On October 31, 1950, an NBA season opener became a landmark in the integration of professional basketball. Earl Lloyd appeared for the Washington Capitols against the Rochester Royals, making him the first Black player to participate in an NBA game. The score recorded a Washington loss, but the appearance changed the league's history.
The game took place in Rochester, where the Royals won 78–70. Lloyd contributed six points and ten rebounds. Those numbers place the milestone inside an actual competitive performance, rather than treating it as a ceremony separate from the sport. He was playing for possessions, rebounds and a team result.
Lloyd was part of a broader breakthrough in 1950. Chuck Cooper joined the Boston Celtics, and Nat Clifton joined the New York Knicks. Washington's place on the opening schedule meant Lloyd appeared first. The distinction concerns an NBA game appearance, not an attempt to reduce the other players' roles in integrating the league.
The moment did not remove the racial barriers facing Black athletes. It did establish a concrete change within NBA competition: the league's game record now included a Black player on the court. That is why an eight-point road defeat can carry historical significance far beyond its effect on the standings.
The breakthrough happened within a regular-season game, with a team result and an individual performance. October 31 marks the point where the milestone became a played game, with a location, an opponent and a box score. Later achievements in an integrated league would have their own stories. This one begins with Washington's opening night in Rochester and the first NBA appearance that broke the color barrier.