Former NBA player, Earl Lloyd passed away on Thursday at the age of 86 in Detroit. The name Earl Lloyd may not resonate much with people these days, but he’s a man with one of the most important distinctions in sports history. Earl Lloyd was the very first African American player to play in the NBA. Lloyd played for nine seasons, and while he did not have outstanding stats, his contributions were beyond points and rebounds. As the first black NBA player he suffered through some terrible name calling and abuse from fans. Earl Lloyd joined the league along with two other black players, Chuck Cooper and Nat Clifton, during the 1950-51 season. Lloyd became the first of the three to play due to luck of scheduling. Earl Lloyd won a championship with the Syracuse Nationals in 1955 and also coached the Detroit Pistons during the 1971-72 season. Earl Lloyd was honored in 2003 being inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor. Lloyd outlived both Chuck Cooper and Nat Clifton who died in 1984 and 1990 respectively.