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Earl Lloyd was born in Alexandria, Virginia, on April 3, 1928, to Theodore Lloyd, Sr. and Daisy Lloyd. His mother, Daisy, was a domestic and his father, Theodore, worked in a coal yard. Lloyd played in the N.B.A. He was a strong rebounder and was so tenacious on defense that he sometimes guarded the Minneapolis Lakers 6-foot-10 center, George Mikan, the leagues first superstar. No team won 50 games in the 1955 season. Inducted into the basketball hall of fame in 2003 as a contributor, Lloyd was 22-55 as Detroits coach in 1971-72 and the first nine games in the 1972-73 season. Didnt stop him. "The First to Do It" will premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2017 before airing nationally. He missed the 1951-52 season while serving in the US army. "You made sure they were calling you names, if you could. "My folks had very little to look forward to," Lloyd recalled. Inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003 as a contributor, Lloyd was 22-55 as Detroit's coach in 1971-72 and the first nine games in the 1972-73 season. The First Black Players in the NBA (1950) Arka Sengupta, Jack Lechner, David Friendly, Carmelo Anthony, Kawhi Leonard, Michael Finley and Tony Parker have joined forces with the Lloyd Family Foundation and directors Coodie & Chike to tell Earl Lloyds story. Syracuse had been knocking on the door, having lost the seventh game of the NBA Finals to Minneapolis in 1954. The incredible story of Earl Lloyd, the forgotten Hall of Fame basketball player and coach, was the first Black player in the NBA. Had we won, we would have taken Cazzie Russell. He was inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame in 2003. Two black players who had been drafted ahead of Lloyd Chuck Cooper of the New . He scored 6 points and pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. We lost the coin toss. The implausibility of a more perfect union took root in what Ron Thomas, director of Morehouse College's Journalism and Sports Program, describes as an unspoken ban on black basketball players among the leagues team owners. And going to practice ain't that bad, but coming back you're tired. Three-and-a-half years after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in baseball, there was Earl Lloyd. — -- When his Chuck Taylor Converse sneakers hit the floor at the Edgerton Park Sports Arena in Rochester, New York, on Oct. 31, 1950, Earl Lloyd became the first black player to appear in an NBA game. That didnt stop him, either. ', "Today, when I talk to young players, they ask me 'What was the one trait that was most outstanding for yourself?' In 1950, Chuck Cooper, Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton, and Earl Lloyd became the first black players drafted into the NBA. Because of what Lloyd always referred to as a scheduling fluke, he became . Earl Lloyd: NBA's first black player - ABC News ", 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Earl Lloyd, "Earl Lloyd National Visionary," National Visionary Leadership Project, accessed April 10, 2015, "Earl Lloyd. In 2015 Lloyd, along with fellow basketball player, In 2018, the road running in front of the Walker Convocation Center at West Virginia State University was renamed "Earl Lloyd Way. He didnt know hed been drafted by the NBA until he ran into a friend on campus who told him shed heard a rumor that hed be moving to Washington. Joining an all-white team was intimidating, Lloyd remembered, but his teammatesmost of whom had played on integrated college teamswere immediately welcoming. Lloyd enjoyed a close-up view of the difference wrought by the 24-second clock. I never complained about that.". Lloyd said he had never encountered racial animosity from teammates or opposing players, but he remembered taunts from spectators, particularly in St. Louis; Baltimore; Fort Wayne, Ind., where the Pistons were based until 1957; and Indianapolis, where the Pistons played their home games in the 1955 N.B.A. However, Lloyd persevered and said that these instances only pushed him and made him play harder. Six of the league's eight teams won between 33 and 43 games in a 72-game schedule. In February for Black History Month, USA TODAY Sports is publishing the series 28 Black Stories in 28 Days.We examine the issues, challenges and opportunities Black athletes and sports officials continue to face after the nations reckoning on race following the murder of George Floyd in 2020. In 2014, a statue of Earl Lloyd was unveiled at West Virginia State University in the Walker Convocation Center. 8y. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. Earl Lloyd, the first black player in NBA history, died on Thursday. HISTORY.com works with a wide range of writers and editors to create accurate and informative content. They finished last in the Midwest Division, and he was fired after a 2-5 start the next season. So what can we learn from Earl Lloyds story? Today in History: Earl Lloyd Became First Black NBA Player - NBC News Professional basketball trailed far behind baseball (and college basketball and pro and college football) in popularity. Another fan in a different city told him to go back to Africa. 