For years the national deaf basketball tournament
was called American Athletic Association of the
Deaf. Every deaf basketball fan knew what AAAD
meant.
The AAAD was for adult basketball players that
have played at deaf schools, mainstreamed
schools, at Gallaudet, at hearing colleges, etc.
They turn to AAAD when their school and college
basketball careers have ended.
The first AAAD basketball star that returned
to school after playing in AAAD for years
was Kevin Milligan.
He graduated from St Mary’s School for the Deaf
in 1955 and played AAAD basketball for teams in
Buffalo, Pennsylvania and Los Angeles.
At the age of 26, he decided to enroll at
Gallaudet, and immediately became the team’s
#1 player. After graduating from Gallaudet,
he went back to AAAD basketball until he
retired for good.