On April 25, 1950, the first three black basketball players arrived at the NBA

Although it did not have the impact of a future first game, April 25, 1950 was important to black players in NBA and American game history. On that day, the first actual draft of the NBA took place, born in August 1949 from the merger of the BAA and the NBL.

In 14th place, the Celtics chose Ducksney’s Chuck Cooper and became the first black player to make history. A few minutes later, Earl Lloyd, Washington Capitals’ 100th choice, follows him.

On October 31, 1950, by fate of the calendar, he became the first black basketball player to play in a regular season game in the NBA.

The forerunners of Earl Cooper and Chuck Lloyd, on the same day, April 25, 1950, with Nat Klipton. One of the nicknames “Sweetwater” was spent a few years with the Harlem Globoters. Hired by Nix, he was the first black player to sign an NBA contract. His career is 544 games long, with 10 points and an average of 8.2 rebounds.

Chuck Cooper will play in 409 games, most of them with Boston for 6.6 points and 5.9 rebounds. According to Earl Lloyd, after 560 games, he will make a copy of 8.4 points and 6.4 rebounds.

In December 1950, at the height of the season, all three pioneers teamed up with a fourth black player: Hong D’Soni. But the latter, involved with the Tri-City Blackhawks, will only stay in the NBA for five matches.

Finally, the draft 1950 will see his sixth choice, and Irwin Tambrod, the best player of the last four 1950s, turns to the NBA to pursue a career as a dentist …