Charles Henry Cooper (September 29, 1926 – February 5, 1984) was an American professional basketball player. Cooper played college basketball for the Duquesne Dukes and was named a consensus second-team All-American in 1950. According to the November 18, 1950 issue of the Afro-American newspaper, he was the first Black "basketer" [sic] to be named an All-American college athlete. Cooper was the first African-American to be drafted by a National Basketball Association (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.
Early life and college career
Cooper was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the son of Daniel and Emma Cooper. Daniel was a mailman, and Emma was a school teacher. He attended Pittsburgh's Westinghouse High School and graduated in 1944.
NBA career
thumb|left|The 1953–54 Boston Celtics basketball team practicing the [[pick and roll. From left to rightː Bob Donham, Ed Mikan, Bill Sharman and Chuck Cooper.]] Coming out of college in 1950, Cooper signed with the Harlem Globetrotters. On April 25, 1950, he became the first African American drafted into the NBA when the Boston Celtics chose him with the 13th overall pick. Cooper was drafted by Celtics' owner Walter A. Brown, coached by the legendary Red Auerbach and a teammate of the great Bob Cousy. When officials from other teams learned of Boston's interest in Cooper, they suggested he should not be drafted because he was black; however, Brown's famous quote was: "I don't give a damn if he's striped, plaid or polka dot. Boston takes Charles Cooper of Duquesne." Cooper made his NBA debut on November 1, 1950, against the Fort Wayne Pistons.
Cooper played four years with the Celtics, until he died in Pittsburgh at the age of 57 on February 5, 1984,
NBA career statistics
Regular season
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:95%; text-align:right;"
!Year
!Team
!GP
!MPG
!FG%
!FT%
!RPG
!APG
!PPG
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |1950–51
| style="text-align:left;" |Boston
|66
|–
|.344
|.753
|8.5
|2.6
|9.3
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |1951–52
| style="text-align:left;" |Boston
|66
|29.9
|.361
|.741
|7.6
|2.0
|8.2
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |1952–53
| style="text-align:left;" |Boston
|70
|28.5
|.337
|.758
|6.3
|1.6
|6.5
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |1953–54
| style="text-align:left;" |Boston
|70
|15.7
|.299
|.672
|4.3
|1.1
|3.3
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |1954–55
| style="text-align:left;" |Milwaukee
|70
|25.0
|.339
|.751
|5.5
|2.2
|8.2
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |1955–56
| style="text-align:left;" |St. Louis
|35
|16.4
|.337
|.738
|3.9
|1.7
|5.1
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |1955–56
| style="text-align:left;" |Fort Wayne
|32
|17.8
|.316
|.776
|3.2
|0.9
|3.9
|- class="sortbottom"
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" |Career
|409
|23.2
|.339
|.743
|5.9
|1.8
|6.7
|}
Playoffs
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:95%; text-align:right;"
!Year
!Team
!GP
!MPG
!FG%
!FT%
!RPG
!APG
!PPG
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |1951
| style="text-align:left;" |Boston
|2
|–
|.339
|.400
|6.5
|1.5
|5.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |1952
| style="text-align:left;" |Boston
|3
|42.7
|.320
|.895
|5.3
|1.3
|11.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |1953
| style="text-align:left;" |Boston
|6
|32.5
|.396
|.815
|6.5
|2.3
|10.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |1954
| style="text-align:left;" |Boston
|6
|18.0
|.500
|.727
|5.2
|0.7
|4.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |1956
| style="text-align:left;" |Fort Wayne
|9
|6.6
|.192
|.667
|1.9
|0.2
|1.3
|- class="sortbottom"
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" |Career
|26
|20.4
|.346
|.785
|4.5
|1.0
|5.3
|}
See also
- Basketball in the United States
- Race and ethnicity in the NBA
References
External links
- from databasketball.com
- Biography at answers.com
- Phil Axelrod, "Duquesne honors legacy of Chuck Cooper" , Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, December 6, 2009.