Hank DeZonie

Henry Lincoln DeZonie (February 12, 1922 – January 2, 2009) was an American professional basketball player. He was the fourth African American player in the National Basketball Association (NBA), following Earl Lloyd, Nathaniel Clifton, and Chuck Cooper.

Hank DeZonie
Personal information
Born(1922-02-12)February 12, 1922
Harlem, New York
DiedJanuary 2, 2009(2009-01-02) (aged 86)
Harlem, New York
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Listed weight215 lb (98 kg)
Career information
CollegeClark Atlanta (1941–1942)
PositionPower forward / Center
Number10
Career history
1948–1949Dayton Rens
1950–1951Tri-Cities Blackhawks

A 6'6" forward/center, DeZonie attended Clark Atlanta University in the 1940s and then joined the Dayton Rens, an all-black travelling basketball team named after the Harlem Renaissance. The Rens joined the integrated National Basketball League in 1948, and during the 1948–49 NBL season, DeZonie averaged 12.4 points per game in 18 games.[1]

By August 1949, most of the teams in the NBL had been absorbed by the fledgling NBA. The Rens, however, were left out of the merger, and they were forced to disband as the NBA began its 1949–50 season as an all-white league.[2] Black players did not enter the league until the start of the 1950–51 NBA season, when Lloyd, Clifton, and Cooper earned roster spots on the Rochester Royals, New York Knicks, and Boston Celtics, respectively. On December 3, 1950, DeZonie signed a contract with the Tri-Cities Blackhawks, becoming the fourth black player in the NBA.[2]

DeZonie had the shortest career among the NBA's black pioneers, due mainly to racial discrimination and disagreements with his coach. After appearing in just five games for the Blackhawks, during which he averaged 3.4 points,[3] DeZonie quit in frustration. "The coach didn't know basketball, and I couldn't bother with segregation. They put me up with an old woman who chewed tobacco and the snow was up to the ceiling. I was past that", he said.[4] DeZonie's fellow black players experienced frustrations, as well, but each of them remained in the league for at least six seasons.

Because of his relatively short career, DeZonie's contributions were long forgotten by many basketball fans;[5] recently, however, DeZonie has received more recognition. In 2000, for example, the NBA honored DeZonie as one of its black pioneers at a pregame ceremony at Madison Square Garden.[6] Basketball historian Ron Thomas also highlighted DeZonie's accomplishments in his 2004 book They Cleared the Lane (ISBN 0-8032-9454-9). DeZonie died on January 2, 2009 at the age of 86. In the later years of his life, he experienced emphysema and asthma.[7][8]

See also

References
  1. Association for Professional Basketball Research Statistical Database. http://hometown.aol.com/bradleyrd/apbr.html. Retrieved 26 August 2006.
  2. Thomas, Ron. Excerpt from They Cleared the Lane. Hoopshype.com. http://www.hoopshype.com/articles/cleared_lane.htm Archived 2007-08-10 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 26 August 2006.
  3. https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/d/dezonha01.html. Retrieved 26 August 2006.
  4. Boeck, Greg. "NBA pioneers encountered own barriers". USA Today. 25 February 1991. Retrieved 26 August 2006.
  5. http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/APBR/message/26405. Retrieved 26 August 2006.
  6. http://www.wndu.com/sports/102000/sports_4341.php Archived 2000-12-04 at Archive.today. Retrieved 26 August 2006.
  7. Vescey, Peter. "John Isaacs: Gone But Not Forgotten". New York Post. January 27, 2009. Retrieved on January 29, 2009.
  8. http://www.blackfives.org/hank-dezonie-blacks-nba-birthday-today-death/
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