Chuck Cooper (basketball)
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 29, 1926 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | February 5, 1984 (aged 57) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Listed weight | 208 lb (94 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Westinghouse (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) |
| College |
|
| NBA draft | 1950: 2nd round, 13th overall pick |
| Drafted by | Boston Celtics |
| Playing career | 1950–1956 |
| Position | Small forward / shooting guard |
| Number | 11, 15, 6 |
| Career history | |
| 1950–1954 | Boston Celtics |
| 1954–1956 | Milwaukee / St. Louis Hawks |
| 1956 | Fort Wayne Pistons |
| Career highlights | |
| |
| Career statistics | |
| Points | 2,725 (6.7 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 2,431 (5.9 rpg) |
| Assists | 734 (1.8 apg) |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
| Basketball Hall of Fame | |
Charles Henry Cooper (September 29, 1926 – February 5, 1984) was an American professional basketball player. Cooper played college basketball for the Duquesne Dukes and was named a consensus second-team All-American in 1950. According to the November 18, 1950 issue of the Afro-American newspaper, he was the first Black "basketer" [sic] to be named an All-American college athlete. Cooper was the first African-American to be drafted by a National Basketball Association (NBA) team; he was chosen by the Boston Celtics with the first pick of the second round of the 1950 NBA Draft. Cooper and two others—Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton and Earl Lloyd—became the first African-American players in the NBA, in 1950. In a six-season NBA career, Cooper played for the Celtics, the Milwaukee/St. Louis Hawks, and the Fort Wayne Pistons, averaging 6.7 points and 5.9 rebounds per game.
Cooper was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on September 9, 2019.