Neil Johnston
Donald Neil Johnston (born February 4, 1929 in Chillicothe , Ohio , † September 28, 1978 in Bedford , Texas ), called Gabby , was an American basketball player . Between 1951 and 1959 he played in the US professional league NBA for the Philadelphia Warriors team . Johnston was 2.03 meters tall and played on the position of the center .
Johnston originally wanted to become a professional baseball player and even played for the Philadelphia Phillies for a short time . But that baseball was not the right sport for someone his size, was recognized in addition to Johnston and Eddie Gottlieb , owner of the Warriors. This took him under contract in 1951. Johnston played eight years for the Warriors, from 1953 to 1955 he led the NBA in scoring. In 1956 he was part of the Warriors champions team, which also included Paul Arizin and Tom Gola .
Johnston died of a heart attack at the age of 49 . On May 15, 1990, he was posthumously inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame .
See also
Web links
- Neil Johnston in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame . On: Hoophall website; Springfield, MA, 2018. Retrieved April 20, 2018 (in English).
- Neil Johnston - player profile on basketball-reference.com
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Johnston, Neil |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Johnston, Donald Neil (full name); Gabby (nickname) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American basketball player |
| DATE OF BIRTH | February 4, 1929 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Chillicothe , Ohio |
| DATE OF DEATH | September 28, 1978 |
| Place of death | Bedford , Texas |