Chuck Cooper and the Little-Known History of the NBA's First Black Players

Image via Complex Original

On October 31, 1950, in Rochester, N.Y., Earl Lloyd made his NBA debut, officially making him the first African-American to play in the league. He finished with six points and a game-high 10 rebounds after entering the contest in the second half, but far more importantly, Lloyd marked a huge step forward for the National Basketball Association a mere four years after its inaugural season. 

The man nicknamed "The Big Cat" hailed from Alexandria, V. and attended the all-black West Virginia State before being selected in the ninth round of the 1950 NBA Draft by the Washington Capitols. In an interview with The New York Times, Lloyd stated he believes that he, Chuck Cooper, and Harold Hunter were picked in the same draft because their respective teams "picked three guys who were decent enough guys to play in this league, gentlemen and decent human beings." He is, humbly, deflecting the issue of personal courage at play here as well. Not just anyone could have broken through with such poise.

While Lloyd says his reception for breaking the color barrier in the NBA paled in comparison to what Jackie Robinson went through when he made his MLB debut in 1947, the 6-foot-5 forward still faced his fair share of racism, including fans asking to see his tail, people telling him to go back to Africa, and some spitting on him. But, while Lloyd was the first African-American to play in a league game, he wasn't alone for long—just one day later, Chuck Cooper played his first game. 

On Feb. 26, 2015, West Virginia State University announced the passing of Lloyd. In a heartfelt speech during TNT's Inside the NBA, Charles Barkley summed up everyone's feelings towards Lloyd. "The older black guys, I have so much admiration and respect for them because…just playing basketball is hard enough," Barkley said. "But I couldn't imagine all the mental stress that those guys were under. Then, to go block that out and actually play basketball…whenever I see them, I just want to say 'thank you.'"

It may not seem suffice for someone who did something as monumental as changing the NBA forever, but thank you, Mr. Lloyd.

Lloyd may have been the first African-American to play in an NBA game, but he firmly believes that if the Boston Celtics didn't take Chuck Cooper in the second round of the 1950 Draft, history would've unfolded differently. 

After graduating Westinghouse High School in Pittsburgh, Pa., Cooper also went to the all-black West Virginia State before being drafted by the Navy in his first semester. Following the conclusion of World War II in 1945, Cooper attended Duquesne University, where he studied business education. Five years later, legendary Celtics head coach Red Auerbach decided to take a chance on Cooper in that year's draft. Maybe it was Cooper’s military experience that gave him the courage to step onto the NBA court in that politically charged moment.

Cooper played only six seasons in the NBA, averaging 6.6 points and 5.9 rebounds per game for his career. After leaving the league, Cooper focused on his education, receiving a master's degree in social work at the University of Minnesota in 1960. On Feb. 5, 1984, Cooper died of liver cancer. He was only 57. 

Chuck Cooper was the first African-American player selected in an NBA Draft. Earl Lloyd was the first African-American to play in an NBA game. Harold Hunter was the first to sign a contract with the league. But there is one major difference between him and the other two— Hunter never played in an NBA game. Still, his work at North Carolina College, which is now known as North Carolina Central University, impressed the Washington Capitols enough to select him in the 10th round of the 1950 NBA Draft. 

During the Capitols’ training camp, Hunter was cut from the team. Still, the former star guard managed to carve out a pretty impressive career for himself, which included being the first African-American to coach the United States Men's Olympic basketball team in 1968.

Four days after Earl Lloyd became the first African-American to play in an NBA game, Nathaniel Clifton made his debut with the New York Knicks. But his road to the league was very different.

Clifton went to Xavier College of Louisiana, but not before serving in the United States Army in World War II. Following the war, Clifton joined the all-black basketball team, the New York Rens. "Sweetwater"—nicknamed for his love of soft drinks as a child—stayed there for two years and then joined the Harlem Globetrotters. Finally, after all that bouncing around, Clifton signed with the Knicks on May 24, 1950 at the age of 27.

