"Sweetwater" Clifton

Nathaniel "Sweetwater" Clifton (October 13, 1922 – August 31, 1990) was a professional basketball and baseball player born in England, Arkansas, who grew up in Chicago. He earned his nickname as a boy for his fondness for soft drinks and easy disposition. Clifton starred in basketball and baseball at DuSable High School, attended Xavier University of Louisiana, and served three years with the U.S. Army in Europe during World War II. After the war he joined the New York Rens, an all-black barnstorming team, before moving to the Harlem Globetrotters. He was among the first African Americans to play in the NBA.