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).

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.

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...

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...

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.

Aug 31, 1990 · 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.

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.

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 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.

Feb 14, 2020 · Clifton was a standout in basketball and baseball at DuSable High School in Chicago in the 1940s after his family moved from Arkansas when he was 8. He was famously nicknamed “Sweetwater” because he loved drinking soda pop.