This is a significant moment in sports history: the NBA Pioneers Classic shines a well-deserved light on the league's first Black players.
BOSTON – Whenever Chuck Cooper III heard discussions about the first Black athletes in various sports, it would irritate him. People often began with Jackie Robinson, who broke Major League Baseball's color barrier in 1947. While Cooper respected Robinson and acknowledged his monumental impact, he found it frustrating when conversations shifted to basketball.
The name that frequently followed was Bill Russell, which stirred up Cooper's irritation. Though Russell was an iconic figure with an astonishing 11 championship titles and widespread respect, Cooper felt compelled to point out that Russell did not hold the title of "the first Black NBA player." That distinction belonged to his father, Chuck Cooper, along with Earl Lloyd and Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton, who collectively broke into the league at the start of the 1950-51 season.
On February 1 of every year, coinciding with the beginning of Black History Month, the NBA will now celebrate these trailblazers' accomplishments, starting with this Sunday's inaugural NBA Pioneers Classic game between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Boston Celtics.
The children of these pioneering players were honored at TD Garden in various ways throughout the event, including before the game, during halftime, and after the final buzzer. They received warm welcomes from Celtics fans and staff, who gathered around center court for photographs prior to tip-off. Additionally, they were acknowledged during halftime, with journalists capturing their stories and experiences.
Kevin Lloyd, son of Earl Lloyd—who passed away in 2015—expressed his pride, stating, "He would definitely be pleased with how the game has evolved from when he played to today. He’s looking down with a smile on his face to know that he’s a part of something. This is a special game and he’s a part of this."
Jataun Robinson, daughter of Clifton, added, "I think it’s great. Honoring them would mean a lot to them if they were living today."
On April 25, 1950, Chuck Cooper made history as the first Black player ever drafted by the NBA when the Celtics selected him in the second round. Earl Lloyd followed, being drafted in the ninth round alongside Harold Hunter, who did not play professionally.
Lloyd made history on October 31, 1950, when he became the first Black player to step onto the court in an NBA game while playing for the Washington Capitols against the Rochester Royals (now the Sacramento Kings). Clifton, who had previously starred with the Harlem Globetrotters, played a crucial role in integrating the league; the New York Knicks were eager to sign him as a center. Notably, during the league's early years, from 1946 to 1950, team owners had covertly enforced a ban on Black players. However, Knicks president Ned Irish successfully persuaded other owners to lift this restriction so Clifton could join the team on May 3, 1950.
In December of the same year, a fourth Black player, Hank DeZonie, also made his mark, participating in five games with the Tri-Cities Blackhawks before retiring.
These groundbreaking achievements had often been overlooked because, at that time, college basketball garnered more attention than the professional league. Even though Cooper, Lloyd, and Clifton enjoyed respectable careers in the NBA lasting at least six seasons, none emerged as a superstar.
"To me, the evolution has been tremendous," Cooper remarked. "To be honest, the education process started with Ron Thomas’ book ‘They Cleared the Lane.’ Over the years, we kept pushing for recognition. The Cavaliers hosted an event that brought together the families of all three players, and we formed a strong connection. Our communication with the NBA began to grow as we shared our stories."
By 2019, all three players had achieved induction into the Hall of Fame, leading the NBA to honor their legacy by naming three division championships after them. The momentum for Sunday’s game continued to build from there.
Cooper believes Boston was the perfect location for the inaugural Pioneers Classic, as the Celtics were the first franchise to draft a Black player, the first to field an all-Black starting lineup, and the first to hire a Black head coach in Russell.
"When I talk to young people, I always emphasize that making the right decisions for the right reasons leads to positive outcomes," Cooper said. "In the case of the Celtics, those choices resulted in remarkable achievements," he pointed out, proudly referencing the Celtics’ 18 championships.
Current Celtics star Jaylen Brown expressed his enthusiasm for the game, sharing, "It was awesome. It was pretty cool to pay homage to the pioneers of the past. I believe in showing respect—to know where you’re going, you must understand where you’ve come from. I thought the NBA did a commendable job honoring those who paved the way."
The Pioneers Classic does much more than commemorate the past; it actively contributes to the future of students attending historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Both the NBA Foundation and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) Foundation each donated $75,000 in scholarships to West Virginia State University, where Lloyd graduated, and Xavier University in Louisiana, which Clifton attended. The foundations have also pledged a total of $750,000 over the next five years to support HBCUs.
