Neil Johnson (basketball)

Neil A. Johnson (born April 17, 1943) is a retired American basketball player born in Jackson, Michigan.

Neil Johnson
Personal information
Born (1943-04-17) April 17, 1943
Jackson, Michigan
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Listed weight220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
High schoolGeorge Washington
(New York City, New York)
CollegeCreighton (1964–1966)
NBA draft1966 / Round: 2 / Pick: 15th overall
Selected by the Baltimore Bullets
Playing career1966–1973
PositionPower forward / Center
Number11, 24
Career history
19661968New York Knicks
19681970Phoenix Suns
19701973Virginia Squires
Career highlights and awards
Career NBA and ABA statistics
Points2,633 (6.9 ppg)
Rebounds2,003 (5.3 rpg)
Assists632 (1.7 apg)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

A 6'7" forward/center from Creighton University, Johnson played four seasons in the National Basketball Association as a member of the New York Knicks (19661968) and Phoenix Suns (19681970), then spent three seasons (19701973) in the American Basketball Association with the Virginia Squires. He averaged 6.9 points and 5.3 rebounds per game in his professional career and appeared in the 1971 ABA All-Star Game.[1]

Known as an "enforcer", Johnson is remembered in the ABA oral history book Loose Balls for punching Warren Jabali in a game between the Virginia Squires and Denver Rockets. Referee John Vanak called the punch "the most devasating punch [he'd] ever seen on the court". According to Vanak, Jabali was one of the most physical players in the ABA, and had been shoving Johnson and his teammates throughout the game until Johnson retaliated. Dave Twardzik of the Squires recalled, "It scared the hell out of me, but the guys on my team were loving it because the whole league hated Jabali."[2]

References

  1. Neil Johnson statistics. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved on January 7, 2008.
  2. Terry Pluto. Loose Balls. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1990. 218-219.
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