When you hear the name Jackie Robinson, you think of barriers being broken, a trailblazer for African Americans in Major League Baseball. But the name Earl Lloyd doesn’t have the same immediate impact in the minds of the public.
“I first learned of Earl Lloyd doing a quiz on one of our game days,” said Festus Ezeli, forward for the Portland Trailblazers and of Nigerian descent.
No sports league in the world is more synonymous with African American culture than the NBA. From the self-confidence and swagger the players exude, the individualism, tattoos, and the artistic expression and creativity of the hoopers. The NBA is as engrained in black culture as hip-hop and R&B. The trends set in the African American community come as much from black NBA players as they do from black artists and activists.
According to research done by The Institute of Diversity and Ethics in Sports, the NBA was inhabited by 74% African American players and overall 81.7% people of color in the 2015-2016 season. This is a far cry from where the NBA was just 67 years ago.
Everyone knows who Michael Jordan, or Kobe Bryant, or Lebron James are. They are the superstars, giants amongst men in a sport full of giants. But not everybody knows of the first black player in the NBA, Earl Lloyd. His story is one that is often left untold.
“I’m glad Coodie and Chike came on board and told my father’s story,” said Kevin Lloyd, one of Earl Lloyd’s three sons.
That story is “The First to Do It: The Life and Times of Earl Lloyd, the first African American in the NBA,” a documentary directed by Coodie and Chike detailing the life of Lloyd and his contributions to racial progression and diversity in the NBA. The story is so important that current NBA players Tony Parker, Kawhi Leonard, and Carmelo Anthony stepped up to executive produce the film.
At an advanced screening of the documentary at the LE Petit Theatre Du Vieux Carre, members of Lloyd’s family, directors of the film, and other NBA players spoke on the importance of Lloyd and the need for his story to be spread.
Chike, one of the directors of the film, felt emboldened to tell the story of Lloyd because of his own ignorance to the history the first black NBA player.
“The fact I didn’t even know he was the first black to play in the NBA drew me to this story. I didn’t know and I played basketball growing up,” said Chike.
Earl Lloyd was the trailblazer that broke the door open for African Americans to follow behind him and play in the NBA. He was the first of his ilk. Lloyd made his NBA debut in the 1950 NBA season, and from that point forward he was constantly making history for African Americans in a league that was deprived of color. He became one of the first African American players to win an NBA Championship, the first African American Assistant Coach in the NBA, and was the first African American Head Coach in the NBA.
The history of Lloyd can’t be forgotten and his importance as a pioneer and legend in NBA history can’t be overstated.
“It’s important to tell our pioneers stories. We owe it to them to make sure their story is preserved,” said Chike.
Ezeli believes that Lloyd’s legacy off the court is what allowed for more African American players to come after him into the NBA.
“His legacy has pushed the NBA to where it is now, which is 75% African American. It was powerful seeing how he didn’t respond to racism and handled it with class and grace. They were able to bring more blacks into the league because the first wave of African Americans were peaceful. The way you respond opens the door for the next group of people,” said Ezeli.
The goal of this documentary is to be a story to the youth and an eye opener that anything is achievable.
“What I want the youth to understand is that they aren’t alone. It takes a lot of hands to get a job done, you never know who can push you forward,” said Chike.
Earl Lloyd’s legacy is one that will never be forgotten, for his hard work and determination opened the door to blacks across the world to progress the NBA to where it is now which is the most racially progressive sports league in North America.
In Earl Lloyd’s own words, “you make sure when you leave, you leave a better place for the people behind you.”
Kameron Hay 