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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (March 11, 2015)
Page 6 March 11, 2015 New Prices Effective May 1, 2010 O PINION Martin Cleaning Service Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning Residential & Commercial Services Minimum Service CHG. $45.00 A small distance/travel charge may be applied CARPET CLEANING 2 Cleaning Areas or more $30.00 Each Area Pre-Spray Traffic Areas (Includes: 1 small Hallway) 1 Cleaning Area (only) $40.00 Includes Pre-Spray Traffic Area (Hallway Extra) Stairs (12-16 stairs - With Other Services) : $25.00 Area/Oriental Rugs: $25.00 Minimum Area/Oriental Rugs (Wool) : $40.00 Minimum Heavily Soiled Area: Additional $10.00 each area (Requiring Extensive Pre-Spraying) UPHOLSTERY CLEANING Sofa: $69.00 Loveseat: $49.00 Sectional: $109 - $139 Chair or Recliner: $25 - $49 Throw Pillows (With Other Services): $5.00 ADDITIONAL SERVICES • Area & Oriental Rug Cleaning • Auto/Boat/RV Cleaning • Deodorizing & Pet Odor Treatment • Spot & Stain Removal Service • Scotchguard Protection • Minor Water Damage Services SEE CURRENT FLYER FOR ADDITIONAL PRICES & SERVICES Call for Appointment (503) 281-3949 Boardroom is new Frontier for Diversity in the NBA Earl Lloyd left a legacy to follow BY M ARC H. M ORIAL In an era that can boast of legendary feats of basketball from black players like Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, LeBron James and countless others, one might find it difficult to remember, or believe, there was ever a time when black athletes were not a significant presence on professional basketball courts. But it would take nearly three and a half years after Jackie Robinson’s 1947 groundbreaking feat of becoming the first African Ameri- can to play in Major League Baseball for the National Basketball Associa- tion to shatter its own color barrier with a 6-foot-5, 225-pound power forward named Earl Francis Lloyd. Born in 1928 in Alexandria, Va., Lloyd, who had humble beginnings as the son of a coal yard and domes- tic worker, gave no hint to what he would come to accomplish both on and off court. As the star of West Virginia State University’s basket- ball team, Lloyd was even unaware he had been drafted until a campus friend told him she had heard a ru- mor he might be moving to Wash- ington. That rumor proved true. Lloyd was one of a trio of African American basketball players drafted in the historic, color-shattering 1950 draft. Lloyd was drafted by the Washington Capitols in the ninth round; Chuck Cooper—the first black player drafted by an NBA team—was drafted by the Boston Celtics; and Harlem Globetrotter Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton joined the New York Knicks. While all three men had already achieved significant milestones just by being drafted, Lloyd would be the first African American to take the court in the NBA, suiting up on Oct. 31, 1950 for the Capitols’ sea- son opener against the Rochester Royals, scoring six points and grab- bing a game-high 10 rebounds. “When Earl stepped out on the court on that fateful date in 1950, this remarkable man rightfully earned his place in the historic civil rights movement and, more important, he opened the door to equality in America,” remarked West Virginia State University President Brian Hemphill upon learning of Lloyd’s passing last month. After playing seven games with the Capitols, Lloyd was drafted into the U.S. Army to serve in the Korean War. When Lloyd returned, he played for the Syracuse Nationals, where he made history again by becoming the first African American starter on an NBA championship team. Lloyd moved on to play and then coach for the Detroit Pistons. He became the first black assistant coach with the Detroit Pistons in 1968 and became the team’s head coach in 1971. Earl Lloyd has left behind quite a legacy for basketball, for professional sports and for our nation. We would surely do his legacy a disservice if we relegated the extraordinary achieve- ments and universal accolades—in- cluding his 2003 induction into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame for breaking the NBA’s color barrier—to history. Lloyd’s journey through the ranks of the NBA, first as a player, and later as a coach, prove the game doesn’t end on the court—and nei- ther do its struggles for diversity and inclusion. According to the league’s 2014 Racial and Gender Report, 77 per- cent of all NBA players are African American, while almost 81 percent are people of color. Nearly 44 per- cent of all head coaches are coaches of color and, in a new record, slightly more than 46 percent of assistant coaches are coaches of color. However, going further up the management chain, the numbers dip dramatically. Of the 30 teams that make up the NBA, only two have owners of color: Michael Jordan is the majority owner of the Charlotte Hornets and Vivek Ranadive is the controlling owner of the Sacramento Kings. According to the report, they are the first two owners of color to lead their teams in any major profes- sional sports league. The board- room—and more specifically, own- ership—has clearly become the new frontier of diversity in the NBA and professional sports. Lloyd once recounted the story of a fan he met, remembering, “‘He said, ‘Mr. Lloyd, we really owe you,’ and I explained to him, ‘Man, you owe me absolutely nothing.’ I said, ‘Whatever kind of career I had, it has served me well, but you do owe some people, and the people you owe are the folks who are going to come behind you.’” Lloyd’s debut on the NBA’s ros- ter in 1950 was a historic moment that paved the way for so many of the basketball players we cheer, and those we jeer, but his achievements did not end there—and neither should the NBA’s. Marc H. Morial is president and chief executive officer of the Na- tional Urban League.
