NBA’s First African American Player Earl Lloyd Dies at 86

Early Lloyd, the first ever African American to play in an NBA game, has passed away on Thursday at the age of 86.

"The State family mourns the loss of a fellow Yellow Jacket and trailblazer who was a true champion both on and off of the basketball court," his alma mater West Virginia State President Brian Hemphill said in a statement. "When Earl stepped out on the court on that fateful date in 1950, this remarkable man rightfully earned his place in the historic civil rights movement and, more important, he opened the door to equality in America."

Lloyd was one of three African American players who was able to break down barriers and become a part of the NBA in 1950. Chuck Cooper was the first African American player to be drafted by an NBA team. The Boston Celtics selected him in the second round of the 1950 NBA Draft. Lloyd was drafted seven rounds later. Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton was the first African American player to sign a full NBA contract, which he did so with the New York Knicks.

On Oct. 31, 1950, Lloyd, who played for the Washington Capitols, became the first African American player to play in an official NBA game. Cooper and Clifton played in their first NBA game a couple of days later.

"It's amazing how a scheduling quirk can change your whole life," Lloyd had said.

"I stepped onto the court and the world kept spinning," he recalled another time. "No one said a word -- not the fans, players, anybody. Nothing was ever said about me being the first black. They acted as if I was a player, period. I don't recall any mention in the newspapers about me being the first black to play in an NBA game."

Throughout his 10-year career, Lloyd faced a lot of racism in a predominately white sport.

"Those fans in Indianapolis, they yell stuff like, 'Go back to Africa,'" Lloyd recalled once. "And I'm telling you, you would often hear the N-word. That was commonplace. There were a lot of people who sat close to you who gave you the blues, man."

Lloyd also said, "My philosophy was if they weren't calling you names, you weren't doing anything. You made sure they were calling you names, if you could. If they were calling you names, you were hurting them."

Lloyd ended up playing only seven games in his first season before he was drafted into the U.S. Army. The Syracuse Nationals then picked him up on waivers in 1952, where he played for six seasons. Lloyd had his best year in 1955 when the Nationals defeated the Fort Wayne Pistons in the NBA Championships. He averaged 10.2 points and 7.7 rebounds.

Lloyd finished the last two years of his career with the Detroit Pistons.