when was chuck cooper born
On this date in 1926, Chuck Cooper was born. He was an African American basketball player and later a city official. He was born in Pittsburgh, the son of Daniel and Emma Cooper. He played basketball and graduated from Westinghouse High School and attended West Virginia State before entering the Navy during World War II. After his service, the 6â5â Cooper attended Duquesne University and was one of the first Black All-Americans. On April 25, 1950 Cooper broke the color barrier in the National Basketball Association (NBA) when he was drafted by the Boston Celtics. According to his coach Red Auerbach, Cooper âhad to go through hellâ as the first Black in the sport.