NBA Pioneer Earl Lloyd Reflects on History

2008/01/22 11:16:05 @NBA.com: News

In the BOSTON GLOBE, Marc J. Spears writes "Martin Luther King Jr. Day will be celebrated across the NBA today, including at the Celtics-Knicks game. And while the nation commemorates the slain leader of the civil rights movement, Hall of Famer Earl Lloyd will surely reflect on his belief that the Celtics ultimately opened the door for him to be the first African-American to play in an NBA game. Lloyd, Cooper, and the Knicks' Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton became the first African-Americans to play in the NBA during the 1950-51 season. Boston made Cooper, a former Duquesne star, the first black ever drafted. Clifton, a former Harlem Globetrotter, was the first African-American player to sign a contract with an NBA team when he signed with the Knicks in 1950."
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