Steph Curry, NBA Make Announcement on Thursday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Angelo Guinhawa | Last updated Oct 3, 2025 12:32 AM ET

The 2025-26 NBA season will be a special one, with the league revealing its plan to honor three league pioneers throughout the campaign.

Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry, along with New York Knicks big man Karl-Anthony Towns and Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown, helped the NBA announce the initiative on Thursday. The three highlighted how the league will celebrate the lives and careers of the first Black players in the NBA: Chuck Cooper, Nathaniel "Sweetwater" Clifton and Earl Lloyd.

In 1950, Cooper became the first Black player to be drafted in the NBA, while Clifton was the first to sign a contract with a team. Lloyd, for his part, was the first to appear in an NBA game.

To celebrate the 75th anniversary of Cooper, Clifton and Lloyd breaking racial barriers in the NBA, the league declared February 1 as NBA Pioneers' Day. Moving forward, on the that day, there will be an NBA Pioneers Classic game between two teams.

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) looks on during a game.© Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

"In recognition of the 75th anniversary of the first Black players to integrate the NBA, we are proud to announce that going forward, February 1st will be known as NBA Pioneers' Day, with teams celebrating the pioneers all throughout the month," Curry and Towns said.

Curry added, "This annual celebration will acknowledge these three pioneers' lasting impact on the game and the many future generations of players that will follow in their path."

The @NBA and @TheNBPA today announced that they will celebrate the 75th anniversary of the NBA Pioneers – Chuck Cooper, Nathaniel “Sweetwater” Clifton and Earl Lloyd, the league’s first Black players – throughout the 2025-26 season.

Feb. 1 will now be recognized as NBA Pioneers… pic.twitter.com/cnWaqvWOyY
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) October 2, 2025

For the 2025-26 season, the inaugural NBA Pioneers Classic game will be played between the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics.

Aside from establishing the NBA Pioneers' Day, the league also has other planned initiatives for the 2025-26 season.

"Throughout Black History Month and at NBA All-Star 2026 in Los Angeles, the NBA and NBPA will host community events, hold in-game moments recognizing the NBA Pioneers, share educational resources from partners, promote player content and curate a digital NBA Black History virtual gallery across NBA social channels," the NBA's official press release stated.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: