Happy Halloween: Remembering Earl Lloyd, First Black Player in the NBA
By Jason Luthor
Earl Lloyd first stepped onto the court decades ago, but he paved the way forward for generations of players to enter the NBA.
It’s that time of year when pumpkins are being carved and kids are roaming the streets in packs of ghouls and witches. Candy is handed out, and people get into the festivities of the Fall season. Plus, the NBA has a pretty fun lineup of games set up for its fans.
But did you know that it was 66 years ago, on Halloween, when Earl Francis Lloyd became the first African American to play in an NBA game?
That might be a little strange to think about. In the modern NBA, teams are heavily staffed by black Americans. Guys like LeBron James were grown in the heart of the U.S. Others, like Hakeem Olajuwon were born in Nigeria before bringing their talents to the NBA.
That all became possible because of Earl Lloyd. Lloyd first entered the league on Oct. 31, 1950, as a member of the Washington Capitols. His first time on the court was against the Rochester Royals. It was a game that happened so long ago, neither team exists anymore.
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Lloyd was one of the first three black players in the NBA, all who entered the league during the same year. He was the first to actually play due to the league’s scheduling. Unfortunately, the Capitols went bankrupt, and the team was folded by New Year’s.
Lloyd then went on to play for the Syracuse Nationals, yet another team that is no longer in the NBA.
It wouldn’t be until 1958 that he would join a team most people would recognize: The Detroit Pistons. He would actually go on to coach that team from 1971 through 1973.
Lloyd lived during a time that was probably frightening for a lot of African Americans, and he had to deal with pretty blatant racism during his time in the league.
Lloyd had to face the reality of openly racist jeering, racial epithets, and segregated hotels and restaurants during his time as a player. Fortunately, Lloyd never found racism to be a problem among his teammates or the people he played against.
He lived in an era when it wasn’t uncommon to see a player throw a punch, and when teams weren’t afraid to get into NHL-style brawls. It was an time when teams folded virtually overnight, in the middle of the season.
Football wasn’t the powerhouse it is today, but basketball was overshadowed by the massive popularity of baseball.
Still, Lloyd loved the game, and was the first black player to play on a championship team. His playing career spanned 10 years. Afterward, he spent a good part of his life teaching job skills to underprivileged children and organizing youth basketball programs.
Unfortunately, all stories have an ending. Lloyd died in 2015, and was honored by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver as one of the patriarchs of the game. Earl Lloyd always credited others for helping pave his way into the league.
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Still, he’s worth remembering this Halloween on the anniversary of his first game.