NBA too Honor Trailblazers with Inaugural NBA Pioneers Classic
The NBA and National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) will celebrate the historic contributions of Chuck Cooper, Earl Lloyd, and Nathaniel “Sweetwater” Clifton – the first three African Americans to play in the NBA – with a series of initiatives, culminating in the inaugural NBA Pioneers classic. A source confirmed to andscape that these celebrations will continue beyond the initial season.
The inaugural NBA Pioneers Classic will see the Boston Celtics, Cooper’s former team, face the Milwaukee Bucks on February 1, 2026, in Boston, televised on ESPN. This game will kick off Black History Month and mark the first annual NBA Pioneers Day, dedicated to recognizing the league’s groundbreaking players. Both teams will wear commemorative jersey patches and special warm-up shirts, with the winning team receiving the NBA Pioneers Trophy.
Going forward, the NBA Pioneers Classic will be held annually on february 1st to honor the legacy of these NBA pioneers.
To further support their legacy, the NBA Foundation and NBPA Foundation have jointly committed $750,000 to establish the NBA Pioneers Scholarship. This scholarship will support academic and athletic programs at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) over the next five years. the initial recipients will be students from Lloyd’s alma mater, West Virginia State University, Cooper’s Duquesne University (Pennsylvania), and Clifton’s Xavier University (Louisiana). Eligibility will later expand to all HBCU athletic departments and participants in the NBA HBCU Fellowship program. Throughout February, NBA teams will also wear special warm-up shirts honoring Cooper, Clifton, and Lloyd.
“On behalf of the Cooper,Lloyd and Clifton families,we are grateful to the NBA and NBPA for this amazing recognition and for establishing the annual NBA Pioneers Classic and Day,” stated Chuck Cooper III. “Ensuring our fathers’ legacies continue to inspire future generations and fans.”
The NBA and NBPA will also honor the pioneers during Black History Month in February and at NBA All-Star 2026 in Los Angeles through community events, in-game tributes, and educational content on NBA social media channels and the NBA.com Black History Month webpage. The fifth annual NBA HBCU Classic will feature Hampton University and North Carolina A&T State university during All-Star Weekend. Family members of Cooper, Clifton, and Lloyd were previously recognized during the 2025 NBA draft.
Cooper was the first African American player drafted by an NBA team, selected by the Celtics on April 25, 1950. Clifton became the first African American to sign an NBA contract with the New York Knicks on May 24, 1950. However, due to scheduling, Earl Lloyd holds the distinction of being the first African American to actually play in an NBA game, appearing for the Washington Capitols against the Syracuse Nationals on October 31, 1950.
