For such a popular league, the NBA’s origins are among the most mist-shrouded among North America’s major pro sports, with the flash, cash, and reach of the sport of obscuring its humble — and sometimes problematic — early history. And at the core of the institutionalized racism that was ubiquitous in the Basketball Association of America (BAA) era was the so-called ‘gentleman’s agreement’ that kept players of color off the floor.
But a trio of black players broke that color line at about the time the BAA became the NBA in the 1949-50 season. In April 1950, the Boston Celtics drafted Chuck Cooper, the first Black man to be so honored. A month later, Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton would be the first Black man to sign an NBA contract. And six months after that, Earl Lloyd would be the first Black man to play in an NBA game. These three pioneers were recently portrayed in the film “Sweetwater,” who, with Clifton as the story’s protagonist, shed light on this key moment in the Association’s history.
Currently being screened in the Boston Film Festival, CLNS Media’s “Celtics Lab” podcast linked up with the star of the film, Everett Osborne, and the son of Chuck Cooper, Chuck Cooper III, to talk about the film, how far the league has to go, and what yet still needs doing.
Join us for this important episode — and if you’re in the area, consider seeing the film in its screening at the festival this weekend.
Celtics Lab is presented by:
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