Charles "Chuck" Cooper
Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
Following an All-Ameri-can career at Duquesne, Cooper made basketball history as the first African American drafted by an NBA team. Selected by the Boston Celtics on April 25, 1950, the barrier-breaking Cooper helped pave the way for the integration of the NBA.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
After a standout, All-American career at Pittsburgh's Duquesne University, Charles "Chuck" Cooper made history on April 25, 1950, when the Boston Celtics made him the first African American ever drafted by an NBA team. His selection cracked open the color line in professional basketball. Cooper's courage and skill helped pave the way for the integration of a league that would become a global stage.
Why it matters
Cooper stands among the athletes who broke professional sports' color barriers at midcentury, advancing the larger struggle for equality in postwar America.
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Related people
- · Charles "Chuck" Cooper
Related events
- · 1950 NBA Draft
Themes & tags
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