NBA’s First Black Player Dies at 86

Earl Lloyd, the first black basketball player in the NBA, died last Thursday in Tennessee at age 86. 

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement, “The NBA family has lost one of its patriarchs.  He was known as a modest gentleman who played the game with skill, class and pride.  His legacy survives in the league he helped integrate.” 

As the only black on his team, Lloyd faced racial challenges on and off court.  He was spat on by fans, not allowed to eat in some restaurants with his team, and some hotels refused to let him stay. 

He was the Pistons’ head coach for several years, and then worked as a job placement administrator in Detroit’s city public schools.  Lloyd retired to Crossville, Tennessee with his wife, Charlita.

See Barry Stavro, Earl Lloyd Dies at 86; First Black Player in NBA, LA Times, Feb. 27, 2015.