Questions about Chuck Cooper (basketball)
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Who was Chuck Cooper and why is he significant in NBA history?
Chuck Cooper was an American professional basketball player born on the 29th of September, 1926, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. On the 25th of April, 1950, the Boston Celtics selected him with the 13th overall pick of the NBA Draft, making him the first African American ever drafted by an NBA team. He went on to become one of three African-American players to break the NBA's color barrier in 1950, alongside Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton and Earl Lloyd.
What did Walter Brown say when he drafted Chuck Cooper?
When other team officials urged Celtics owner Walter A. Brown not to draft Cooper because he was Black, Brown replied: "I don't give a damn if he's striped, plaid or polka dot. Boston takes Charles Cooper of Duquesne." Brown selected Cooper with the first pick of the second round of the 1950 NBA Draft.
When did Chuck Cooper make his NBA debut?
Chuck Cooper made his NBA debut on the 1st of November, 1950, against the Fort Wayne Pistons. That game was also the season in which he, Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton, and Earl Lloyd collectively became the first African-American players to appear in NBA games.
What were Chuck Cooper's NBA career statistics?
Over a six-season NBA career spanning 409 regular-season games, Chuck Cooper scored 2,725 points, averaging 6.7 points per game, and recorded 2,431 rebounds, averaging 5.9 per game. He also tallied 733 assists. He played for the Boston Celtics, the Milwaukee and St. Louis Hawks, and the Fort Wayne Pistons.
What did Chuck Cooper do after retiring from basketball?
After his playing career ended, Cooper earned a Master of Social Work from the University of Minnesota in 1960. He served on the Pittsburgh school board, was appointed director of parks and recreation for Pittsburgh, and worked as an urban affairs officer for Pittsburgh National Bank supporting its affirmative action program. He was Pittsburgh's first Black department head in city government.
When was Chuck Cooper inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame?
Chuck Cooper was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on the 9th of September, 2019, more than 35 years after his death on the 5th of February, 1984.