Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton
Clifton Nathaniel
October 13, 1922 – August 31, 1990)
He was a notable American athlete who excelled in both basketball and baseball. He is most renowned for being among the first African Americans to participate in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Biography
Early Life: Born in England, Arkansas, as Clifton Nathaniel, he acquired the nickname “Sweetwater” during his childhood due to his fondness for soft drinks and his affable demeanor. When he was eight years old, his family relocated to Chicago, Illinois. Clifton developed exceptional skills in basketball and baseball during his time at DuSable High School. In response to sportswriters’ concerns about the length of his last name, Nathaniel, it was reversed to become Nat Clifton. He graduated in 1942.
Clifton then attended Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans and subsequently served in the United States Army for three years, participating in World War II in Europe.
Early Career: Following his military service, Clifton joined the New York Rens, an all-black professional basketball team that toured across the United States. His notably large hands, necessitating a size 14 glove, earned him an invitation to join the Harlem Globetrotters, with whom he played from the summer of 1948 until the spring of 1950. While still excelling as a baseball first baseman, Clifton also played for the Chicago American Giants in Negro league baseball during the basketball off-season in 1949. By 1950, his exceptional ball-handling abilities and performance with the Globetrotters led to a contract with an NBA team.
NBA Career: On May 24, 1950, Nat Clifton became the second African-American player to sign an NBA contract, with his first game for the New York Knicks taking place on November 4. He made his debut just four days after Earl Lloyd of the Washington Capitols became the first black player to appear in an NBA game. Although he was already 27 years old at his debut, Clifton played a pivotal role in his first season, helping lead the Knicks to their first-ever appearance in the NBA finals, albeit losing in game seven. Throughout his eight seasons in the NBA, Clifton maintained averages of 10 points and 9 rebounds per game. His remarkable contributions led to his selection to the 1957 NBA All-Star team, where he scored 8 points in 23 minutes. At the age of 34, he became the oldest player in NBA history to earn All-Star honors.
In 1957, Clifton was part of a multi-player trade between the Knicks and the Fort Wayne Pistons. However, after just one season in Detroit, he retired from professional basketball. In the summer of 1958, he joined the Detroit Clowns baseball team in the Negro leagues, reuniting with his former Harlem Globetrotters teammate Reece “Goose” Tatum.
In 1961, Clifton briefly came out of retirement to play for the Chicago Majors in the American Basketball League (ABL). He retired for the final time when the league ceased operations in 1962.
Nat Clifton passed away at the age of 67 on August 31, 1990, in Chicago. He was laid to rest in the Restvale Cemetery in the Chicago suburb of Alsip.
Legacy: Nat Clifton’s significant contributions to his community, both during his sporting career and in his post-playing days, have been acknowledged by the Associated Black Charities of New York City. They established the Nathaniel ‘Sweetwater’ Clifton Award as part of their Black History Maker Awards.
In 2005, the New York Knicks honored him by renaming their monthly City Spirit Award as the Sweetwater Clifton City Spirit Award, presented to individuals in the community who go above and beyond their regular duties to enhance the lives of others in the tri-state area.
Nat Clifton, who also played softball for the Brown Bombers and Capitol Records team in the Daddy-O Daylie League, was inducted into the Chicago 16-inch softball Hall of Fame.
On February 14, 2014, Nat Clifton was announced as a 2014 inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, entering the Hall as a contributor on August 8, 2014.
Additionally, a film chronicling Clifton’s life, titled “Sweetwater,” was in development with Sunset Pictures since 2007 and was eventually released on April 14, 2023.