In honor of Duke’s centennial, The Chronicle will highlight pivotal figures and events in the history of Duke athletics. First, we take a look at the story of CB Claiborne, the Blue Devils’ first black basketball player:
Spectators at Cameron Indoor Stadium often stare in awe at the five Duke men’s basketball National Championship banners, won on the backs of numerous legendary Blue Devils. Eddie Cameron, the stadium’s namesake, created the program and brought the university into the ACC. Coach Mike Krzyzewski turned Duke into a national brand, winning all five banners and a whopping 13 Final Four appearances. Christian Laettner, perhaps the greatest college basketball player of all time, led the team to two national championships and four Final Fours. With all these Blue Devil legends, one big name often goes unnoticed: CB Claiborne.
Born in Danville, Virginia. In the late 1940s, Claiborne spent his entire childhood in the Jim-Crow South at the height of racial segregation. In 1966, Claiborne became the first African-American basketball player to wear Duke Blue. In addition to overcoming racial barriers to enroll at Duke and play on the basketball team, some truly extraordinary circumstances led to his appearance on the court. Vic Bubas, head basketball coach at the time, suspended nine of his players for unspecified violations, paving the way for Claiborne to earn his first minutes against Penn State and make history.
During his time at the university and on the team, Claiborne was frequently mistreated due to his race. As a result of this discrimination, Claiborne spent most of his time in Durham, at nearby North Carolina Central University, an HBCU.
As unwelcome as Claiborne felt at Duke, he understood the importance of his role in integrating the Blue Devils and college basketball as a whole. In a 2013 interview, Claiborne noted that playing for Duke was a unique opportunity that not only benefited him, but also created opportunities for others in the future. He later emphasized his belief in basketball as a path to social change and thanked Coach Bubas for allowing him to be a force toward that change.
“The first thing (Duke) did was make me more aware of a bigger world and a broader perspective on the world,” Claiborne told The Chronicle. “Those experiences going to California and New York as part of the basketball program were absolutely eye-opening.”
While Claiborne’s impact on breaking racial barriers can be compared to that of Bill Russell, his playing career did not reach the same heights. Claiborne averaged just 4.1 points per game during his time with the Blue Devils, during a period when Duke was not yet a college basketball juggernaut. However, he did have some memorable moments, including this 13-point outburst in a comeback against Clemson, which The Chronicle covered at the time.
The February 6, 1969 edition of The Chronicle, honoring Claiborne’s productive game against Clemson.
The success of the program, and in many ways the university as a whole, cannot be discussed in depth without mentioning CB Claiborne. Countless black players have starred for the Blue Devils in the half-century since Claiborne’s first game. From Grant Hill to Jay Williams to Zion Williamson, many greats have achieved national stardom in part because of the foundation Claiborne laid all those years ago.
While Claiborne will always be remembered for his basketball career, he felt the education he received was the most important part of his time with the Blue Devils. Claiborne graduated with a degree in engineering, the first of his four degrees in total. Claiborne is proud of his teaching and now serves as a professor at the business school at Texas Southern University, another HBCU.
“(Duke) really opened my eyes to the potential of what you can do in life, the types of people to associate with,” Claiborne said. “It was a profound experience in my growing up.”
Duke has recently made a concerted effort to commemorate Claiborne’s impact on Blue Devil basketball. In 2023, all Duke players wore No. 23, just as Claiborne did, in pregame warmups, and at the 2024 graduation ceremony, Claiborne received an honorary doctorate for his long-term commitment to justice. social.
When people think of Duke University, their minds often think of Blue Devil basketball; The two go hand in hand. Duke as an institution would not be the same without its iconic basketball program, and the Blue Devils would not be what they are without CB Claiborne.
Zoe Kolenovsky contributed reporting.
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