Before Yao and Jeremy Lin there was Wataru Misaka

Wataru "Wat" Misaka (Japanese: 三阪 亙 Misaka Wataru) (born December 21, 1923) is a retired American basketball player. He was the first player of Asian descent and the first non-Caucasian person to play in the National Basketball Association(then known as the Basketball Association of America). Misaka, a Nisei Japanese American, was born in Ogden, Utah. Playing for the University of Utah, he led his school to the 1944 NCAA and 1947 NIT championships. Misaka took off two years between these titles to serve in the U.S. Army. A 5'7" point guard, he was selected by the New York Knicks in the 1947 BAA Draft. During the 1947–1948 season, he played in three games and scored seven points before he was cut from the team. Misaka was inducted into the Utah Sports Hall of Fame in 1999.
 Til next time keep it heemin.
-Chris Harrold