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      Nathaniel "Sweetwater" Clifton (born Clifton Nathaniel; October 13, 1922 – August 31, 1990) was an American professional basketball player. He is best known as one of the first African Americans to play in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was also a professional baseball player.


      Biography




      = Early life

      =
      Born in England, Arkansas, as Clifton Nathaniel, he was given the "Sweetwater" nickname as a boy because of his love of soft drinks and his easy disposition. His family moved to Chicago, Illinois, when he was eight. Clifton became an outstanding basketball and baseball player at DuSable High School. He reversed his two names when sportswriters complained that his last name, Nathaniel, was too long to fit in their headlines. He graduated in 1942.
      Clifton attended Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans and then served with the United States Army for three years, fighting in Europe during World War II.


      = Early career

      =
      After the war, Clifton joined the New York Rens, an all-black professional basketball team that toured throughout the United States. Noted for his large hands, which required a size 14 glove, he was invited to join the Harlem Globetrotters, for whom he played from the summer of 1948 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 his signing a contract with an NBA team.


      = NBA career

      =
      On May 24, 1950, Clifton became the second African-American player to sign an NBA contract. He played his first game for the New York Knicks on November 4, four days after the debut of Washington Capitols player Earl Lloyd, the first black player to appear in an NBA game. Already 27 years old when he made his debut, Clifton in his first season helped lead the team to its first-ever appearance in the NBA finals, losing in game seven. 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 a first time All-Star.
      In 1957, Clifton was part of a multi-player trade between the Knicks and the Fort Wayne Pistons, but after one season in Detroit he retired from basketball. In the summer of 1958, he joined the Detroit Stars baseball team in the Negro leagues, along 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 folded at the end of 1962, the 40-year-old Clifton retired permanently.
      Clifton died at age 67 on August 31, 1990, in Chicago. He was interred in the Restvale Cemetery in the Chicago suburb of Alsip.


      Legacy


      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 the Black History Maker Awards the Nathaniel 'Sweetwater' Clifton Award.
      In 2005, the New York Knicks basketball team renamed 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 his or her normal duties to make the lives of others in the tri-state area better.
      Clifton, who played softball for the Brown Bombers and Capitol Records team of the Daddy-O Daylie League, was also inducted into Chicago 16-inch softball Hall of Fame.
      On February 14, 2014, Clifton was announced as a 2014 inductee by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He formally entered the Hall as a contributor on August 8.
      Sweetwater, a film on Clifton's life, had been in planning with Sunset Pictures since 2007 and was released on April 14, 2023.


      NBA career statistics




      = Regular season

      =


      = Playoffs

      =


      See also



      Race and ethnicity in the NBA
      List of African American firsts


      Notes




      References




      External links



      Career statistics from NBA.com and Basketball Reference

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    Nat Clifton - Wikipedia

    Nathaniel "Sweetwater" Clifton (born Clifton Nathaniel; October 13, 1922 – August 31, 1990) was an American professional basketball player. [1] He is best known as one of the first African Americans to play in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

    Nat Clifton Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and ...

    Checkout the latest stats of Nat Clifton. Get info about his position, age, height, weight, draft status, shoots, school and more on Basketball-Reference.com Sports Reference ®

    Remembering Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton’s Historic Rookie Season

    Apr 13, 2023 · Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton was a pioneer of early basketball when he became one of the first Black players to sign with an NBA team in 1950. He also had the skills to match, helping guide the New...

    A timeline: Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton - NBA.com

    Apr 14, 2023 · Take a look back at the life and accomplishments of Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton that made him a Hall of Famer. • Born in Little Rock, Ark., on Oct. 13, 1922. • Dubbed “Sweetwater,” his nickname...

    Nat Clifton cause of death, bio, age, wife, family, facts and ...

    Apr 15, 2023 · Nat (Sweetwater) Clifton, one of the first black players in the National Basketball Association and a popular star with the New York Knick teams of the 1950’s, died in Chicago, apparently of a heart attack aged 65.

    The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame :: Nat Clifton

    Nathaniel “Sweetwater” Clifton was the first African-American player to sign a contract in the NBA to catch on with a team when he signed with the New York Knickerbockers in 1950. Already an accomplished athlete, Clifton’s professional basketball career was actually launched with the New York Rens shortly after World War II.

    Nat Clifton, Basketball Player born - African American Registry

    Clifton made his Knicks debut on November 3, 1950, and the Knicks made the NBA finals during each of Clifton's first three years. He averaged 8.6 points per game as a rookie and cracked double digits in his second year.

    Clifton, Nathaniel "Sweetwater" - Encyclopedia of Arkansas

    Sep 19, 2024 · Nathaniel “Sweetwater” Clifton was an early pioneer in professional basketball, playing in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and with the world-renowned Harlem Globetrotters. Far less well known is the fact that he was a legend in the game of sixteen-inch softball, as well as a talented baseball player.

    Nat Clifton: The first Black player to sign an NBA contract

    Aug 31, 2022 · In 1950, Nat 'Sweetwater' Clifton became the first Black player to sign an NBA contract when the Harlem Globetrotters owner sold the star forward's talents to the New York Knickerbockers.

    Clifton, Nathaniel "Sweetwater" - Encyclopedia.com

    One of the first three African-American players in the National Basketball Association (NBA), Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton was actually the first under official contract to play in the league. He was a "first" in another way as well: he might be considered the NBA's first black star.