Today’s NBA features a bevy of African-American superstars as the sport has far evolved beyond its predominantly white past. During the 1950-51 season, a quartet of Black players broke the color lines, paving the way for the future of the league.
Chuck Cooper (pictured) was the first Black player drafted into the NBA, selected first in the second round by the Boston Celtics. The 6-foot-5 small forward and shooting guard averaged nearly seven points and six rebounds per game in a six-year career with the Celtics, the Milwaukee/St. Louis Hawks (now Atlanta), ending with the Fort Wayne (now Detroit) Pistons.
Forward and Center Nathaniel “Sweetwater” Clifton was the first of the group to sign a NBA contract with the New York Knicks. Before his professional basketball stint, Clifton played for the Harlem Globetrotters and was also a baseball player in the Negro Leagues. Clifton’s NBA career lasted 11 seasons, ending with the American Basketball League’s Chicago Majors at 40. Clifton’s charitable work after basketball continued and in 2005 the Knicks named its “City Spirit Award” in the player’s honor. (READ MORE)
