Lloyd of the Washington Capitols, Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton of the New York Knicks and Chuck Cooper of the Boston Celtics became the first three African-Americans to play in the NBA during the 1950-51 season. On October 31, in Rochester, New York, Lloyd was the first to participate in a game.

The historic signing of these three iconic men is almost forgotten. Young fans of the game are so enamored by Kobe, Lebron, and Carmello that they often forget or have no clue about the pioneers of the ‘Black basketball game’ and lose focus on what it means to be a black athlete in the NBA.

When asked recently if he knew who Lloyd was, Memphis guard Allen Iverson replied, “Earl Lloyd? From where?” Celtics forward Glen Davis had no clue who Cooper was when told two years ago they shared the same No. 11 for the franchise.

“I’m sure that one day we’ll be perceived as ones that created opportunities for people after us,” Celtics forward Kevin Garnnet said last year. “It’s only right we give respect to people that came before us, Martin Luther King Jr, Mr. Lloyd.”

Cooper was the first of three pioneers drafted as the Celtics selected him in the second round on April 25, 1950. Lloyd was taken in the ninth round by the Capitols. When Lloyd entered training camp that fall, it was the first time he had ever interacted with whites. Clifton was the first black player to enter the NBA with a contract after he was traded from the Harlem Globetrotters to the Knicks for $12,500 on May 24, 1950. A fourth black player, Hank DeZonie, joined the league later in the season, but played only five games with the Tri-Cities Blackhawks. The NBA wasn’t too popular in those days. Lloyd’s debut didn’t get the attention Jackie Robinson did when he broke Major League Baseball’s color barrier three years earlier. The story received only a small mention in a Rochester newspaper.

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Tags | Black History, NBA, Sports History