About

Claude Johnson is an award-winning author, historian, and founder of the Black Fives Foundation, a 501(c)3 public charity whose mission is to research, preserve, showcase, teach, and honor the pre-NBA history of African-American basketball teams.

Claude's narrative nonfiction book, "The Black Fives: The Epic Story of Basketball's Forgotten Era" (Abrams Press, 2022) won an MAAH Stone Book Award "Finalist" prize in recognition of exceptional new literary work in the field of African-American history and culture.

His work has been featured in media outlets such as CBS News, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Sports Illustrated, TheUndefeated, Fox Sports, SI for Kids, the History Channel, NPR, the BBC, MTV, ESPN, NBA TV, and Turner Broadcasting.

Claude has a BS in civil engineering and economics from Carnegie Mellon and an MS in mechanical engineering from Stanford. During a 20-year career in corporate America, he held management and executive positions at IBM, American Express, NBA Properties, Nike, Phat Farm, and Benetton Sportsystem.

The former two-term trustee of the Greenwich Public Library left corporate work to become a stay-at-home dad to his three sons, each of whom became NCAA Division I student-athletes, respectively, at the University of San Diego, University of Michigan, and the United States Naval Academy.

Claude is the first-ever stay-at-home dad and self-made historian to get a global sneaker deal (with PUMA).

Other Works

  • City/Game: Basketball in New York

    2020
  • What If Sweetwater Clifton's Pass Hadn't Gone Awry? ("Upon Further Review: The Greatest What-Ifs In Sports History")

    2018

Awards and Recognition

  • New York Knicks' Sweetwater Clifton City Spirit Award for Outstanding Community Service, 2018
  • Harlem Week Rucker Park Pro Legends “Each One Teach One” Community Service Award, 2013
  • Mayoral Proclamation: February 10th Named "Black Fives Day" for the City of New York, 2010
  • Brooklyn Nets' Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things Award, 2010

Press and Media Mentions