A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible early. Partly cloudy skies during the evening will give way to considerable cloudiness and fog after midnight. Low around 60F. Winds light and variable..
Tonight
A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible early. Partly cloudy skies during the evening will give way to considerable cloudiness and fog after midnight. Low around 60F. Winds light and variable.
West Virginia State’s Earl Lloyd played for the Yellow Jackets from 1947-50. He became the first Black member of the NBA on Oct. 31, 1950, eventually playing nine seasons.
Drain-Jordan Library Archives, West Virginia State University
The Earl Francis Lloyd statue, shown on Feb. 20, 2024, is located in the lobby of the D. Stephen and Diane H. Walker Convocation Center basketball facility at West Virginia State University. Lloyd, who played basketball at West Virginia State from 1947-1950, was the first Black player in the NBA.
In 2018, West Virginia State University honored Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame member and WVSU basketball legend Earl Lloyd with the naming of a street on campus in his honor. The ceremony took place in the lobby of the D. Stephen and Diane H. Walker Convocation Center, where a statue (shown here) honoring Lloyd stands. This file photo shows Lloyd at the unveiling of the statue in February 2014.
Editor's note: This is the final installment in our series of feature stories for Black History Month.
Earl Lloyd wore many hats during his 86 years of life.
He was a basketball trail blazer as a player, coach and a West Virginia State Yellow Jacket alumnus.
Lloyd went to WVSU after a successful high school career in Alexandria, Virginia.
West Virginia State’s Earl Lloyd played for the Yellow Jackets from 1947-50. He became the first Black member of the NBA on Oct. 31, 1950, eventually playing nine seasons.
Drain-Jordan Library Archives, West Virginia State University
Lloyd, nicknamed "The Big Cat," played three seasons at WVSU from 1947-50, helping the Yellow Jackets to Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association regular-season and tournament championships in 1948 and 1949.
He was an all-conference member from 1948-50 and named All-American by the Pittsburgh Courier in 1949-50, as well as a member of West Virginia State's 30-0 team in 1947-48 — the lone undefeated club that year in the country, and one which was named national champion among historically black colleges and universities.
The Earl Francis Lloyd statue, shown on Feb. 20, 2024, is located in the lobby of the D. Stephen and Diane H. Walker Convocation Center basketball facility at West Virginia State University. Lloyd, who played basketball at West Virginia State from 1947-1950, was the first Black player in the NBA.
KENNY KEMP | Gazette-Mail
Making NBA history
Lloyd's success didn't slow down from there as he was drafted in the 1950 NBA Draft in the ninth round by the Washington Capitols.
He eventually tore down the NBA's color barrier on Oct. 31, 1950, becoming the first African American to play in an NBA game, scoring six points against the Rochester Royals.
"That was important, the fact that Earl was able to make it," Betty Spencer, the daughter of then-coach Mark Caldwell, said. "Through the 50s to 60s, I frequently heard that West Virginia State was known as a sports school during the 40s and 50s. Earl was the first to play professional basketball. But there were others like Chuck Cooper, who left for Duquesne [and was drafted in 1950], then Bob Wilson [played one season in the NBA].
"We were quite proud of the fact that, when you hardly had any African Americans playing in the NBA, there were three of them that had played at West Virginia State, which was amazing."
Lloyd, in an interview with the Gazette-Mail in 2008, remembered the game.
"Playing in Rochester almost made it uneventful," Lloyd said. "Rochester is a sleepy city in upstate New York, where wintertime is dastardly and nobody hates anybody in the wintertime.
"I was kind of pleased that [my NBA debut] was uneventful. A lot of people wanted me to say the Ku Klux Klan was there with ropes. None of that happened.
"There were cities where [the fans] would call you names," he said. "But I never had a problem with players."
He already had heard plenty of taunts growing up in Alexandria.
"NBA fans were amateurs compared to those people," he recalled. "But the only times they called me names was when I was playing well."
"Of course, the people who do know of him know he was the first African American to play in an NBA game, to win an NBA championship, assistant coach and eventually full-time head coach in the NBA," Poore said. "Some may also know he was the first African American executive with Chrysler Corp. Those who had a chance to meet and get to know him will remember how awesome of a human he was.
"He was always upbeat, positive and caring about you and your family."
Lloyd played nine seasons in the NBA, for the Capitols, Syracuse Nationals and Fort Wayne/Detroit Pistons.
He played seven games for the Capitols before serving a two-year stint in the U.S. Army.
He returned to the NBA for the Nationals in 1952 and was a member of the 1955 Nationals team that won the NBA championship over the Fort Wayne Pistons, in a best-of-seven final that went to seven games. The Fort Wayne Pistons moved to Detroit in 1957.
The former Yellow Jacket appeared in 560 NBA games, averaging 8.4 points per game on 36% shooting.
"He was a fierce competitor," Poore said. "He was long for that time. He was also athletic and a very versatile player. He was mostly known for his defensive abilities and rebounding but could also score when needed."
In 2018, West Virginia State University honored Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame member and WVSU basketball legend Earl Lloyd with the naming of a street on campus in his honor. The ceremony took place in the lobby of the D. Stephen and Diane H. Walker Convocation Center, where a statue (shown here) honoring Lloyd stands. This file photo shows Lloyd at the unveiling of the statue in February 2014.
West Virginia State University
Remembering Lloyd
WVSU retired Lloyd's number in 2004, and from there a relationship blossomed between Poore and the basketball icon that grew until Lloyd died in 2015.
"It evolved over the years to be a very close bond," Poore said. "He had brought me to NBA All-Star events with him, staying at his home with him to talk, and there were many talks over the phone. He was a big supporter of mine and even drove in to the WVSU Hall of Fame induction in 2010 when I was inducted.
"I want people to remember him as one of the most humble, caring and positive-spirited human beings to ever walk this world. He changed my life and outlook on things forever."
Another hat that Lloyd wore was Spencer's babysitter as she grew up.
Lloyd became a part of Spencer's family while posting big numbers on the hardwood and playing for her father.
"He was one of the greatest and neatest persons that I can remember," Spencer said. "He was just a nice person. He used to take me to the movie theater with his girlfriend — that sticks out. When he would take his different jobs, he would come back through the years and always came to our house. After my dad passed, he still came and visited my mother. We were always close all through the years."
Poore continues bringing up Lloyd's name when talking with WVSU recruits.
He asks each potential Yellow Jacket, "Who was the first African American basketball player to play an NBA game?"
Not one recruit has gotten the answer right in his 25 years of coaching, Poore said, and he wants to educate modern players on his good friend's career.
"Every recruit we talk to gets the Earl Lloyd story told to them," Poore said. "Not one has ever been able to name the first African American to play in the NBA, which is sad. After sharing his story, they are amazed. It is something that none of the high-major, traditional basketball powers, such as Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky, UCLA or anyone else can say — so we use it regularly."
According to Poore, a documentary has been made about Lloyd's life, but no release date has been announced yet.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with the date of Lloyd's death.
Taylor Kennedy covers sports. He can be reached at 304-348-7935 or tkennedy@hdmediallc.com. Follow @Taylor_Kennedy7 on Twitter.
