The first Black basketball player in the NBA was Earl Lloyd. He made history on October 31, 1950, when he debuted for the Washington Capitols. Lloyd is often recognized as the first African American to play in an NBA game, although there were other players who integrated the league around the same time.
Another significant figure in this history is Chuck Cooper, who became the first Black player to be drafted into the NBA in 1950 by the Boston Celtics. Additionally, Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton was the first African American player to sign an NBA contract.
While these players are all trailblazers in the history of Black athletes in professional basketball, Earl Lloyd is specifically credited with being the first to play in an NBA game.
