Chuck Cooper (basketball)
Charles Henry Cooper (September 29, 1926 – February 5, 1984) was an American professional basketball player.
| 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, 14th overall pick |
| Selected by the 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 and awards | |
| |
| 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.com | |
| Basketball Hall of Fame as player | |
Cooper played college basketball for Duquesne University and was named an All-American. He was the first African-American to play in a college basketball game south of the Mason-Dixon line. In 1950, Cooper and two others--Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton and Earl Lloyd--became the first African-American players in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Cooper was also the first African-American to be drafted by an NBA team; he was chosen by the Boston Celtics with the first pick of the second round of the 1950 NBA Draft. 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.