After serving our country in World War II, and winning a college national championship, Wataru Misaka made history in 1947 when he became the first non-White player in the NBA. The Knicks drafted the Japanese-American guard, and though he only played three games before being cut, the barrier was broken. Misaka paved the way for other players of color, starting with the first Black players being drafted a few short years later, and helping create the global, multicultural game we know and love to