Earl Lloyd

Earl Lloyd
Earl Lloyd
Born	Earl Francis Lloyd; 3 April 1928 (age 98); Alexandria, Virginia, U.S.
Died	26 February 2015 (aged 86); Fairfield Glade, Tennessee, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Professional basketball player, coach, scout, job placement administrator, community relations director
Years active	1950–1961 (player), 1971–1972 (head coach)
Known for	First African American to play in the NBA; first black head coach in NBA who was not a player; Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee

Earl Francis Lloyd (April 3, 1928 – February 26, 2015) was a pioneering American professional basketball athlete and coach, recognized as the first African American to participate in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

A standout All-American at West Virginia State University, Lloyd propelled his team to an undefeated campaign in 1948. In his professional career, he was instrumental in the Syracuse Nationals securing the 1955 NBA Championship. In 1971, Lloyd broke new ground by becoming the head coach of the Detroit Pistons, making him the NBA’s first black head coach who was not a player and the fourth overall African-American head coach. His contributions were honored with induction into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003.

Early life

Born on April 3, 1928, in Alexandria, Virginia, Earl Lloyd was the son of Theodore Lloyd Sr., a coal industry worker, and Daisy Lloyd, a homemaker. Excelling in high school basketball, he earned All-South Atlantic Conference recognition three times and was twice named to the All-State Virginia Interscholastic Conference team. Although he attended a segregated institution, Lloyd credited his family and teachers for their unwavering support throughout his development.

Graduating from Parker–Gray High School in 1946 under Coach Louis Randolph Johnson’s guidance, Lloyd secured a basketball scholarship at West Virginia State University, home of the Yellow Jackets. Known as "Moon Fixer" due to his physical stature, he gained a reputation as a defensive expert.

College career

During his collegiate tenure, Lloyd led West Virginia State to consecutive Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Conference and Tournament titles in 1948 and 1949. He earned All–Conference honors three times between 1948 and 1950 and was twice selected as an All-American by the Pittsburgh Courier in 1949 and 1950. In his senior year, he averaged 14 points and 8 rebounds per game, steering the team to a runner-up finish in the CIAA. Remarkably, West Virginia State finished the 1947–48 season undefeated with a perfect 30–0 record—the only team in the nation to do so that year. Lloyd graduated with a B.S. degree in physical education from WVSU in 1950.

Harlem Globetrotter

Prior to being chosen in the ninth round of the 1950 NBA Draft, Lloyd showcased his skills with the Harlem Globetrotters. He played a key role in leading the team to two victories over the reigning Minneapolis Lakers, proving his abilities transcended racial barriers. Alongside teammates Chuck Cooper and Nathaniel "Sweetwater" Clifton, Lloyd was regarded as one of the premier players of his era despite segregation challenges. All three were drafted into the NBA in 1950, with Lloyd selected as the 100th overall pick.

NBA career

Selected by the Washington Capitols as the 100th overall pick in the ninth round of the 1950 NBA draft, Lloyd earned the nickname "The Big Cat." He was among three African-American players entering the league simultaneously but became the first to appear in an NBA game due to scheduling differences—scoring six points on October 31, 1950—preceding Chuck Cooper by one day and Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton by four days.

Measuring 6 feet 5 inches tall and weighing 225 pounds, Lloyd participated in over 560 games throughout nine seasons. After only seven appearances with Washington before its dissolution in January 1951, he was drafted into military service at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. While serving during the Korean War, he was claimed off waivers by the Syracuse Nationals. Returning to professional basketball in 1952, Lloyd led the league in personal fouls and disqualifications during the 1953–54 season.

In the 1954–55 season, he achieved career-best averages of 10.2 points and 7.7 rebounds per game for Syracuse, which secured the 1955 NBA Championship by defeating the Fort Wayne Pistons four games to three. Along with teammate Jim Tucker, Lloyd became one of the earliest African-Americans to win an NBA title. His tenure included six seasons with Syracuse followed by two seasons playing for the Detroit Pistons before retiring in 1961.

Throughout his early career, Lloyd encountered significant racial prejudice including denial of service and hostile verbal attacks from spectators. Nonetheless, he reported no racial hostility from fellow players or opponents and used such adversity as motivation: “If they weren’t calling you names, you weren’t doing nothing. If they’re calling you names, you were hurting them.”

Reflecting on basketball’s place in society circa 1950, Lloyd observed that it lacked baseball’s widespread fame but noted integration was more readily accepted due to college basketball’s prior history of inclusion. Syracuse coach Al Cervi lauded him as “an excellent defensive player,” highlighting defense as his primary strength.

Over his NBA career spanning stints with the Washington Capitols (1950–51), Syracuse Nationals (1952–58), and Detroit Pistons (1958–60), Lloyd averaged 8.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game across more than 560 contests.

