Although the lead actor Howard was white, the series broke new ground as the first television ensemble drama to feature a mostly African American cast, with African American actors playing the high school principal and vice-principal, the majority of the teenage basketball players, and other supporting roles.

Although The White Shadow was not a big ratings hit, it drew praise from critics and helped pave the way for later realistic dramas such as Hill Street Blues and My So-Called Life.

The show also made popular TV stars of both Howard and Kevin Hooks, who portrayed high school basketball player Morris Thorpe.

In season 3, Willis is promoted to a position with the Oakland Board of Education and Buchanan becomes principal of Carver High.

Elsewhere, Coolidge could often be spotted wearing a Carver High School t-shirt, and he discusses how he had to give up basketball due to injury, later moving to Boston and taking a hospital orderly job at St. Eligius.

When Howard and Bruce Paltrow pitched the idea for a show about a white coach and a racially mixed basketball team, CBS initially wanted it to be a half-hour sitcom and avoid dealing with controversial material involving sex, drugs and crime.

They persuaded the network to make it a one-hour drama series and furthermore allow the show to address realistic, controversial subjects, although humorous lines were often included.

When aired in 1980s Turkey, the series gained a lot of interest and the then little-known sport of basketball attracted millions of youths.

[7] In January 1984, the Beastie Boys played an unreleased song "Where's The White Shadow" on The Scott and Gary Show on the New York City public-access channel.

In an episode of the HBO series Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, Magic Johnson (Quincy Isaiah) mentions he watches the show.