Tag: Chuck Cooper

Celtics Lab 132: Talking Chuck Cooper’s legacy, race, the Celtics, and more with Cooper’s son, Chuck III

This episode, we talk with Chuck Cooper III about his father’s legacy and history with the Celtics.

Nearly 75 years after the first Black man in history was drafted into the NBA by the Boston Celtics, the city of Boston and America more broadly still have a long way to go in terms of equity for people of color. And while jabs at Boston’s pretenses of progressivism via the behavior of their fans sadly holds water even today at times, the history of the organization itself in that regard is an important one.

Perhaps no player was more important to setting that in motion than the man in question drafted by the Celtics in 1950, Duquesne’s own Chuck Cooper. And with that era also back in the contemporary news cycle due to former NBAer JJ Redick’s widely-criticized comments about the level of play in Cooper’s era, we thought it would be a perfect time to link up with his son Chuck III.

In this episode of the CLNS Media “Celtics Lab” podcast, we talk about Cooper’s trailblazing on and off of the court, the toll it took, and his and the Celtics’ legacy in fighting for racial and social equity.

Powered by RedCircle

We also get into the good works the Chuck Cooper Foundation does up to this day in addition to tackling Redick’s misguided takes head on.

Powered by RedCircle

Join your usual hosts Cameron Tabatabaie, Alex Goldberg, and Justin Quinn for one of our favorite episodes in a long while — and a refreshing break from hypothetical trade talks about you know who.

Follow us on Facebook and check out the Celtics Lab podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

[mm-video type=video id=01g8k3d0wwpr68typ2fr playlist_id=01eqbzegwgnrje4tv2 player_id=01eqbvq570kgj8vfs7 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g8k3d0wwpr68typ2fr/01g8k3d0wwpr68typ2fr-f989a599f5efffd647ca124f2b6f0f9d.jpg]

[lawrence-related id=106168,106136,106166,106154,106158,106118]

[listicle id=106159]

[listicle id=106139]

[listicle id=106121]

[listicle id=106093]

NBA creates new division trophies named after pioneering Black players, including several Boston Celtics alumni

The league invoked important Black players drawn from league history in their choice of names for the awards.

The NBA announced on Monday six new awards to be presented to the teams which win each of the league’s six divisions (Atlantic, Central, Southeast, Southwest Northwest, Pacific) that will be named after pioneering Black players drawn from the 75 years of history they played in the league, several of which are to be named for Boston Celtics alumni.

In addition to those named for players that never suited up for the Celtics — the Atlantic Division’s ‘Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton Trophy,’ the Southeast Division’s ‘Earl Lloyd Trophy,’ and the Southwest Division’s ‘Willis Reed Trophy’ — there will be a total of three more named for players who donned the green and white for at least some of their careers.

That includes the Central Division’s ‘Wayne Embry Trophy,’ the Northwest Division’s ‘Sam Jones Trophy,’ and the Pacific Division’s ‘Chuck Cooper Trophy.’

On this day: Havlicek dies; Cooper, Macauley drafted; ’65 banner won

On this day, Celtics legend John Havlicek died, and Boston legends Chuck Cooper and Ed Macauley were drafted.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, legendary Celtics forward John Havlicek died in 2019 after a long fight with Parkinson’s disease at the age of 74 in Jupiter, Florida. Hondo, as he would often be called, was born in Martins Ferry, Ohio, in 1940, and he played his college ball at nearby Ohio State, with which he won the NCAA championship in 1960.

He was drafted seventh overall in the 1962 NBA draft by Boston and played 16 seasons with the Celtics, winning eight NBA championships and being elected to 13 All-Star games, 11 All-NBA teams and 8 All-Defensive teams among many other honors.

Havlicek’s jersey was retired by Boston immediately after his playing career ended in 1978, and he was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1984.

John Havlicek of the Boston Celtics is mobbed by fans and placed on their shoulders after the Celtics defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 110 to 109 to win the Eastern Division Championship of the National Basketball Assn. at Boston Garden last night, April 16, 1965. Havlicek intercepted a Philadelphia throw-in, in the last seconds of the game, fed Sam Jones and both sprinted down the court when the Buzzer sounded. (AP Photo)

Bill Russell: In December of 1956, …

Bill Russell: In December of 1956, already two months into the season because I was competing in the Olympics, I began my career as a Boston Celtic. The team had had a Black player before me, Chuck Cooper, but when I arrived, I was the only Black person on a team of white guys. The Boston Celtics proved to be an organization of good people––from Walter Brown to Red Auerbach, to most of my teammates. I cannot say the same about the fans or the city. During games people yelled hateful, indecent things: “Go back to Africa,” “Baboon,” “Coon,” “Nigger.” I used their unkindness as energy to fuel me, to work myself into a rage, a rage I used to win.

On this day: Larry Bird wins his 3rd MVP; Celtics trade Chuck Cooper

Boston Celtics wing Chuck Cooper was traded to the Milwaukee Hawks on this day, the same day Larry Bird won his 3rd and final MVP award.

On this date in 1953, the Boston Celtics sold the rights to small forward Chuck Cooper to the (then) Milwaukee Hawks.

Cooper, a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, had been drafted by the Celtics out of Duquesne in the 1950 NBA Draft with the 14th overall pick. With that selection, the future Hall of Fame wing became the first African American drafted into the league, and one of the first to play in the NBA.

He would play four seasons with Boston under team president and coach Red Auerbach, averaging 6.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game in his time with the franchise.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5

On this day: Havlicek dies; Cooper, Macauley drafted; ’65 banner won

On this day, Boston Celtics legend John Havlicek died, and Boston legends Chuck Cooper and Ed Macauley were drafted.

On this day in 2019, legendary Boston Celtics forward John Havlicek died after a long fight with Parkinson’s disease at the age of 74 in Jupiter, Florida.

Hondo, as he was called, was born in Martins Ferry, Ohio in 1940, and would play his college ball at nearby Ohio State, where he would win an NCAA championship in 1960.

He was drafted 7th overall in the 1962 NBA Draft by Boston, and would play for the Celtics for 16 seasons, winning 8 NBA championships and being elected to 13 All-Star games, 11 All-NBA teams, and 8 All-Defensive teams among many other honors in that time.

Havlicek’s jersey was retired by Boston immediately after his playing career ended in 1978, and was elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1984.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6, Page 7

Rookie History: The first African American is drafted in the NBA

The history of the NBA forever changed in 1950 when Chuck Cooper was selected in the second round by the Boston Celtics.

[jwplayer KXM4el32]

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.

[lawrence-related id=15412,400,198]

[vertical-gallery id=14709]