Earl Lloyd

A native of Alexandria, Virginia, Earl Lloyd began playing basketball at Parker Gray High School. In 1947 he attended West Virginia State College and played for the Yellow Jackets where he quickly became known for his defense and guard for the team's best offensive players. The team went to two Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Conference and Tournament Championships in 1948 and 1949 where they finished in second place. Lloyd was named All-Conference for three years, from 1948 to 1950, and named All-American by the Pittsburgh Courier for 1949 and 1950. During his senior year, he averaged 14 points and 8 rebounds per game.

Racial tensions may have been strong in 1950, but in sports, barriers were being broken. A triumvirate of black basketball players went down into history when they were named to NBA teams. Chuck Cooper was the first African American drafted by an NBA team. Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton of the Harlem Globetrotters was known as the first black to sign an NBA contract when he signed with the New York Knicks.

Rounding out the trio, Earl Lloyd, after he left West Virginia State and was drafted in the ninth round to the Washington Capitols, was the first black to play in an NBA game. On October 31, 1950, Lloyd played in that historic game against the Rochester Royals. Although the Royals defeated the Capitols 78-70, Lloyd scored 6 points and began the inevitable acceptance of African Americans in the NBA.

Although making history, Lloyd spent only seven games with the Capitols before leaving for a two-year stint in the army. In 1952 he returned to the NBA to play for the Syracuse Nationals.

Nicknamed "Big Cat," Lloyd achieved the best performance of his career in the 1954-55 season when he

Earl Lloyd

scored 731 points and helped the Nationals to the Eastern Division Championship. This shored up Lloyd as the first African American to win an NBA title. His average that year was 10.2 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. In 1956 Lloyd was named CIAA Player of the Decade for the years 1947 through 1956.

In 1958 Lloyd was traded to the Detroit Pistons where he remained until his retirement from professional basketball in 1960 at the age of 32. He ended his career with averages of 8.4 points and 6.4 rebounds. Lloyd's other achievements include being named to the CIAA Silver Anniversary Team and to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Golden Anniversary Team.

After retirement, Lloyd remained with the Pistons as a scout, and is credited with discovering basketball talents Willis Reed, Earl Monroe, Ray Scott, and Wally Jones.