Nathaniel Clifton

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Nathaniel "Sweetwater" Clifton (October 13, 1922 – August 31, 1990) was an American multi-sport athlete best known as the first African American to sign a contract to play in the National Basketball Association.

Born in Little Rock, Arkansas, according to the Social Security Administration death records, he was born Clifton Nathaniel. He was given the "Sweetwater" nickname as a boy because of his love of soft drinks. His family moved to Chicago, Illinois where he became an outstanding baseball player in high school. However it was basketball in which Clifton would make his mark. He attended Xavier College of Louisiana and then served with the United States Army, fighting for his country in Europe during World War II.

After the war, Sweetwater Clifton joined the New York Rens, an all-black professional basketball team that toured throughout the United States. Noted for his large hands that required a size 14 glove, after one season he was invited to join the Harlem Globetrotters with whom he would play from the fall of 1947 to the spring of 1950. Still a talented baseball first baseman, during the basketball off-season in 1949 Clifton played for the Chicago American Giants in Negro League baseball. By 1950, his performance with the Globetrotters, in particular his exceptional ball handling ability, led to him becoming the first African American player to sign a contract with an NBA team. Already twenty-seven years old when he made his debut as a member of the New York Knicks, in his first season Clifton helped lead the team to its first-ever appearance in the NBA finals. During his eight seasons in the NBA, Clifton averaged 10 points and 9 rebounds per game. He was named to the 1957 NBA All-Star team, scoring 8 points in 23 minutes in the game. At age 34, he became the oldest player in NBA history to be named an All-Star.

In 1957 Clifton was part of a multi-player trade between his Knicks and the Detroit Pistons but after one season in Detroit he left basketball. In the summer of 1958 he joined the Detroit Clowns baseball team in the Negro Leagues with his former Harlem Globetrotters teammate, Reece "Goose" Tatum.

In 1961 he was coaxed out of retirement by the Chicago Majors of the fledgling American Basketball League (ABL). After the league ceased operations at the end of 1962, the 40-year-old Clifton retired for good.

Clifton's contributions to his community during his sporting career and after his playing days have been recognized by the Associated Black Charities of New York City. They have honored him by naming one of its "Black History Maker Awards" the "Nathaniel 'Sweetwater' Clifton Award." In 2005, the New York Knicks basketball team re-named their monthly "City Spirit Award" in his honor. "The Sweetwater Clifton City Spirit Award" is given to a member of the community who goes above and beyond their normal duties to make the lives of others in the tri-state area a better place.

On his passing in 1990, Sweetwater Clifton was interred in the Restvale Cemetery in the Chicago suburb of Alsip.

[edit] See also

• List of African American firsts