Neil Johnston

Johnston was born on February 4, 1929.[1] He was a 1946 graduate of Chillicothe High School in Chillicothe, Ohio, where he was an all-state player in basketball.[2] 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.[3] The team was upset in their second postseason game.[4] Johnston was named second team All-Ohio Associated Press Class A (large school).[5] He was also a high jumper on the track team and qualified for the state track meet[6] and he was on the tennis team.[7]

Johnston attended Ohio State University, where he played both baseball and basketball.[8]

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.[9]

Johnston played for the Philadelphia Warriors from 1951 to 1959. He spent his entire playing career with the Warriors.[10][11] The 6'8" Johnston was known for his sweeping right-handed hook shot.[12]

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 title. He led the league in field goal percentage in the 1952–53, 1955–56, and 1956–57 seasons.[13][1]

Johnston was a member of the Warriors' NBA championship-winning 1956 team. He played in six NBA All-Star Games,[9] was an All-NBA First Team selection four times, and was an All-NBA Second Team selection once.[2]

Johnston was forced to retire after the 1958–59 season due to a knee injury.[9][13] During his eight-year career, he averaged 19.4 points per game, 11.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists, with a field goal percentage of .444 and a free throw percentage of .768.[1]

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 assistant coach under Jack McCloskey with the Portland Trail Blazers and at Wake Forest University.[9]

Johnston coached the Pittsburgh Rens of the American Basketball League and the Wilmington Blue Bombers of the Eastern Basketball League;[9][13] in addition, he coached at Chemeketa Community College.[14] His last job was as athletic director at North Lake College in Irving, Texas.[15]

On September 28, 1978, Johnston died of a heart attack at age 49 while playing basketball with his son, Scott, in Bedford, Texas.[16][9] A memorial service was held at North Lake College and at St. Paul's Methodist Church in Hurst, Texas.[17] He was survived by his wife, Phyllis (Wilson); three daughters, Nancy, Barbara and Kay; and twin sons Daniel and Scott; and three brothers.[18][19]

In 1980, Johnston was inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame.[20] In 1990, he was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame[13][21] and the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame.[2] Johnston was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.[22]

• List of individual National Basketball Association scoring leaders by season
• List of National Basketball Association annual minutes leaders

• Alex Sachare, 100 Greatest Basketball Players of all Time (1997) ISBN 0-671-01168-5

• 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)