PRESERVING HISTORY & LEGACIES

BLACK COLLEGE SPORTS

Legacy Series

Each month we will present time tested stories and tributes of the HBCU legends and legacies that have been treasured or forgotten.

Visit Baseball Hall of Fame Naismith Hall of Fame Black College Football Hall of Fame Track & Field Hall of Fame Pro Football Hall of Fame

The Legacy began for black basketball players when the National Basketball Association (NBL/BAA merger, 1949) held its fourth draft on April 25, 1950. 121 players were selected in the draft which consisted of 12 rounds.

Among the first black players drafted or signed were:
Chuck Cooper, (WVA State) Duquesne –second-round, 14th pick, the Boston Celtics. (April 25, 1950)
Earl Lloyd (WVA State), ninth round, 100th pick, Washington Capitols- the first Black player to play in the NBA (October 31, 1950), one day before Cooper made his debut. (April 25, 1950)
Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton, Xavier, LA – Free agent, New York Knicks, April 25, 1950
Harold Hunter, Tennessee State – Free agent, Washington Capitols, April 26, 1950
Hank DeZonie, Clark Atlanta – the fourth black player in the NBA…signed with the Tri-Cities Blackhawks, December 3, 1950.
Bob Wilson, West Virginia State- Free agent, Milwaukee Hawks, 1951–52 season.
Note: Three of the first signees attended West Virginia State.