Today in Boston Celtics history, Chuck Cooper was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1926. He played college basketball at West Virginia State before transferring to Duquesne, his time at the former interrupted by his draft to serve in World War II. Later the Celtics selected Cooper with the 14th overall pick in the 1950 NBA Draft.
In and of itself, a player being taken from a respected university in what was then the second round of the draft ought to have been an unremarkable event save one major detail – Cooper would be the first Black player drafted in NBA history. This momentous occasion was, as one might expect given the era, questioned by the other team owners in the league when they heard that Celtics General Manager Red Auerbach planned
to draft Cooper. This prompted Celtics owner Walter A. Brown to famously say "I don't give a damn if he's striped, plaid or polka dot. Boston takes Charles Cooper of Duquesne."
Cooper played four seasons with the Celtics, over which he averaged 6.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game.
Birthdays
It is also the birthday of former Celtics big man Brad Lohaus, born today in 1956 in New Ulm, Minnesota. Taken by the Celtics out of Iowa with the 45th pick of the 1987 NBA Draft, Lohaus for parts of two seasons. He was dealt with current Boston team president and former shooting guard Danny Ainge to the Sacramento Kings for Joe Kleine and Ed Pinckney, averaging 4.8 points and 2.4 rebounds per game with the team.
Finally, Cooper and Lohaus share their birthday with Art Williams, born today in 1939 in Bonham, Texas. Undrafted out of Cal Poly Pomona, he first signed with the (then) San Diego (now, Houston) Rockets in 1967, Williams played three seasons with that club before he was traded to Boston. The Texan played four seasons with the Celtics, winning a title in his final season with the team in 1974. He logged 4 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game while with Boston.
This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Today in Boston Celtics history: Chuck Cooper, Brad Lohaus, Art Williams born
