First African-American NBA player shares experiences
Basketball Hall of Fame member Earl Lloyd, who became the first African-American to play in the NBA on October 31, 1950, visited Tennessee Tech Wednesday to share stories with the Golden Eagle men’s basketball team and special guests of head coach Mike Sutton.
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. --Basketball Hall of Fame member Earl Lloyd,
who became the first African-American to play in the NBA on October
31, 1950, visited Tennessee Tech Wednesday to share stories with
the Golden Eagle men’s basketball team and special guests of
head coach Mike Sutton.
Lloyd revisited his experience as a young player making a
basketball career in a racially divided era, and talked about the
evolution of the game in the time since. Lloyd played for the
Washington Capitols from 1950-‘51, before joining the
Syracuse Nationals from 1952-’58, where he won the 1955 NBA
championship. He finished his career playing with the Detroit
Pistons from 1958-’60.
Lloyd was one of three African-Americans to enter the league in
1950, but made his debut one day before Chuck Cooper and four days
before Nat Clifton. In 2003 Lloyd was inducted to the Basketball
Hall of Fame.
