The Untold Story of the NBA’s First Black Player

mural of basketball players
Via Flickr
Adé Hennis
April 1, 2025

For years, there's been a push to make April 15, Jackie Robinson Day, a national holiday celebrating his MLB triumph. Let's also make October 31 a national holiday to honor this little known pioneer.

Before his games, Earl Lloyd practiced “emotional yoga.” Although he shattered the NBA’s color barrier in 1950, he always had to prepare himself mentally to endure the hell he went through during games. White fans were brutal.

Lloyd’s parents sat uneasily at games, forced to endure the torrent of racist remarks from the stands. “Can that nigger play?” one fan shouted. Some even demanded that he go back to Africa and he was repeatedly called a monkey.

One fan even spat on Lloyd out of pure disrespect. But whether it was the lonely bus rides and dinners due to segregation, Lloyd pressed on for nine seasons. After his career, he dedicated himself to Detroit youth, establishing programs that helped underprivileged children acquire job skills.

Earl Lloyd’s legacy represents a powerful resistance against racism, showing that through active involvement in our communities, we can help shape future generations that can face anything anti-Blackness throws at them.

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