Wat Misaka, an Ogden native who was recognized as the first person of color to play in the NBA, died Wednesday, his longtime friend Arnie Ferrin confirmed. He was 95.
A graduate of Ogden High School, Misaka played for Weber Junior College in his hometown and then joined the University of Utah’s program. The 5-foot-7 guard contributed to Utah’s victory over Dartmouth in the 1944 NCAA championship game at Madison Square Garden in New York and and to the team’s title of the 1947 NIT, alongside Ferrin.
“We achieved things that a lot of people never will,” Ferrin said Thursday.