Pittsburgher Who Broke The NBA Color Barrier To Be Inducted Into Hall Of Fame
90.5 WESA | By Katie Blackley
In 1950, Charles “Chuck” Cooper became the first African-American player drafted by an NBA team when he was selected for a spot on the Boston Celtics.
The Pittsburgh native had attended Westinghouse High School and been a star player for the Duquesne University Dukes.
Now, Cooper’s been named as a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame class of 2019.
The honor was applauded by Cooper’s son, Chuck Cooper III, who said he was glad his late father’s contributions to basketball were being recognized.
“It just really means the world to me and my family,” Cooper said.
The elder Cooper was an All-City player in Pittsburgh and after his 1944 graduation, went on to serve in the military during World War II. When he returned, he enrolled at Duquesne, scoring more than 1,000 points for the Dukes and leading them to national tournaments. After earning his degree in education in 1950, he played for the all-black Harlem Globetrotters.
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Posted By: Dea. Ron Gray Sr.
Monday, April 25th 2022 at 1:03PM
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