Much like Chuck Cooper, Clifton's time in the NBA was short-lived. After seven years, he was out of the league, but in that span, "Sweetwater" helped the Knicks make their first NBA Finals appearance.

As for personal accolades, the irrepressible Clifton was selected to his first All-Star Game in 1957 as a member of the Detroit Pistons. After that season, "Sweetwater" retired from the NBA and went back to pursuing one of his other loves: baseball.    

Much like Nat Clifton, Hank DeZonie took a roundabout path to the NBA. After spending some time with the New York Rens and Harlem Globetrotters, DeZonie was signed by the Tri-Cities Blackhawks, or the team you may know today as the Atlanta Hawks. 

As a member of the Rens, though, the 6-foot-6 forward could've been the first player to sign with an NBA team. However, when the NBL and NBA merged in 1949, the National Basketball Association was still an all-white league, which prohibited DeZonie from signing a contract. One year later, DeZonie was in the NBA—yet another courageous trailblazer (or, rather, Blackhawk). 

Unfortunately, after just five games, Hank DeZonie was gone. According to DeZonie, "the coach didn't know basketball," and the frustrations over racial discrimination became too much for him to handle.

Four years after Earl Lloyd made his NBA debut, becoming the first African-American to play in the league, the Syracuse Nationals selected Jim Tucker out of Duquesne University—the same school Chuck Cooper attended—in the third round of the 1954 NBA Draft. Tucker and Lloyd formed a bond that extended beyond the hardwood. 

While speaking to Syracuse.com, Tucker remembered how Lloyd served as his guide. Lloyd would tell Tucker what towns he should avoid when going out and advise him on how to conduct himself because "people [were] looking for reasons to throw him, he refused to give them any chance.”

Much like some of the aforementioned athletes, Tucker's NBA career was short—three years, to be exact. However, he did leave one specific lasting imprint in the fastest triple-double in NBA history. On Feb. 20, 1955, Tucker scored 12 points, pulled down 10 boards and dished out 12 assists in only 17 minutes. That record stands until this day. 

Before the Boston Celtics got incredibly lucky with Bill Russell, there was Don Barksdale. But, let's just say, Barksdale was truly in a league of his own. While at UCLA, the Oakland, Calif. native became the first African-American to be named an All-American, in 1947. One year later, Barksdale played for the United States Men's Basketball Team in the 1948 Summer Olympics in London. Team USA ended up defeating France 65-21 to capture the gold medal. Both of these honors were given to him before the NBA was even integrated. 

Barksdale may have been ready to join the league after that Olympic victory if it wasn’t for the fact that the NBA was still an all-white institution. So, in the meantime, he returned to playing for an AAU team in Oakland. In 1951, after the initial wave of African-American players appeared on the scene, the 28-year-old Barksdale signed with the Baltimore Bullets. In only his second season, Don was selected for the 1953 All-Star Game, averaging 13.8 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. 

In 1953, Barksdale was sent to the Boston Celtics and that's when things got interesting. As teammate Bob Cousy recalls in an interview with ESPN, "He rode into Boston in '53 in a big open convertible with a chick on each arm." From that moment on, Cousy says they became friends. "As a person, Don was refreshing. He loved life dearly. He showed no indications of racial conflict… He treated everyone the same." Anyone who has ever had to stand up to adversity knows that sometimes diffusing the situation requires more courage than simply fanning the flames.

Even though Cousy only played two seasons alongside Barksdale, who was forced to retire in 1955 because of ankle issues, he saw "a glimpse into the future." According to Cooz, "As far as the athleticism displayed by future great African American players… Don had great leaping ability. He hung in the air forever. He was fast." 

On March 8, 1993, Barksdale died from throat cancer at the age of 69.     

