Wat Misaka facts for kids
Misaka in college with Utah in 1946–47
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| No. 15 | |
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| Point guard | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | December 21, 1923 Ogden, Utah |
| Nationality | American |
| Died | November 20, 2019 (aged 95) Salt Lake City, Utah |
| High school | Ogden (Ogden, Utah) |
| Listed height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) |
| Listed weight | 150 lb (68 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College |
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| NBA Draft | 1947 / Round: 7 / Pick: 61st overall |
| Selected by the New York Knicks | |
| Career history | |
| 1947 | New York Knicks |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Wat Misaka | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese name | |||||
| Kanji | 三阪 亙 | ||||
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Wataru Misaka (December 21, 1923 – November 20, 2019) was an American professional basketball player. He was a point guard who stood 5 feet 7 inches tall. Misaka made history by being the first non-white player and the first player of Asian descent to play in the National Basketball Association (NBA). At that time, the league was known as the Basketball Association of America (BAA).
Misaka played college basketball for the Utah Utes. He helped his team win the 1944 NCAA and 1947 NIT championships. He took a two-year break from basketball to serve in the United States Army. After his military service, Misaka played three games for the New York Knicks during the 1947–48 season.
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Growing Up: Early Life and Challenges
Wataru Misaka was born in Ogden, Utah. He was a Nisei, which means he was a second-generation Japanese American. His parents were Tatsuyo and Fusaichi Misaka. He grew up in a poor neighborhood with his two younger brothers. Misaka remembered his neighborhood as a "ghetto."
During Misaka's childhood, there was a lot of unfair treatment based on race. Japanese American children were often kept out of regular activities. They had to play in their own baseball and basketball leagues. Misaka faced discrimination, like not being served in restaurants because of his background. Despite these challenges, he loved sports. He went to Ogden High School. There, he led his basketball team to a state championship in 1940 and a regional championship in 1941.
College Basketball Success
After high school, Misaka continued his education. This was a time when many other Japanese Americans were forced into special camps. He attended Weber College. He helped their basketball team win two championships. In 1942, Misaka was named the Most Valuable Player of the junior college postseason tournament. The next year, in 1943, he was named Weber College's athlete of the year.
Misaka then went to the University of Utah and joined their Utes basketball team. In the 1943–44 season, the team had a great record of 18 wins and 3 losses. They were invited to both the NCAA tournament and the National Invitation Tournament (NIT). The team chose the NIT first because it was considered more important back then. They lost their first game in the NIT.
However, the team got a second chance to play in the NCAA tournament. Another team, Arkansas, had to drop out. Misaka's team took this chance and won the entire tournament! They beat Dartmouth 42–40 in overtime in the championship game. A few nights later, Misaka and his team played the NIT champions, St. John's. They won that exhibition game too, 43–36.
Misaka was later called to serve in World War II. He became a staff sergeant. After two years, he returned to the University of Utah and rejoined the basketball team. The team won their second national championship in four years. Because of their success, Utah was invited to the NIT championship tournament in New York. The team won the 1947 NIT championship title. Misaka played a key role, holding an opposing All-American player to only one point.
On January 22, 2022, the Utah Utes honored Misaka's number 20 jersey.
Playing in the Pros
The New York Knicks picked Misaka in the 1947 BAA Draft. In 1947, he became the first non-Caucasian player in the BAA (which later became the NBA). This was the same year that Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in baseball. The first African American player did not join the NBA until 1950.
There were no big announcements or interviews when Misaka played his first game. He said, "It wasn't a big thing. Nobody cared." Misaka played in three games and scored seven points during the 1947–48 season. He was then cut from the team during the season. He thought it was because the Knicks had too many players in his position. Misaka said he did not feel any unfair treatment from his teammates or other players. He was only close with one future Hall-of-Famer, Carl Braun, during training camp.
Life After Basketball
Misaka decided not to play with the Harlem Globetrotters. Instead, he went back home to Utah to finish his engineering degree. He remembered that the pay for a new basketball player and a starting engineer were not very different. He then became an electrical engineer for a company in Salt Lake City. He and his wife, Kate, had two children. Wataru Misaka passed away at the age of 95 on November 20, 2019, in Salt Lake City.
His Lasting Impact
Misaka was honored for his achievements in 1999. He was inducted into the Utah Sports Hall of Fame. In 2000, he was part of an important exhibit at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles. This exhibit was called More Than a Game: Sport in the Japanese American Community.
A documentary film about him, Transcending: The Wat Misaka Story, came out in 2008. It tells the story of his basketball career. It also highlights his important role as the first non-Caucasian player in the NBA.
Images for kids
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Misaka in college with Utah in 1946–47
See also
In Spanish: Wataru Misaka para niños
- List of shortest players in National Basketball Association history
- Race and ethnicity in the NBA
