The Utah Point Guard who Broke the NBA’s Color Barrier

Published February 11, 2025 at 3:28 PM MST

Can you name the person who broke the color barrier in professional basketball? You may be thinking of Chuck Cooper, Nat Clifton or Earl Lloyd, but you'd be wrong. It was a diminutive but immensely talented Japanese-American point guard from Ogden, Utah. His name: Wat Misaka.

In 1947, Misaka was the number one draft pick for the New York Knicks, becoming the first non-Caucasian player in the NBA. This, after serving two years in the U.S. Army — in Japan in 1945-46. Plan B Theatre’s latest play, “Kilo-Wat,” is inspired by the life of Wat Misaka. This week, we will preview the play and discuss the legend of the man nicknamed Kilo-Wat.

Plan-B’s performance of “Kilo-Wat,” presented by UtahPresents, runs from Feb. 14-16 at Kingsbury Hall. For tickets and information, visit here.

GUESTS —

Airdate: Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025 at 9 a.m. and Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025 at 11 a.m.