In his senior year at Seton Hall, Walter Dukes set a Division I NCAA record with 732 rebounds. To give you an idea of how insane that number is, the Pirates finished the year with a 31-2 record, which means Dukes pulled in 22.2 boards per game! Oh, and he averaged 26.1 points per game as well. 

Like Barksdale, Dukes was named an All-American and naturally made the leap to the NBA the following year, right? Not really. After getting drafted by the New York Knicks, the Rochester, N.Y. native decided to join the Harlem Globetrotters instead because they offered him more money. After two seasons with the Globetrotters, Dukes finally went to the Knicks.

After one mediocre season with the Knicks, Dukes hopped around to the Minneapolis Lakers and Detroit Pistons in the span of two years. Eventually, Dukes' numbers picked up and he was rewarded with back-to-back All-Star selections in 1960 and 1961. Following another sharp statistical decline in 1963, the 32-year-old big man was sent to the Continental Basketball Association, which was basically the minor leagues. He spent six years there before calling it quits. 

On March 14, 2001, Detroit police discovered Dukes' body in his home after his sister stated she hadn't heard from him in a while. Dukes died at the age of 70 of natural causes.

Ray Felix the player was impressive. But, Ray Felix the man was an absolutely incredible individual. Born in New York City, Felix never shied away from the Big Apple. He played for Long Island University and was taken with the No. 1 overall pick in the 1953 NBA Draft by the Baltimore Bullets. After averaging 17.6 points and 13.3 rebounds per game with the Bullets in his first year, Felix became the first African-American to win the Rookie of the Year award. He was also chosen for the NBA All-Star Game. 

Even with the many accolades to his name so early in his career, the big man was traded to the Knicks. Following an impressive first season in the blue and orange, Felix's numbers went on a steady decline and he was never able to match the success he had as a rookie. After retiring in 1962, Felix worked as an assistant supervisor in a shelter for homeless men on 155th Street and 8th Ave. He worked there until his untimely death in 1991 from a heart attack at the age of 60. 

In a '91 piece from The New York Times, we get to know who Felix was outside of the game of basketball. A man named Charles Thomas discusses the time Felix noticed he was "having some problem getting a winter coat." It was cold outside and the former Knickerbocker swooped into action, taking him to a store and purchasing what was probably a $200 coat for him. There's another story of a guy in the shelter who would cut the hair of the people in there, but needed a helping hand because he couldn't afford the pay for housing in New York. So Felix got him a job at a friend's barbershop on 7th Ave. 

Sometimes, it's not about the impression you leave on the court. There's also something to be said for the people who use their time and energy for the good of others. Felix was that type of person. 

At 6-foot-7 and 240 pounds, Maurice Stokes was a man among boys during his three-year run in the NBA. In that span, Stokes was a three-time All-Star, was named to the All-NBA Second Team three times, and, in 1956, became the second African-American to win the Rookie of the Year award. His career was promising. Then, on March 12, 1958, tragedy struck. 

In the final game of the 1957-58 season against the Minneapolis Lakers, Stokes drove to the basket, fell to the floor, hit his head against the hardwood and was knocked unconscious. Somehow, he was able to return to the game. However, three days later, the 24-year-old suffered a series of seizures on a plane trip back to Cincinnati for their upcoming playoff game and fell into a coma. Diagnosed with post-traumatic encephalopathy, Stokes became permanently paralyzed and his promising career had come to an end. That's when his Royals teammate Jack Twyman stepped up in a big way, becoming Stokes' legal guardian. 

Twyman also created a charity game where the money received went towards helping alleviate some of the financial burden of Stokes' medical expenses, which were upwards of $100,000 per year. Even though Stokes was limited to small bits of speech and blinking in order to communicate, Twyman remained by his side until he died from a heart attack in 1961 at only 36 years old. 

In 2004, Stokes was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame and, of course, Twyman was there to do the honors. In 2013, the Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award was created to honor the player who, according to the NBA, shows "selfless play, on- and off-court leadership and commitment and dedication to his team."