern Illinois University, where he earned a bachelor of science degree in mathematics, with a minor in computer science.

“Bring your ‘A’ game to the classroom and to practice,” Glenn told the students Tuesday. “Make your school better because you are here.

“Take care of yourself and your body and evaluate the things you do well and strive to do them even better. You can be a good athlete and a good student. You just have to apply yourself.”