Wataru Misaka Broke Basketball's Barrier

The first non-white man in NBA history was Wataru Misaka, a Japanese-American point guard who stood 5 feet 7 inches tall. The New York Knicks drafted him in 1947, when they played in the Basketball Association of America, a predecessor of the NBA. He played three games and scored seven points before the Knicks released him. Misaka died in Salt Lake City on November 20, 2019, at age 95.

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