home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search
- The year 1950 was a breakthrough year
- for African-American basketball players.
- Shortly before Sweetwater Clifton
- became the first African-American to
- sign a contract with an NBA team, two
- other black players were selected in the
- 1950 NBA draft. Chuck Cooper of
- Duquesne University was selected by
- the Boston Celtics with their second
- pick. Earl Lloyd was then selected by
- the Washington (D. C.) Capitols.
- Because Washington played its first
- game before either ChuckΓÇÖs Celtics or
- NatΓÇÖs Knicks, Earl made history, on
- October 31, 1950, as the first African-
- American to play in an NBA game.