Coaching And Scouting

In 1965, Don Wattrick, the General Manager of the Detroit Pistons, contemplated appointing Lloyd as head coach; however, the role was ultimately given to Dave DeBusschere as a player–coach. Lloyd broke ground as the franchise's first African–American assistant coach before advancing to head coach for the 1971–72 season, marking him as the third African–American head coach in NBA history after John McLendon and Bill Russell. Following a 2–5 start to the 1972–73 season, Lloyd was succeeded by assistant coach Ray Scott on October 28, 1972. His cumulative coaching record with the Pistons stood at 22 wins and 55 losses.

Lloyd contributed five seasons as a scout for Detroit, playing a significant role in drafting Bailey Howell and identifying talents such as Willis Reed, Earl Monroe, Ray Scott, and Wally Jones.

Personal life

After his basketball career, during the 1970s and 1980s, Lloyd took on the role of job placement administrator within Detroit public schools, overseeing initiatives designed to equip disadvantaged youth with employment skills. In the 1990s, he transitioned to serve as Community Relations Director for the Bing Group, a manufacturing company based in Detroit.

When a young African–American athlete expressed gratitude for his pioneering efforts that benefited future black players, Lloyd modestly replied that he owed no debt. In 2007, he conveyed deep satisfaction when T. C. Williams High School dedicated its basketball court in his name, describing it as a meaningful acknowledgment.

Lloyd and his wife Charlita raised three sons and were grandparents to four grandchildren. He resided in Fairfield Glade, Tennessee near Crossville until his passing on February 26, 2015.

Honors

Enshrined in the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 1993.
Inducted into the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Hall of Fame in 1998.
February 9, 2001, was declared "Earl Lloyd Day" by Virginia’s Governor.
Entered the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor in 2003.
Selected for both the Silver and Golden Anniversary Teams by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.
The basketball court at T. C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Virginia, was named after him in 2007.
Co-authored biography Moonfixer: The Basketball Journey of Earl Lloyd with Sean Kirst, published in 2009.
Inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 2012.
West Virginia State University unveiled a statue in his honor in 2014; that same year marked the inauguration of the "Earl Lloyd Classic."
Recognized by the Library of Virginia’s "Strong Men & Women in Virginia History" in 2015 alongside Alonzo Mourning.
In 2018, the street before West Virginia State's Walker Convocation Center was renamed "Earl Lloyd Way."
Syracuse designated the 200 block of Madison Street as "Earl Lloyd Way" in 2022.

Regular season

Year	Team	GP	MPG	FG%	FT%	RPG	APG	PPG
1950–51	Washington	7	–	.457	.846	6.7	1.6	6.1
1952–53	Syracuse	64	28.2	.344	.693	6.9	1.0	7.4
1953–54	Syracuse	72	30.6	.374	.746	7.3	1.6	9.1
1954–55†	Syracuse	72	30.7	.365	.750	7.7	2.1	10.2
1955–56	Syracuse	72	25.5	.335	.772	6.8	1.6	8.5
1956–57	Syracuse	72	27.3	.373	.749	6.0	1.6	9.0
1957–58	Syracuse	61	17.1	.331	.745	4.7	1.0	5.2
Detroit	'72'	'24.9'	' .349'	' .753'	'6.9'	'1.3'	'8.4'
style="text-align:left;" \| Detroit	68	23.7	.356	.800	4.7	1.3	8.9
Career		560	26.2	.356	.750	6.4	1.4	8.4

Playoffs

Year	Team	GP	MPG	FG%	FT%	RPG	APG	PPG
1953	Syracuse	2	36.5	.235	.700	4.5	2.5	7.5
1954	Syracuse	10	26.0	.342	.654	5.7	2.0	6.7
1955†	Syracuse	11	32.3	.361	.750	8.1	3.2	11.5
1956	Syracuse	8	21.5	.321	.929	5.4	0.9	8.1
1957	Syracuse	5	16.6	.400	.636	4.2	1.0	6.2
1958	Syracuse	3	10.7	.357		2.7	0.0	3.3
1959	Detroit	3	29.0	.321	'1.000'	6.0	2.3	8.7
1960	Detroit	2	26.5	.250	.625	4.5	1.5	8.5
Career Totals		min 25.3	min .337	min .744	min 5.8	min 1.9	min 8.1

Head coaching record

|- |align="left"|Detroit || 70 || 20 || 50 || ||align="center"|6th in Midwest Division || – || – || – || || align="center"|Did Not Qualify for Playoffs |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |}

External links

Earl Lloyd Coaching Stats at BasketballReference.com
Earl Lloyd Player Stats at BasketballReference.com
Biography of Earl Lloyd at the Library of Virginia's Strong Men & Women in Virginia History page