During the 2025 NBA Draft, Chuck Cooper, Earl Lloyd, and Nathaniel Clifton, the first Black players to be drafted and play in the league, were honored in the 75th anniversary of the achievement.
The sons of the three players joined NBA Commissioner Adam Silver on stage along with Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson and four-time NBA champion Andre Iguodala to honor their fathers’ legacies and contributions to the game of basketball.
“Chuck Cooper, Earl Lloyd, Nat ‘Sweetwater’ Clifton, three NBA pioneers, the league’s first black players who 75 years ago made history,” said Silver. “As we continue to welcome the next generation of players into the league tonight, we also celebrate the accomplishments of the legends who came before them.”
Commissioner Silver also acknowledged the players’ sons, saying, “Your fathers hold a special place in the creation of the modern NBA. They were courageous, they showed resolve, and they represent a thread that continues today: the power of sports to bring people together. We are honored to recognize their lasting contributions to the game.”
Chuck Cooper is the first Black player drafted in the NBA, selected by the Boston Celtics with the 13th overall pick in the 1950 draft.
Though Cooper entered the NBA from Duquesne, where he was a consensus All-American as a senior, he began his college career at West Virginia State in 1944. He played a year at WVSU before leaving to enter the military during World War II.
Cooper played six seasons in the NBA with the Celtics, Milwaukee/St. Louis Hawks (now Atlanta Hawks), and the Fort Wayne Pistons (now Detroit Pistons. He averaged 6.7 points and 5.9 rebounds in 409 career games.
Earl Lloyd, selected with the 100th overall pick by the Washington Capitols out of West Virginia State, is the first black player to play in an NBA game.
Lloyd played for West Virginia State from 1946-1950, leading the team to consecutive CIAA championships in 1948 and 1949.
He played nine years in the NBA (missed the 1951-1952 season due to military service), recording 8.4 points and 6.4 rebounds in 560 career games.
Nat ‘Sweetwater’ Clifton, an alumnus of Xavier University of Louisiana, entered the NBA after an Army stint and five years playing with the New York Renaissance and Harlem Globetrotters, respectively.
He signed with the New York Knicks, becoming the second black player to sign an NBA contract. In his eight NBA seasons, he averaged 10.0 points and 8.2 rebounds.
