Nathaniel Clifton

Nathaniel " Nat" Clifton ( born October 13, 1922 in Little Rock, Arkansas, United States; † August 31, 1990 in Chicago) was an American basketball player for the Detroit Pistons and New York Knicks in the NBA. The " Sweetwater " Clifton said was 1.98 meters tall, played the positions of the power forward and center, and was the first black player ever signed a professional contract in the NBA.

Career

The African- Americans Clifton spent his childhood in Pittsburgh and completed his education at the Westinghouse High School in 1944 from. Since at this time the Second World War was not yet finished, Clifton was drafted by the Navy and remained until the end of the war there for a year. He then returned to Pittsburgh and became a star player of the local Duquesne University. Clifton scored 10.5 points per game and was selected to the " All- African " team of the best black college players.

But since then was racial segregation, Clifton could not sign a professional basketball contract and joined instead of African-American troops Harlem Globetrotters basketball show on. When segregation was abolished in 1950, Clifton signed the first black at the age of 28 an NBA contract with the New York Knicks. Clifton's nickname was " Sweetwater " (fresh water), as Clifton loved drinking lemonade. On the side of the white Stars Harry Gallatin ( center ) and Max Zaslofsky ( Guard; had witnessed discrimination as a Jew himself ) played Clifton in those teams in the finals in 1950, '52 and '53 three times at the Minneapolis Lakers superstar George Mikan under failed. Clifton distinguished himself there by he scored per game 10 points and 10 rebounds. In 1957 he was one of the first blacks, who was elected to the All- Star team. In the autumn of his career, Clifton was transferred to the Detroit Pistons, where he played one season as a 35 -year-old and then stopped.

After his career Clifton went to Chicago and became a taxi driver. He was forced to take this job because at that time the NBA paid off no pension. Though he was very popular in Chicago and had many job offers, he remained true to this job for a lifetime. Clifton died in 1990 at the wheel of his taxi in Chicago.