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Earl Lloyd Professional Athlete                                        (Black College All-American)                                                                  Earl Lloyd was one of three Alexandrians to be selected for induction into the Black College Basketball All-American Team in 1949. In 1950, this Alexandria native became the first African American to play in the National Basketball Association (NBA) when he was drafted by the Washington Capitals. Lloyd is a member of the NBA James Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Lloyd was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 1993.    

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Earl Lloyd Professional Athlete                                        (Black College All-American)                                                                  Earl Lloyd was one of three Alexandrians to be selected for induction into the Black College Basketball All-American Team in 1949. In 1950, this Alexandria native became the first African American to play in the National Basketball Association (NBA) when he was drafted by the Washington Capitals. Lloyd is a member of the NBA James Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Lloyd was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 1993.    

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Visit the http://www.alexandriaafricanamericanhalloffame.org/ website for more information

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7 minute video

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The First Black man to Play in the NBA: The Earl Lloyd Story

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This text is available in all ACPS libraries and is a Level N

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This text is available in all ACPS libraries and is a Level N

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Virginia native Earl Lloyd integrated the NBA

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Earl Lloyd, a Virginia native who was among the early stars of the annual CIAA tournament and the first African-American to play in the NBA, has died. Mr. Lloyd, 86, was living in Crossville, Tenn., with his wife, Charlita, at the time of his death Thursday, Feb. 26, 2015. Mr. Lloyd became the fir…

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This text is available in all ACPS Libraries 

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This text is available in all ACPS Libraries 

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  Student shares report on Earl Lloyd 5 minutes   

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  Student shares report on Earl Lloyd 5 minutes   

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K-12   Social Studies                                              Honor the Legacy: The Earl Lloyd Story 

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K-12   Social Studies                                              Honor the Legacy: The Earl Lloyd Story 

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9-12 Nearpod Lesson Honor the Legacy: The Earl LLoyd Story (with Secondary SEAL Standards)

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9-12 Nearpod Lesson Honor the Legacy: The Earl LLoyd Story (with Secondary SEAL Standards)

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Copy of Nearpod Earl Lloyd Lesson Plan 2.10.22

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[Ep. 20] Inside The NBA (on TNT) Halftime – Crew Discuss Earl Lloyd/Thunder vs. Suns – 2-26-15

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Black History Month: Hall of Famer Earl F. Lloyd Makes History

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Designed for grade 9  English classes

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Earl Lloyd and the Hero’s Journey for Grade 9 English

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U tube Ferbruay is Balck Hisotry month Earl lloyd - Bing video

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 Earl Lloyd: What is a Hero? Adaptable for All Grade Levels 

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 Earl Lloyd: What is a Hero? Adaptable for All Grade Levels 

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Photo of Earl Lloyd basketball card provided from Alexandria Black History Museum in Alexandria Gazette Newspaper - 01/03/22

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Barrier Breakers: Earl Lloyd

Feb 4, 2013

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lesson that uses Nearpod and a Community Circle to both honor Earl Lloyd and to address 2 secondary SEAL standards.  The target audience is 9-12 and the Nearpod preview link below

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lesson that uses Nearpod and a Community Circle to both honor Earl Lloyd and to address 2 secondary SEAL standards.  The target audience is 9-12 and the Nearpod preview link below

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When I think about my life, I think about handprints.  In 1950, if the Boston Celtics had not drafted Chuck Cooper in the second round of the draft, I may never have become ‘Earl Lloyd Basketball Hall of Famer’. Given the racial climate in Washington D.C. at that time, I do not believe the Capitols, the team that drafted me, would have opened the gate. The schedule had me playing first, otherwise Coop or Nat ‘Sweetwater’ Clifton would have the distinction of being the first African-American to play in a NBA game. I share this honor with them, respectfully.

Since I was first, some people say to me “You are the Jackie Robinson of basketball.” Look, I take polite umbrage to that. You can not compare us. In so many ways, he did it alone. Jackie is my hero, a renaissance man, four-sport star, Baseball Hall of Famer— a legend. Unfortunately, people today do not know who he is. Need inspiration? Learn about Jackie. His handprints are on all of us.

When asked how I prepared for the NBA my answer is always: How do you dream about that career when you had no predecessor? No player from the Harlem Globetrotters, New York Rens or any other great black team had ever been drafted. I was planning to teach and coach. But, once drafted, I knew I had to present myself well or the next wave of black players might not be forthcoming. I knew I had to leave the NBA a better place.

You see, my parents taught me to never dignify ignorance on or off the court. My coaches reinforced it. Teachers like Helen Day, a black woman who taught in the heart of American segregation opened up the world to me. She and my mother were like bookends. Kept me in line — kept me focused. The way out was education and they made sure I got it. My parents would say, “Don’t embarrass the family. People are going to judge us, this town and your school by the way you conduct yourself.”  They were right. Their concern was not winning or losing. The lesson was:  Respect is always in style.

My high school basketball coach, Louis Randolph Johnson, introduced me to his alma mater, West Virginia State. He played there with my college coach Mark Cardwell, Jr. Their coach, Dr. A. P. Hamblin, was my biology professor. Each, connected to the other, prepared me for life.

In those days, many of the very best black players made their way to predominantly black colleges along the eastern seaboard. College was a pivotal time in my life. I was 18 years old playing with great talent— some guys just back from World War II. The competition was fierce. We won conference and regular season championships. My sophomore year we did not lose at all. We would have done well against the white schools too, given the chance. Playing in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association, making the all-time CIAA team and, at the fifty-year mark, being selected player of the decade (1947-56) are honors and memories I will always treasure. Handprints everywhere.

Once I arrived in the NBA, the rule was never give a fool the satisfaction of knowing he can get to you. Someone could scream at you all night, but if you said anything back all hell would break loose. That began to change when Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, Elgin Baylor and, later, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and others came along. They took the league to the next level. When they spoke you listened. The kind of guys that if someone did not serve them dinner in their hotel, they were not going to play. And the league needed them to play. Their handprints are on America itself.

In my career, I focused on fundamentals to help us win. There is nothing like setting a pick where somebody comes off it and scores, or grabbing a rebound and starting a fast break. All I ever tried to do was play hard and fair. Do the work. I coached the same way. That simple work ethic has made this a great ride for me. I recommend it highly.

When I look back on this incredible journey I have traveled, I see how tragic it would have been to quit because someone put me down. And many tried. It does not matter how strong you are, if you have been treated inferior your whole life, doubt creeps in. You must rise above it. Find the strength to persevere with honor. Look for handprints.

In my life, there were many good people who restored my faith in human nature. Bill Sharman is one I will never forget. In my early days with the Capitols we would practice at American University and Bill would drive me there and home every night. Do you understand?  If he hadn’t, no one would have criticized him. He and Dick McGuire, who hired me as the first black assistant in the league, have their handprints on me, too. No one succeeds alone.

See what I mean? Whether in basketball, school, business or life, at every stop, remember the people who helped you along the way. Honor them, and yourself, by giving the effort. Seize each opportunity. When you go up against guys who are the best, look in the mirror and say— you belong!  Let the competitive juices flow. Win or lose, show respect. And, always make it better for those who come after you.

Pass your handprints on to someone else.