NBA Pioneers Classic honors the league’s first Black players and their legacy
At TD Garden, the NBA celebrated Black History Month with the first Pioneers Classic, honoring Chuck Cooper Sr., Earl Lloyd and Nat 'Sweetwater' Clifton as the league’s first Black players; the event included family appearances and tributes, plus announcements of $150,000 in scholarships to HBCUs (West Virginia State and Xavier) and a five-year, $750,000 commitment from the NBA Foundation and NBPA Foundation to support HBCUs.