C. B. Claiborne

Claudius B. Claiborne is an American professor and former basketball player. He is known for being the first African-American to play on the Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team.[2][3]

C. B. Claiborne
Claiborne at Duke in 1967
Personal information
Born1946 or 1947 (age 75–77)[1]
Danville, Virginia
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Career information
High schoolJohn Langston
CollegeDuke (1966–1969)
PositionGuard
Number23

Claiborne is originally from Danville, Virginia, where he attended John Langston High School. During his senior year in 1965, he was class president as well as captain of the baseball and basketball teams.[2] He matriculated to Duke University on a presidential scholarship in 1965, two years after the first black students integrated at Duke.[3] After a year on the freshman basketball team (NCAA rules prohibited freshmen on varsity teams at the time), he joined varsity men's basketball team for the 1966–67 season. He made his first start in a January 1967 victory over Penn State, after head coach Vic Bubas suspended nine of his players.[2][4] In 1969, he played in a triple-overtime win against Duke's biggest rival, North Carolina.[1]

Claiborne ultimately graduated in 1969 with a degree in engineering. He later earned further postgraduate degrees from Dartmouth College, Washington University in St. Louis, and Virginia Tech, and became a professor in the business school of Texas Southern University.[2]

Claiborne was honored at a Duke home game on February 20, 2023, with all the Duke players wearing his name and number 23 during pre-game warmups, and Claiborne appearing at center court during halftime.[5]

References
  1. Veis, Greg (January 31, 2006). "C.B. Claiborne B.S.E. '69: Breaking down barriers". Duke Magazine. Duke University. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  2. Brown, Chris (February 22, 2015). "Duke's First African-American Men's Basketball Player". Ball Durham. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  3. Tullis, Eric (February 13, 2013). "C.B. Claiborne on being Duke's first black basketball player". INDY Week. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  4. Bock, Hal (January 4, 1967). "Nine Blue Devils Suspended; Duke Wins Anyway". Fort Collins Coloradoan. Associated Press. p. 15. Retrieved July 5, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. Long, Andrew (February 20, 2023). "5 observations from Duke men's basketball's first half against Louisville". The Chronicle.

Further reading
  • Jacobs, Barry (2008). Across the Line, Profiles in Basketball Courage: Tales of the First Black Players in the ACC and SEC. Guilford, Connecticut: The Lyons Press.
  • Roth, John (2006). The Encyclopedia of Duke Basketball. Duke University Press. pp. 138–140. ISBN 0822339048 – via Google Books.
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