Alexandria Planning Commission to Consider Renaming Old Town Street for Earl Lloyd

ALEXANDRIA, VA – During its monthly meeting tonight, the Alexandria Planning Commission will consider renaming the 1000 Block of Montgomery Street “Earl F. Lloyd Way.”

Lloyd, who was born and raised in Alexandria, became the first Black man to play in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Drafted in 1950 by the Washington Capitols, Lloyd – nicknamed the “Big Cat” – had a 10-year career.

According to Basketball Reference.com, Lloyd scored 4,682 points, had 810 assists, and grabbed 3,609 rebounds.

The applicant for the honorific street name is listed as the African American Hall of Fame, according to the Staff Report, available on Page 6 of the Meeting Docket.

The application reads:

“Before the glitz, the glamour, and the glory, before Michael Jordan, before Irvin (sic) [Magic] Johnson, before Julius [Doctor] Irvin, before Kareem Abdul Jabbar, before Bill Russell, and Wilt Chamberlain, before basketball as we know it today there was a pioneer, a man who paved the way for all of today’s stars, a man who helped knock down the barriers of racism in the NBA, showing the rest of the world that African Americans know how to play the game of basketball on the highest level.”

To attend the virtual meeting, planned for a 7 p.m. start, click HERE.