Wat Misaka, the son of Japanese immigrants, was a 5-foot-7 guard who starred for the University of Utah on teams that won two national tournament championships at Madison Square Garden in New York and then joined the Knicks there in 1947.

The Knicks featured Misaka’s photo in an advertisement promoting their season opener, describing him as a “sensational defensive player.” But he was released after only three games, apparently considered too small for the pros.

Misaka then slipped into obscurity for decades, only to be ultimately recognized as a pioneer — as the first person of color to play in modern professional basketball. He died on Wednesday in Salt Lake City at 95, the University of Utah announced.

Misaka put on a Knick uniform only months after Jackie Robinson had broken the modern major league baseball color barrier with the Brooklyn Dodgers. At the time, the Knicks were part of the Basketball Association of America, a forerunner of the National Basketball Association, which counts the B.A.A.’s statistics as part of its history.