Jim Neal (basketball)

Jim Neal
Personal information
Born May 21, 1930
Silverstreet, South Carolina
Died October 3, 2011 (aged 81)
Nationality American
Listed height 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)
Listed weight 235 lb (107 kg)
Career information
College Wofford (1949–1953)
NBA draft 1953 / Round: 1 / Pick: 6th overall
Selected by the Syracuse Nationals
Position Center
Number 17
Career history
1953–54 Syracuse Nationals
1954 Baltimore Bullets
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

James Ellerbe "Daddy" Neal (May 21, 1930 – October 3, 2011) was an American basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Neal, a 6'11" center, played college basketball at Wofford College from 1949 to 1953, where he led the NCAA's small colleges in scoring as a senior at 32.6 points per game.[1] For his career, Neal scored 2,078 points (23.3 per game) and had 1,500 rebounds (16.9). He set numerous school records at Wofford, including most points in a game (57), highest scoring average for a season (32.6 PPG) and highest season rebounding average (26.5)[2] At Wofford, Neal received the nickname "Daddy," a reference to his long, thin arms and legs which students compared to a daddy longlegs spider.[3]

Following his graduation from Wofford, Neal was drafted by the Syracuse Nationals with the sixth overall pick of the 1953 NBA Draft. He played one season for the Nationals, averaging 4.7 points and 3.8 rebounds in 67 games. Neal played the next season with the Baltimore Bullets, where he averaged 2.9 points and 3.6 rebounds per game until the franchise folded in November 1954.[4]

Neal died on October 3, 2011 in his home in Greer, South Carolina.[3]

References

  1. ↑ "Ellerbe Neal wins small college scoring crown". The Florence Times Daily. March 28, 1953. Retrieved October 5, 2011.
  2. ↑ 2010-11 Wofford men's basketball media guide, accessed October 5, 2011
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Wofford basketball legend James Neal dead at age 81, accessed October 5, 2011
  4. ↑ Jim Neal statistics, accessed October 5, 2011

External links