Wat Misaka

Wat Misaka was born on December 21, 1923 in Ogden, Utah, USA as Wataru Misaka. He was married to Katie and Katie.

He was attending junior college in 1941 when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, and continued playing while other Japanese Americans were forced into internment camps during WWII. He said he experienced little prejudice from opposing players and referees, aside from excessive foul calls in an NCAA tournament game. Sports news sometimes described him as Hawaiian, which he speculated was misinformation supplied by his coach to downplay his Japanese heritage.

His parents had a barbershop in Ogden, Utah. They lived outside the restricted zone that would have marked them for internment. In addition to high school basketball, he played football and baseball and ran track. He attended Weber College (now Weber State University) before transferring to Utah for the 1943-44 basketball season. He was drafted into the US Army and served in intelligence in Japan.

The son of Japanese immigrants, his 1947 debut with the Knicks made him the first nonwhite player in the modern history of pro basketball. He was a foot shorter than the Knicks' tallest player. He was a star at the University of Utah, with his defensive skills and high-arcing hook shot. His pro debut came three years before Earl Lloyd became the NBA's first African American player.

After being cut by the Knicks, he turned down an offer to play for the Harlem Globetrotters. After receiving his bachelor's degree in 1948, he spent his career in Salt Lake City as an engineer for the Sperry Corp.