Earl Lloyd
Lloyd, (right) shakes hands with Walter E. Gaskin in January 2006 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 3, 1928 Alexandria, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | February 26, 2015 (aged 86) Crossville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
| Listed weight | 200 lb (91 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Parker-Gray (Alexandria, Virginia) |
| College | West Virginia State (1946–1950) |
| NBA draft | 1950: 9th round, 100th overall pick |
| Drafted by | Washington Capitols |
| Playing career | 1950–1960 |
| Position | Small forward |
| Number | 11, 8, 17 |
| Coaching career | 1971–1972 |
| Career history | |
| As a player: | |
| 1950–1951 | Washington Capitols |
| 1952–1958 | Syracuse Nationals |
| 1958–1960 | Detroit Pistons |
| As a coach: | |
| 1971–1972 | Detroit Pistons |
| Career highlights | |
| |
| Career statistics | |
| Points | 4,682 (8.4 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 3,609 (6.4 rpg) |
| Assists | 810 (1.4 apg) |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
| Basketball Hall of Fame | |
Earl Francis Lloyd (April 3, 1928 – February 26, 2015) was an American professional basketball player and coach. He was the first African American player to play a game in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
An All–American player at West Virginia State University, Lloyd helped lead West Virginia State to an undefeated season in 1948. As a professional, Lloyd helped lead the Syracuse Nationals to the 1955 NBA Championship. In 1971, Lloyd was hired by the Detroit Pistons as head coach, becoming the first non-playing black head coach of the NBA and fourth overall black head coach in NBA history. Lloyd was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003.