BLACK SOCIAL HISTORY
Chuck Cooper (basketball)
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No. 11, 15, 6 | |
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Small forward / Shooting guard | |
Personal information | |
Born | September 29, 1926 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
Died | February 5, 1984 (aged 57) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
Nationality | American |
Listed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
Listed weight | 210 lb (95 kg) |
Career information | |
High school | Westinghouse (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) |
College | West Virginia State (1944–1945) Duquesne (1946–1950) |
NBA draft | 1950 / Round: 2 / Pick: 12th overall |
Selected by the Boston Celtics | |
Pro career | 1950–1956 |
Career history | |
1950–1954 | Boston Celtics |
1954–1956 | Milwaukee / St. Louis Hawks |
1956 | Fort Wayne Pistons |
Career highlights and awards | |
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Career statistics | |
Points | 2,725 (6.7 ppg) |
Rebounds | 2,431 (5.9 rpg) |
Assists | 734 (1.8 apg) |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Charles Henry "Chuck" Cooper (September 29, 1926 – February 5, 1984) was an American professional basketball player. He and two others, Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton and Earl Lloyd, became the first African American players in the NBA in 1950.[1]Cooper was also the first African-American to be drafted by an NBA team, as the first pick of the second round by the Boston Celtics.[1]
Life, death, and education
Cooper was born and died in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Pittsburgh's Westinghouse High School. He then attended and played basketball for West Virginia State College (now University) and then Duquesne University. He was the first African-American to integrate southern college basketball games.[2] He died at the age of 57 on February 5, 1984 of liver cancer.
Career
Cooper was signed by Boston Celtics coach Red Auerbach. He played four years with the Celtics, then was traded to the Milwaukee Hawks before ending his career as a member of the Ft. Wayne Pistons. During his NBA career, Cooper played a total of 409 games, scored 2,725 points for an average of 6.66 points per game, had 2431 rebounds for an average of 5.9 per game, and had 733 assists for an average of 1.79 per game. As some statistics were not kept during that time, it is not known how many blocked shots, steals or turnovers he had during his career
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