Reggie Harding

Harding attended Eastern High School in his hometown of Detroit, Michigan. He led Eastern to three straight city championships from 1959 to 1961.[3] Standing 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m), Harding was considered to be the first player of his size in Michigan high school basketball and was highly regarded for his rebounding abilities.[4][5] When his playing eligibility finished in March 1961, Harding was not expected to graduate until January 1962.[3] He estimated that he had received "135 college offers" but wanted to play for the Niagara Purple Eagles.[3]

After leaving Eastern, Harding attended the Nashville Christian Institute, a college-preparatory school in Nashville, Tennessee, and played basketball there until it was found out that his high school eligibility had expired.[6][7]

Harding was selected by his hometown Detroit Pistons in the 1962 NBA draft as the 29th overall pick and became the first NBA player to be drafted without playing in college. The legality of the selection was challenged immediately as the NBA rules stated a player could be drafted if they did not plan to enter college but needed to have been out of school for a full year. Harding's prep school stint in Tennessee brought this into question and he was ultimately unable to sign with the team due to the technicality in his eligibility.[7][8] Pistons Director of Staff Fran Smith knew of the issue but stated that the team utilised the advantage of draft protection as several other teams had shown an interest in signing Harding.[7] In July 1962, National Basketball Association Board of Governors ruled that the Pistons could retain his player rights but he could not be signed until the 1963–64 NBA season.[9] Harding instead began his professional career in the Midwest Professional Basketball League (MPBL) with the Toledo Tartans and Cook's/Holland Oilers during the 1962–63 season.[10] He was selected by the Detroit Pistons again in the 1963 NBA draft as the 48th overall pick. Harding was signed by the Pistons, but was kept off the roster for disciplinary reasons as he was involved in a police investigation.[11]

On January 18, 1964, the NBA authorized the Pistons to allow Harding to join their roster, who had been touring with the exhibitional Harlem Road Kings.[11] He became the Pistons' starting center four games into his NBA career and stayed in that position for the rest of the season.[8] He averaged 11 points per game and played so well that Boston Celtics head coach Red Auerbach remarked about Harding before the 1964 NBA draft: "Say what they want to about all the fine, big fellows coming out of college in 1964, but the Pistons already have a guy who probably will outshine them all."[8] Harding had high expectations entering the 1964–65 NBA season and he was considered to potentially "be a match for the NBA's top pivotmen".[12]

During his stint with the Pistons, Harding was notorious for his casual attitude and misbehavior. He slept through practice sessions and missed a flight for a game against the Baltimore Bullets.[13] In August 1965, Harding was charged with assault and battery against a Detroit policeman while contesting a parking ticket.[14][15] Harding was suspended indefinitely by the NBA for "conduct detrimental to professional basketball" in September 1965.[16] He was found guilty of the assault and battery charge in October 1965 and fined $2,000 by the Pistons, which was the highest fine in professional basketball history at the time.[15] Harding ultimately missed the entirety of the 1965–66 NBA season.

He was traded to the Chicago Bulls on October 2, 1967, for a third round pick in the 1968 NBA draft.[17] He was waived by the Bulls in December 1967 after he was suspended for overstaying a leave granted to him to attend his mother's funeral.[18]

In January 1968, Harding signed with the Indiana Pacers of the American Basketball Association (ABA). He was regarded for his physical play and was once chased off the court during a game by Denver Nuggets player Byron Beck after he elbowed Beck in the mouth.[19] Harding was fined by the Pacers on multiple occasions for misconduct and was ultimately suspended throughout the playoffs after he stopped attending practice.[20] He was waived by the Pacers at the end of the season.[21]

Harding's basketball career was cut short by a number of personal problems. Harding was arrested 11 times, often struggled with drug addictions, and was rumored to carry a pistol in his gym bag.[22][23] During a television interview, Harding threatened to shoot the Indiana Pacers' general manager, Mike Storen. Harding also reportedly threatened to shoot teammate Jimmy Rayl while the two were rooming together.[24] According to Peter Benjaminson's The Lost Supreme: The Life of Dreamgirl Florence Ballard, Harding raped Florence Ballard, a member of The Supremes, at knifepoint in 1960.[25][26] In June 1968, Harding was a police prisoner at Detroit General Hospital for an investigation of armed robbery. He returned to the hospital the following week with gunshot wounds to both legs in a separate incident.[20] In 1969, he was sentenced to 2 and a half years in prison for a concealed weapons charge and served his sentence in Southern Michigan Prison.[27] After his release in June 1971, he attempted to make an NBA comeback but never signed with a team.[27]

On September 1, 1972, Harding was shot twice in the head by a shotgun while he sat with a friend on a house porch in the east side of Detroit. The pair were approached by a man who began an argument with Harding. Harding responded by hitting the man, who left the house and returned with a shotgun. The man called out Harding's name, fired the gun and fled. Harding was taken to the Detroit General Hospital where he died the following day.[22]

• NBA high school draftees

• Career statistics and player information from Basketball-Reference.com