Chuck Cooper
(1926-1984)
Hall of Fame Induction: 2019
Card Shown:
Signed Program Page
Position: PF/SF
Height: 6’5″
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Chuck Cooper, along with Earl Lloyd and Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton, broke the color barrier by becoming the first African-Americans to play in the NBA in 1950. Cooper was the first to be drafted into the NBA, Lloyd was the first to play in an NBA game, and Clifton was the first to sign an NBA contract. This was three years after Jackie Robinson had played a similar role in Major League Baseball. During his time in the NBA, Chuck had to face constant racial prejudice. At times, he was not allowed to eat in the same restaurants or sleep in the same hotels with his teammates. The adversity that he faced helped pave the way for the players that would later follow him into the NBA.
Awards and Honors
- In his senior year, Cooper led Westinghouse High School to the Pittsburgh city championship. He was also selected as the All-City center that year.
- Chuck starred at Duquesne University, leading the Dukes to two NIT appearances. Duquesne had a record of 78-19 while Cooper was there.
- After college, but before he was drafted, Cooper signed with the Harlem Globetrotters and helped lead them to the first World Series of Basketball championship. He returned to the Globetrotters at the end of each NBA season and helped them win several more titles.
- Chuck was inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 1974.
- Duquesne University retired Cooper’s jersey in 2001.
Points of Interest
- During the 1946-47 season, Tennessee was scheduled to play at Duquesne. The Volunteers refused to take the court if Cooper, the only black player, participated. The team and the university supported Chuck and Tennessee and the game was never played. Tennessee went home with a forfeit loss.
- Cooper has been called “the Jackie Robinson of professional basketball” because he was the first African-American player to be drafted into the NBA. The Boston Celtics selected Chuck with the 13th overall pick in the second round of the 1950 NBA Draft. When told that he couldn’t pick Cooper because he was black, Celtics owner Walter Brown famously exclaimed, “I don’t give a damn if he’s striped or plaid or polka dot, Boston takes Charles Cooper of Duquesne!”
- The 1950-51 season, his rookie year, was Chuck’s best. He averaged 9.3 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. Cooper finished his six-year NBA career with averages of 6.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game.
- After being drafted, Cooper played four years for the Celtics, one year for the Milwaukee Hawks, and during his final year he split time with the St. Louis Hawks and the Fort Wayne Pistons.
- Before retiring from professional basketball, Chuck joined friends Marques Haynes and Reece “Goose” Tatum to play on the Harlem Magicians team for one year.
- Cooper’s son, Chuck Cooper III, runs The Chuck Cooper Foundation. This non-profit organization honors the legacy of Cooper and awards graduate-level scholarships while “providing comprehensive leadership development, professional skills, and opportunities to underserved students.”
Statistics
Chuck Cooper Statistics
provided by Basketball-Reference.com
Chuck Cooper Signed Photo Closeup
