-born masaka feeling out of place in his own country.it. >> we stayed at my house and we all felt like he was just one of us. >> they became life-long friends, attending reunions, getting profiled in magazines, and at times even shooting hoops. >> i've really been blessed, you know, people like arnie have been friends and not just for the time but forever, you know. >> masaka's name is on a team plaque at madison square garden, and the knicks honored him at a 2009 halftime ceremony. and as president obama noted in honoring masaka years later, he was -- >> the first nonwhite player in the nba. >> who became an nba hall of famer. all moments six decades after retiring that left masaka thinking he did okay. and now wanting the same for another rising knicks star, jeremy lin. he told him so in a letter. >> he doesn't know me, but maybe, you know, just tell him to hang in there. >> reporter: something masaka did since his first shot. richard liu, nbc news. >>> now today's list of numbers ones. what state has the best average credit score? des