What is the connection between West Virginia and the first Black athlete to play in the NBA?

INSTITUTE, WV (WVNS) — With the 2024 NBA All-Star weekend tipping off in Indianapolis, Indiana, it is important to remember how far the league has come over the decades.

One of the people who truly impacted the game in its early days is none other than Earl Lloyd.

Earl Lloyd was born on April 3, 1928 in Alexandria, Virginia. After graduating from Parker-Gray High School he signed on to play college basketball at West Virginia State University in Institute, West Virginia.

West Virginia State University was established in 1891 under the Second Morrill Act of 1890, and was originally known as the West Virginia Colored Institute.

Two Mountaineers, West Virginia natives are only Championship MVP’s from losing team

Earl Lloyd played for the Yellowjackets from 1947 to 1950. Lloyd would become a three-time All-Conference selection and two-time All-American at WVSU where he would lead them to a perfect 30-0 season and a CIAA National Championship during the 1947-48 season.

In 1950, Earl Lloyd was one of the first three African American basketball players to ever be drafted into the NBA. He was drafted alongside Nat Clifton and Chuck Cooper. While he was not the first African American player drafted or to sign a contract, scheduling of the 1950-51 season made it so that Earl Lloyd would be the first to see playing time in an NBA game for the then Washington Capitols on Halloween in 1950.

Throughout his NBA playing career, Lloyd would play for the Washington Capitols, Syracuse Nationals and Detroit Pistons. The Syracuse Nationals would eventually relocated to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where they would go by the 76ers. Lloyd’s best statistical season came when he averaged 10.2 points per game on his way to helping Syracuse win an NBA Championship. According to the WVSU Athletics archive, Lloyd would score a total of 4,682 points across 560 career games.

After his playing career, Earl Lloyd would continue to break barriers.

Lloyd would become the first African American assistant coach in NBA history in 1968 when he helped lead the Detroit Pistons from the sidelines. Soon after in 1971, Lloyd would follow that accomplishment up with becoming the second African American head coach in NBA history, following only Bill Russell who once coached the Boston Celtics.

Earl Lloyd was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2003. Lloyd passed away on April 26, 2015.

West Virginia’s historical impact on college football

While he may not known worldwide like some other past players, Earl Lloyd walked so that players like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Lebron James could fly.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WVNS.