Earl Lloyd, the first black player to play in the NBA, has died
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver released the following statement regarding the passing of Earl Lloyd:
“The NBA family has lost one of its patriarchs. Earl Lloyd, the first African-American to play in an NBA game, was as inspirational as he was understated. He was known as a modest gentleman who played the game with skill, class, and pride. His legacy survives in the league he helped integrate, and the entire NBA family will strive to always honor his memory. Our deepest condolences to the Lloyd family.”
According to Sekou Smith of the NBA.com blog, “Floyd suited up with the Washington Capitols on October 31, 1950. Charles Cooper and Nat Clifton would join him in the 1950-51 season, an arduous journey during those tumultuous times, but one that Lloyd, a former West Virginia State star, survived all of the drama and won a championship in 1955 with the Syracuse Nationals. Lloyd finished his 10-year playing career with the Detroit Pistons and when he retired he was 43rd on the NBA career scoring list with 4,682 points.”
According to the Detroit Free Press, “The 6-foot-5 forward averaged 8.4 points and 6.4 rebounds in 560 regular-season games in nine seasons with Washington, Syracuse and the Detroit Pistons. He missed the 1951-52 season while serving in the U.S. Army. Lloyd played for the Pistons in 1958-60, averaging 8.6 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists. He also was 22-55 as Detroit’s coach in 1971-72 and the first nine games of the 1972-73 season.”
According to the Washington Post, “a native of Alexandria, Lloyd was one of three black players drafted by the league in 1950; the others were Chuck Cooper and Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton. Lloyd was a ninth-round pick by the Washington Capitols, and in a 2007 interview with The Washington Post, he recalled being surprised to learn of his selection by that team, as he thought of the D.C. area as a “cradle of segregation.” Lloyd came to break the NBA’s color barrier by a quirk of the schedule, as the Capitols began their season before the teams for which Cooper and Clifton played. On Oct. 31, 1950, the 6-foot-6 forward entered a game against the Rochester Royals, paving the way for thousands of black basketball players to come.”
