Willie Naulls

William Dean Naulls (October 7, 1934 – November 22, 2018) was an American professional basketball player who spent ten years in the National Basketball Association. Born in Dallas, Texas, to Daily and Bettie (Artis) Naulls, he grew up in California, where he was named the state's Mr. Basketball in high school. He played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins and earned All-American honors as a senior in 1956.

The St. Louis Hawks, known now as the Atlanta Hawks, selected Naulls with the ninth overall pick of the 1956 NBA draft. He played briefly with St. Louis before being traded to New York, where he spent most of his career. With the Knicks he was a four-time NBA All-Star and became the first African American named captain of a professional team in a major American sport. After a brief stint with the San Francisco Warriors, now the Golden State Warriors, Naulls finished his career with the Boston Celtics, winning three NBA championships. In December 1964, he was part of a Celtics unit that became the first all-Black starting lineup in NBA history.