February 1 carries special significance across the NBA. The day marks the start of Black History Month as the NBA is honoring the 75th anniversary of three late NBA pioneers – Chuck Cooper, Earl Lloyd, and Nathaniel “Sweetwater” Clifton. On the first-ever NBA Pioneers Day, tributes pour in for the three pioneers from current and former superstars, including Magic Johnson, Stephen Curry, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Jaylen Brown.

While the current stars appeared on a video across the NBA’s social media handles, former Los Angeles Lakers star Magic Johnson shared a post on his Instagram where he was seen proudly sporting a hoodie with ‘NBA Pioneers 75’ imprinted. “February 1 will now officially be known as NBA Pioneers Day, and I couldn’t be more proud to honor their legacy! I’m wearing this hoodie in support of the trailblazers who opened doors for generations to come!” he captioned.

Cooper, Lloyd, and Clifton made history as the first three African Americans to play in the NBA during the 1950-51 season. In their honor, Cooper’s former team, the Boston Celtics, will tip off against the Milwaukee Bucks to open Black History Month celebrations at the TD Garden in Boston. The two teams will be sporting commemorative patches on their jerseys and warm-up shirts, while the winning team will receive the NBA Pioneers Trophy.

Going forward, each year on February 1, the NBA Pioneers Classic will be played to celebrate the start of Black History Month and honor the iconic trio and their contributions to the game. Teams will don special jerseys across February to honor their legacy.

Bucks HC Doc Rivers is proud to be involved in the NBA Pioneers Classic

The Milwaukee Bucks will be facing the Boston Celtics, and the Bucks’ head coach, Doc Rivers, is extremely proud of being involved in the NBA Pioneers Classic, which is honoring the contributions of the NBA’s first three Black players. Interestingly, Rivers had met two of the three players while also having a connection with the third.

“The NBA celebrating Pioneer Day is thoughtful, touching, and right,” Rivers said. “I’m proud of our league leaders and the National Basketball Players Association for having the courage to do what’s right.”

While Cooper played for the Celtics, Clifton was a forward for the New York Knicks, whereas Lloyd represented the Washington Capitals. Rivers met his fellow Chicago native Clifton, and had also spent time with Lloyd. Also, while coaching the Celtics, he got to know stories about Cooper, who was the first black player ever to get drafted in the league.

“When I first met Nat and Earl, I knew very little about them other than they were first, which is exactly why you teach history,” Rivers told Andscape. “It piques your curiosity and sent me down the rabbit hole of learning about them. The next time I saw Earl I had the honor of telling him how much I appreciated him. It meant a lot to him, but way more for me.”

Rivers will be leading the Milwaukee Bucks to Boston to face his former franchise. The Bucks are heading into this game coming off four consecutive losses.