It was a historical day in Syracuse where an honorary street-naming ceremony was held for NBA pioneer and Syracuse Nationals player Earl Lloyd next to the Onondaga County War Memorial Auditorium.

“We have had the honor and privilege to name this street after the great Earl Lloyd, who is a great African American basketball player, very well renowned and a Syracuse native as well,” said Amir Gethers, city of Syracuse councilor at large.

Gethers said Frank Malfitano, the founder and executive producer of the Syracuse Jazz Fest, brought the idea of naming the street after Lloyd to him and other council members.

“I love the fact that we’re calling it Earl Lloyd Way, and I’m glad that the city council unanimously proposed this and adopted this measure, because as the first African American to play in the NBA and the first African American to be a bench coach in the NBA and the first African American to win a professional championship, the only one our city has ever won, that’s a big deal,” Malfitano said.

Common Council Member Rasheeda Caldwell said she met Lloyd years ago through her grandfather, Donald Caldwell. She said she learned all the great things about Lloyd through her grandfather.

“He paved a way for us, me as myself as a common councilor at large and a former person that played basketball, but just for the community itself. He was just a very phenomenal person. My grandfather, he was very close. I have pictures of him up in my house, as well as my grandfather was a part of his book,” Caldwell said.

Lloyd is also being honored with a mural downtown that includes three other basketball pioneers, Dolph Schayes, Breanna Stewart and Manny Breland.