Apart from the contribution to winning the 1956 championship, John ‘Jackie’ Moore had a cultural impact important for all NBA players. Sadly, the Golden State Warriors legend passed away earlier today at the age of 93. Despite the grim news, the Dub Nation celebrated one of their own before the Lakers game.
The official social media handle of the Chase Center revealed that there was a moment of silence for John Morre, who was the first Black player to appear in a game in the Warriors’ franchise history. He had signed with the Philadelphia Warriors on February 15, 1955, and debuted with the franchise that same day. In fact, it’s not just today that the Golden State celebrated the legend.
In 2024, on his 92nd birthday, to honor his legacy, they unveiled their Classic Edition jersey, “paying homage to the uniform he wore as he changed the game.” A native of Philadelphia, Moore was the first Black player on the Warriors’ roster and also the first Black athlete to play for the men’s basketball team at La Salle University. Because of his humble personality, he never credited himself to be the trailblazer.
The Golden State Warriors send condolences to the family of John “Jackie” Moore, who passed away earlier today at the age of 93. Moore signed with the Philadelphia Warriors on February 15, 1955, and debuted with the club that same day, becoming the first Black player to appear in… pic.twitter.com/7eSUeqs62C
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) April 9, 2026
“You know, the strange thing is I didn’t even think of being the first or being a pioneer,” Moore said in a previous interview. “I was just doing something I liked to do. There weren’t many blacks playing when I came up.” He even described that since his days at La Salle, he was the only black player on the court most of the time, and it continued with the Warriors. Moore also took responsibility and mentored young ballers, including Wilt Chamberlain.
Buddy Donnelly members of La Salle’s 1952 NIT team, aptly described the contribution of his former teammate. “He did a lot for basketball in this city. He was the second-best player to come out of Overbrook behind Wilt Chamberlain. We all liked Jackie.”
Jackie Moore was a star at Philadelphia’s legendary Overbrook High School, a school later made famous by Chamberlain. For the Panthers, Moore won three consecutive Public League championships (1948-50), and in 1949 scored 25 points in a league playoff game, which happened to be the most in a playoff game at that time. For his contributions, both Overbrook High School and La Salle University inducted Moore into their respective Hall of Fame.
The Warriors legend detailed the struggle during his NBA days
The Philadelphia native would spend much of his time at Haddington Recreation Center (now Shepard Recreation Center). That’s when he would interact with a lot of former Overbrook High standouts, including Wali Jones, Walt Hazzard, Wayne Hightower, and Wilt Chamberlain. Moore would lay the foundation and always enjoyed his time with the superstars who were a few years younger than him.
“We played some good basketball at Haddington,” Moore said. “Everybody would gather there to play on a regular basis. The playground always had some of the best players in the city. There was always a crowd of people waiting to play.” But the pathway to the NBA was never easy. He was fortunate to play for La Salle because the local colleges weren’t recruiting African-American players. Jackie Moore even acknowledged that he had to be sensational in order to make his place in the league, which was dominated by white players.
“It was a clear case where you had to be better,” Moore said. “If you were just as good as a white player, then the white player would get the job. They also had a limit on the number of black players in the league.” His journey was proof of it. He was an undrafted entry into the league in 1954. Later, he signed with the Syracuse Nationals for the 1954–55 season. However, he only appeared in one game for just 5 minutes of play, where he recorded 2 points and 1 rebound.
He was traded to the Hawks, where again he just featured in a single game on October 31, 1954. In 13 minutes of action, he contributed 2 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists. Then, on February 15, 1955, Moore signed with the Warriors. During their championship season in 1955-56, he contributed significantly and played in 54 games. Moore left the NBA in 1957 but continued playing professionally in the Eastern Basketball Association for the Sunbury Mercuries until 1960.
