Wat Misaka
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born |
December 21, 1923 Ogden, Utah |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) |
| Listed weight | 150 lb (68 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Ogden (Ogden, Utah) |
| College |
Weber State (1941–1943) Utah (1943–1944, 1946–1947) |
| NBA draft | 1947 / Round: -- / Pick: -- |
| Selected by the New York Knicks | |
| Playing career | 1947–1948 |
| Position | Point guard |
| Number | 15 |
| Career history | |
| 1947–1948 | New York Knicks |
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
|
| Career statistics | |
| Points | 7 (2.3 ppg) |
| Games played | 3 |
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Wataru "Wat" Misaka (三阪 亙 Misaka Wataru, born December 21, 1923) is an American retired professional basketball player. A 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) point guard of Japanese descent, he was the first non-white player and the first player of Asian descent to play in the National Basketball Association (NBA), known then as the Basketball Association of America (BAA).
Misaka played college basketball for the University of Utah and helped his school win the 1944 NCAA and 1947 NIT championships. He took a two-year hiatus between these titles to serve in the United States Army in the American occupation of Japan. Misaka subsequently played three games for the New York Knicks during the 1947–1948 season.
Misaka, a Nisei, was born in Ogden, Utah on December 21, 1923. Growing up during World War II, Misaka was a regular target of racial discrimination because of his Japanese ethnicity. Raised in the basement of his father's barber shop—between a bar and a pawn shop on 25th Street, where brothels abounded—Misaka was denied service at restaurants and avoided on the street. Despite this, Misaka still participated in sports. Misaka led his high school team, Ogden High School, to a state championship title in 1940. The next year, he led the team to a regional championship title in 1941.
...
Wikipedia