A new Pioneer line will be released to honor three trailblazers, the NBA’s first Black players, Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton, Chuck Cooper and Earl Lloyd, whose courage and impact helped diversify the league in the 1950s. The trio will be celebrated during the NBA’s inaugural Pioneers Classic on Feb. 1, featuring a matchup between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Boston Celtics, a symbolic setting for a moment rooted in history, progress, and legacy.

NBA.com connected with key voices behind the project to explore how the initiative came together, including Mitchell & Ness’ Lynn Bloom, Director of Authentics and Archives, the NBA’s Zachary Fiegel, Consumer Products Partnerships Lead and the families of the three legends.

Inside the Pioneer Line: A Q&A with Lynn Bloom

As Director of Authentics and Archives at Mitchell & Ness, Lynn Bloom played a central role in bringing the Pioneer line to life. From product design to historical accuracy, Bloom helped ensure the collection honored both the legacy and authenticity of the game’s earliest trailblazers.

As the Director of Authentics and Archives at Mitchell & Ness, how hands-on have you been in the process of the pioneers’ line?

Lynn Bloom: I worked closely with our merchandiser and Head of Product to develop jerseys and authentic products that I thought made sense for each season. I’ve known about the pioneers for quite some time, and it just made perfect sense to partner when the NBA looped us in and told us the celebration was happening this year on the anniversary. In the past, we’ve created T-shirts and hats for the Pioneers collection, but to celebrate this anniversary, we stepped things up and are introducing jerseys of the three legends for the very first time.

The year all three were drafted, the 1950-51 season, is our focal season of celebration. We’re doing a Washington Capitals jersey for Mr. Lloyd, Mr. Cooper’s Boston Celtics jersey, and Mr. Clifton’s New York Knicks jersey. I was lucky to be introduced to the families of the three gentlemen and to help them educate fans about their fathers’ accomplishments.  As you can imagine, that was quite gratifying.

What are your thoughts on this year’s Pioneers’ line and the special touches that are highlighted?

Lynn Bloom: I have to recognize Aaron Johnson on our team, who designed the hoodies for the Pioneer line. Not to speak for him, but I know the project was rewarding for him. The league created a logo and a new patch to commemorate the 75th anniversary of this, and we worked with them to incorporate it into our apparel designs across the hoodies and T-shirts. You might notice there is no patch on the jerseys, which is consistent with our approach at Mitchell & Ness, where we always try to recreate jerseys as they were originally worn. We didn’t want to take away the authentic feel.

Chuck Cooper played in Boston & the Pioneers’ game is going to be played there. What’s the importance of that, given Boston’s history with Bill Russell & other movements that took place there?

Lynn Bloom: It’s meaningful to have it in Boston because of Bill Russell’s legacy, his history with the Civil Rights movement, and all that he did for the league as an ambassador. Also, Jaylen Brown has become close to the Cooper family, and he’s very interested in carrying on the activism and honoring these legends. The fact that the Celtics have a current player who is interested in telling the history of the game and honoring these pioneers makes it perfect that the game is being played there.

NBA Perspective: Honoring the League’s Foundations

The NBA’s Zach Fiegel offered some insight as well about the process of this project and how it benefits the league.

“I think the celebrations of legacies of these three guys are foundational to the fabric of our league,” Fiegel said. “They 100% deserve to be celebrated and it’s cool that we have different things in the works for them this season. It’s awesome in any instance we can do this, but to have the opportunity to help leverage products to introduce their stories to our fanbase and help them connect in deeper ways.”

Fiegel emphasized how the league has rallied around the 75th anniversary celebration. “It’s amazing to see how the organization has rallied to celebrate these guys for the 75th anniversary,” Fiegel continued.

“Everything from the rich content, the hub our content team has put up, establishing Pioneer’s Day, Pioneer’s classic, the upcoming moments in All-Star weekend– the weight that the organization has put behind it should tell you how special it is. From a pure fandom and representation of these guys, there’s nothing more authentic to do than to bring their jerseys to market for the first time. That makes this one super special.”

Voices from the Families

Chuck Cooper’s family on what it means for the game to be played in Boston:

The Pioneers Classic belongs in Boston because of the Celtics courageous conviction from the start. Drafting Cooper as the first official act to integrate the NBA, starting the league’s first black starting five, Bill Russell was the league’s first black coach– that’s not a coincidence. That’s leadership that sets the standard of excellence. That standard still defines the NBA’s winningest franchise today.

Earl Lloyd’s family on the Pioneer merchandise & the event as a whole:

I love the Mitchell & Ness merchandise. The pioneer’s jacket is especially sweet. Our fathers are looking down, beaming with a sense of pride and big, broad smiles on their faces to see how far the NBA has come and to know they are an essential part of the first-ever Pioneer game.

Learn more about the Pioneer Collection through Mitchell & Ness.