13h Nick Friedell. A native of Alexandria, Virginia, Earl Francis Lloyd led West Virginia State University to two CIAA Conference and Tournament Championships in 1948 and 1949. Tom Leyden of WXYZ in Detroit was the first to report Lloyd's death, saying that Lloyd's family. After a brief stint in the army, he returned to the NBA, where he was a key player for the Syracuse Nationals (195258), helping the team win the championship in 1955. Earl Lloyd, first African-American to play in NBA game, dies at 86 NBA players and sportscasters took to Twitter to praise Lloyd after the new of his death. Theres no better honor than being validated by people who know you best. He wrapped up his nine-season career in Detroit. He was 86. "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.". "What really spurred them on and kept them going were the needs of their children. He was named All-Conference three times (1948-50) and was All-American twice . You are a team player, you're unselfish, and I was all of that. As a senior, he averaged 14 points and 8 rebounds per game, while leading West Virginia State to a secondplace finish in the CIAA Conference and Tournament Championship. His death was announced by West Virginia State University, where he played before joining the N.B.A. 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 Detroit. "I could get room service, but they wouldn't let me eat downstairs." "There are some things that are not for you," he said of his time coaching. I don't recall any mention in the newspapers about me being the first black to play in an NBA game." After seven games with the Capitols, Lloyd was drafted into the military and sent to Korea for two years. He was named AllConference three times (194850) and was All-American twice, as named by the Pittsburgh Courier (194950). For many, the presence of black bodies and faces occupying roles from players to personnel seems as inevitable as it was initially implausible. E.T., but for virtual basketball fans, all the big news dropped Wednesday night. racial barrier. Earl Francis Lloyd's Biography - The HistoryMakers Editor's Picks. He was 86. . "But given the times, you have to believe that a rookie and ninth-round draft choice -- that some folks are getting more money. He first played for the Washington Capitals and helped the Syracuse Nationals win the title in 1955. Lloyd helped the Syracuse Nationals win the 1955 NBA title, joining teammate Jim Tucker as the first black players to play on a championship team. Earl Lloyd, the first African American player to ever play in the NBA. Williams High School yes, the one from 'Remember the Titans' named its court after Earl Lloyd", "Courting the past - Alexandria Times:: Alexandria News, Real Estate, Autos and Classifieds", "Earl Lloyd: In basketball, history's go-to guy", BasketballReference.com: Earl Lloyd (as coach), BasketballReference.com: Earl Lloyd (as player), Wayland Baptist Women's Teams (19481982), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Earl_Lloyd&oldid=1155932693, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees, West Virginia State Yellow Jackets men's basketball players, 20th-century African-American sportspeople, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2018, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 4.0. He was 86. Opinion:Charles Barkley is thought-provoking but wrong about impending NBA lockout. Earl Lloyd, the first black player in NBA history, died Thursday. But think of guys who are going to be teammates. Lloyd, a native of Alexandria, Virginia, lived in Crossville, Tennessee. In 2003, Lloyd was recognized for his contribution as a player and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Find History on Facebook (Opens in a new window), Find History on Twitter (Opens in a new window), Find History on YouTube (Opens in a new window), Find History on Instagram (Opens in a new window), Find History on TikTok (Opens in a new window), Current one is: October 31. NBA draft: Which rookies can have biggest impact in 2023-24? His points, rebounds and assists climbed for three consecutive seasons, culminating with the 1954-55 campaign, when he peaked at 10 points, seven rebounds and two assists per contest. Earl Lloyd entered the league first, then Cooper and Clifton followed afterwards. "You never know about signings," he said. He holds degrees from Morehouse College and Rutgers University. 