Celebrating key Black players, coaches and referees who helped ... First Black female referee: Violet Palmer made history as the NBA’s first female referee on Oct. 31, 1997, when she officiated ...

Cooper was the first Black player ever drafted by an NBA team. Clifton was the first to sign an NBA contract. Lloyd was the ...

Here is a look at 10 outstanding players who made their mark on the NBA in very unique ways that were very successful.

In February for Black History Month, USA TODAY Sports is ... Hall of Fame in 2003 and died in 2015. Two other Black players entered the NBA in 1950, the same year as Lloyd. One was Nat Clifton ...

“Black Ball” reconsiders that period of NBA history, placing it in a more positive light. The book revisits the struggles of players including Connie Hawkins and Haywood, both of whom sued to ...

Runstedtler is a professor at American University and a scholar of African American history whose ... be apolitical. Black players also leveraged the existence of the NBA’s competing league ...

The NBA has been dominated by black players since the 1990s ... Over a year ago, history was made when half of the league featured black head coaches. The teams that have coaches who are of ...

The NBA has recently celebrated and acknowledged the 75th anniversary of the first three Black players to take the ... during Black History Month. “I am excited about the fact that we are ...

Carrying the weight of history, these first Black NBA players entered arenas where many didn’t want them and still played at a high level. In a time of segregation, they proved that their ...

He made history when his team ... three years after Robinson debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Two other Black players entered the NBA in 1950, the same year as Lloyd. One was Nat Clifton ...