Neil Johnston

American basketball player

For the Australian public servant, see Neil Johnston (public servant).

Donald Neil Johnston (February 4, 1929 – September 28, 1978) was an American basketball player and coach. A center, Johnston played in the National Basketball *ociation (NBA) from 1951 to 1959. He was a member of the Philadelphia Warriors for his entire career. Known for his hook shot, Johnston was a six-time NBA All-Star; he led the NBA in scoring three times and led the league in rebounding once. He won an NBA championship with the Warriors in 1956. After his playing career ended due to a knee injury, Johnston coached in the NBA, in other professional basketball leagues, and at the collegiate level. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a player in 1990.

1 Early life
2 Professional basketball career
3 Coaching career
4 Death and legacy
5 NBA career statistics
- 5.1 Regular season
- 5.2 Playoffs
6 See also
7 References
8 Further reading
9 External links

Early life

Johnston was born on February 4, 1929. He was a 1946 graduate of Chillicothe High School in Chillicothe, Ohio, where he was an all-state player in basketball. He led the Red Devils to an undefeated 16-0 regular season and ranked second in Ohio in 1945-46 as the team won its finale 82-19 behind Johnston's 38 points. He averaged 23.7 per game that year, playing only about half of some games. The team was upset in their second postseason game. Johnston was named second team All-Ohio *ociated Press Cl* A (large school). He was also a high jumper on the track team and qualified for the state track meet and he was on the tennis team.

Johnston attended Ohio State University, where he played both baseball and basketball.

Johnston signed a professional baseball contract with the Philadelphia Phillies after two years of college. After failing to distinguish himself in minor league baseball, he tried out for the NBA's Philadelphia Warriors at the team camp in Hershey, Pennsylvania in 1951 and was signed to a contract.

Professional basketball career

Johnston played for the Philadelphia Warriors from 1951 to 1959. He spent his entire playing career with the Warriors. The 6'8" Johnston was known for his sweeping right-handed hook shot.

Johnston led the NBA in scoring for three consecutive seasons: 1952–53, 1953–54, and 1954–55. During the 1954–55 season, he also won the league's rebounding *le. He led the league in field goal percentage in the 1952–53, 1955–56, and 1956–57 seasons.

Johnston was a member of the Warriors' NBA championship-winning 1956 team. He played in six NBA All-Star Games, was an All-NBA First Team selection four times, and was an All-NBA Second Team selection once.

Johnston was forced to retire after the 1958–59 season due to a knee injury. During his eight-year career, he averaged 19.4 points per game, 11.5 rebounds and 2.5 *ists, with a field goal percentage of .444 and a free throw percentage of .768.

Coaching career

After his playing career ended, Johnston was head coach of the Philadelphia Warriors during the 1959–60 and 1960–61 seasons before resigning. Johnston coached the Warriors during the first two seasons of Wilt Chamberlain's NBA career, compiling a record of 95-59. He also worked as an *istant coach under Jack McCloskey with the Portland Trail Blazers and at Wake Forest University.

Johnston coached the Pittsburgh Rens of the American Basketball League and the Wilmington Blue Bombers of the Eastern Basketball League; in addition, he coached at Chemeketa Community College. His last job was as athletic director at North Lake College in Irving, Texas.

Death and legacy

On September 28, 1978, Johnston died of a heart attack at age 49 while playing basketball with his son, Scott, in Bedford, Texas. A memorial service was held at North Lake College and at St. Paul's Methodist Church in Hurst, Texas. He was survived by his wife, Phyllis (Wilson); three daughters, Nancy, Barbara and Kay; and twin sons Daniel and Scott; and three brothers.

In 1980, Johnston was inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame. In 1990, he was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame. Johnston was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.

NBA career statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

References

External links

Neil Johnston at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Neil Johnston statistics on Basketball-Reference (as a player)
Neil Johnston statistics on Basketball-Reference (as a coach)

Coaches

Adelman
Alexeeva
P. Allen
Anderson
Auerbach
Auriemma
Barmore
Barry
Blood
Boeheim
L. Brown
Calhoun
Calipari
Cann
Carlson
Carnesecca
Carnevale
Carril
Case
Chancellor
Chaney
Conradt
Crum
Daly
Dean
Díaz-Miguel
Diddle
Drake
Driesell
Ferrándiz
Fitch
Fitzsimmons
Gaines
Gamba
Gardner
Gaze
Gill
Gomelsky
Gunter
Hannum
Harshman
Haskins
Hatchell
Heinsohn
Hickey
Hobson
Holzman
Hughes
Hurley
Iba
Izzo
P. Jackson
Julian
Keaney
Keogan
Knight
Krzyzewski
Kundla
Lambert
Leonard
Lewis
Litwack
Loeffler
Lonborg
Magee
McCutchan
McGraw
A. McGuire
F. McGuire
McLendon
Meanwell
Meyer
Miller
Moore
Mulkey
Nelson
Nikolić
Novosel
Olson
Pitino
Ramsay
Richardson
Riley
Rubini
Rupp
Rush
B. Russell
Sachs
Self
Sharman
Shelton
Sloan
D. Smith
Stevens
Stringer
Summitt
Sutton
Tarkanian
Taylor
Teague
J. Thompson
Tomjanovich
VanDerveer
Wade
Watts
Wilkens
G. Williams
R. Williams
Wooden
Woolpert
Wootten
Wright
Yow

Contributors

Abbott
Ackerman
Attles
Barksdale
Baumann
Bee
Biasone
H. Brown
W. Brown
Bunn
Buss
Clifton
Colangelo
T. Cooper
Davidson
Douglas
Duer
Embry
*an
Fisher
Fleisher
Garfinkel
Gavitt
Gottlieb
Granik
Gulick
Harrison
Hearn
Henderson
Hepp
Hickox
Hinkle
Irish
M. Jackson
Jernstedt
R. Jones
Kennedy
Knight
J. Krause
Lemon
Liston
Lloyd
Lobo
McLendon
Mokray
Morgan
Morgenweck
Naismith
Newell
Newton
J. O'Brien
L. O'Brien
Olsen
Podoloff
Porter
Raveling
Reid
Reinsdorf
Ripley
Sanders
Saperstein
Schabinger
St. John
Stagg
Stanković
Steitz
Stern
Taylor
Thorn
Tower
Trester
Vitale
Wells
Welts
Wilke
Winter
Zollner

Referees

Bavetta
Enright
Garretson
Hepbron
Hoyt
Kennedy
Leith
Mihalik
Nichols
Nucatola
Quigley
Rudolph
Shirley
Strom
Tobey
Walsh

Teams

1956–57 Tennessee A&I State Team
1957–58 Tennessee A&I State Team
1958–59 Tennessee A&I State Team
1960 United States Olympic Team
1992 United States Olympic Team
All-American Red Heads
Buffalo Germans
The First Team
Harlem Globetrotters
Immaculata College
New York Renaissance
Original Celtics
Texas Western
Wayland Baptist Women's Teams (1948–1982)

Neil Johnston Is A Member Of

40 Year Olds

Neil

Chillicothe, Ohio