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, West Virginia State president Brian Hemphill said in a statement. I would go home and get a half-time job and I could save some money. One reason for that reaction was that Rochester owner Les Harrison had integrated the National Basketball League (NBL) four years before. Lloyd's own experiences with race were colored by more than one game. Lloyd served as Community Relations Director for the Bing Group, a Detroit manufacturing company in the 1990s. Being a high school standout, Lloyd was named to the All-South Atlantic Conference three times and the All-State Virginia Interscholastic Conference twice. Trailblazing Basketball Legend Earl Lloyd Honored In Alexandria - NewsOne "I said, 'Bones, you can't fix this and I can't fix this,'" Lloyd recalled. Lloyd was an excellent defensive player. [10] The date was October 31, 1950, one day ahead of Chuck Cooper of the Boston Celtics and four days before Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton of the New York Knicks. He grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds and the Washington Caps lost to the Rochester Royals 78-70. He was a Black basketball player, the first Black man to play in a National Basketball Association (NBA) game. The 6-foot-5, 225-pound forward played in only seven games for the Washington Capitols before the team folded on January 9, 1951. Players had to be inducted by a Hall of Famer and Dave Bing did Lloyd the honor. Earl Lloyd, the First Black NBA Player, Dies Aged 86 | Time It was better than most people, even some professional people. "It's amazing, but it was fairly uneventful," Lloyd continued. Lloyd posted six points and grabbed 10 rebounds in his debut. '", Fans were most disappointed because Russell was an icon in Detroit after starring at the University of Michigan. That same year, the "Earl Lloyd Classic" began, hosted at West Virginia State. Like most athletes of his era, Lloyd was acutely aware his talent and character, on and off the court, which made him an example of, and in many ways foretold, what purpose-driven players can accomplish on an even playing field. Earl Francis Lloyd: The first Black NBA player - Sportskeeda NBA Docuseries On Pioneer Black Players In Works From Kareem Abdul Lloyds alma mater, West Virginia State, confirmed his death to The Associated Press, though the school did not provide details. But he retired after the 1960 season at age 32. Earl Lloyd, first black player in NBA history, dies aged 86 That was No. A rugged 6-foot-6, 220-pound forward, Earl Lloyd (11) played in the N.B.A. One fan, asSports Illustrated noted, asked aloud whether "that (N-word)" could play. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. You see? And on Oct. 31, 1950, Lloyd became the first African-American to ever play in an NBA game. Like many Black sports pioneers before him, Earl Lloyd, the first Black player to appear in an NBA game, encountered the ugly side of humanity. [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] An All-American player at West Virginia State University, Lloyd helped lead West Virginia State to an undefeated season in 1948. Earl Lloyd, who became the first African American player in the National Basketball Association when he took the court with the old Washington Capitols in 1950 and who later became the. When people used to tell me about separate but equal, I used to look at George Washington High School. So from high school through college Lloyd basically got eight years of the same coaching philosophy. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Lloyd played in over 560 games in nine seasons. After his playing career ended following the 1959-60 season, Lloyd became the first black assistant coach in NBA history (joining the Pistons staff in 1968), then became the second African-American head coach in league history three seasons later when Detroit promoted him. His legacy survives in the league he helped integrate, and the entire NBA family will strive to always honor his memory. Anybody can score. Our deepest condolences to the Lloyd family.". Memphis Grizzlies veteran Vince Carter was among current NBA players expressing their thanks to Lloyd and offering their condolences to his family via Twitter: RIP to Mr. Earl Lloyd you opened that ever so important door for all African American athletes. The overdue integration of baseball had stolen all the thunder. 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.. He was known as a modest gentleman who played the game with skill, class, and pride. Oddly, his popularity grew after his name was mentioned on the television show "Jeopardy" in the early 1980s. Earl Lloyd, first black player in NBA, dies at 86 I owe Earl a lot of thanks, Cervi, who coached him for four seasons, told Ron Thomas in the book They Cleared the Lane: The N.B.A.s Black Pioneers., Hes an unsung star. In his novel, "They Cleared the Lane," Thomas, who has written extensively about the NBAs black pioneers, explains how the desire of a small group of team owners to secure the talent and gate attraction of black players eventually outweighed the reluctance of a majority of others. [16] He had an overall record of 2255 with the Pistons. Didnt stop him. The authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio record. Be happy. Early Lloyd was born April 3, 1928 in Alexandria, Virginia. It turned out that the Capitols had picked him in the ninth round of the draft.

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