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Hall of Famer Chuck Cooper became the first African American player ever selected in the NBA Draft when the Boston Celtics took him in the second round on April 25, 1950.
Cooper, the 14th overall pick, played four seasons with the Celtics until he was traded to the Milwaukee Hawks in 1954. He eventually finished off his career with the Fort Wayne Pistons in 1956.
He averaged 6.7 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 409 career games.
The history of the NBA forever changed in 1950 when Cooper was selected and the color line was officially broken. The decision was not received well at the time as other NBA owners criticized the Celtics for drafting an African American player.
However, Cooper wasn’t the only African American to enter the NBA at the time.
While Cooper was the first African American to be selected in the draft, Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton was the first to sign an NBA contract and Earl Lloyd was the first to play in a regular-season game when he debuted on Oct. 31, 1950, just one day before Cooper and Clifton debuted.
Cooper, Clifton and Lloyd have each been inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
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