Don Barksdale
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Donald Argee Barksdale was an American professional basketball player. He was a pioneer as an African-American basketball player, becoming the first to be named NCAA All-American, the first to play on
Barksdale, circa 1948
The composition of race and ethnicity in the National Basketball Association has changed throughout the league's history. The first non-white player to play in the league was an Asian American, Wat Mi
Don Barksdale
…In 1951, Barksdale signed a lucrative contract with the Baltimore Bullets and entered the NBA as a 28-year-old rookie. He would be one of the first African-Americans to play in the NBA after Nathaniel Clifton, Chuck Cooper, Earl Lloyd, and Hank DeZonie had joined the league in 1950. While with the Bullets, he became the first…
Asian American point guard Wat Misaka broke basketball's color barrier as the first non-white player to play in the NBA in 1947.
Earl Lloyd (right) was the first African American to play in the NBA in 1950.
Robert Johnson became the first black majority NBA team owner in 2004.