Jim Neal

James Ellerbe "Daddy" Neal (May 21, 1930 – October 3, 2011) was an American basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

This article is about the basketball player. For other people with similar names, see James Neal.
Jim Neal
Personal information
Born(1930-05-21)May 21, 1930
Silverstreet, South Carolina, U.S.
DiedOctober 3, 2011(2011-10-03) (aged 81)
Listed height6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)
Listed weight235 lb (107 kg)
Career information
CollegeWofford (1949–1953)
NBA draft1953: 1st round, 6th overall pick
Selected by the Syracuse Nationals
PositionCenter
Number17
Career history
1953–1954Syracuse Nationals
1954Baltimore Bullets
Stats  at NBA.com
Stats  at Basketball-Reference.com

Neal, a 6'11" center, played college basketball at Wofford College from 1949 to 1953, where he led the NCAA's small colleges in scoring as a senior at 32.6 points per game.[1] For his career, Neal scored 2,078 points (23.3 per game) and had 1,500 rebounds (16.9). He set numerous school records at Wofford, including most points in a game (57), highest scoring average for a season (32.6 PPG) and highest season rebounding average (26.5)[2] At Wofford, Neal received the nickname "Daddy," a reference to his long, thin arms and legs which students compared to a daddy longlegs spider.[3]

Following his graduation from Wofford, Neal was drafted by the Syracuse Nationals with the sixth overall pick of the 1953 NBA draft. He played one season for the Nationals, averaging 4.7 points and 3.8 rebounds in 67 games. Neal played the next season with the Baltimore Bullets, where he averaged 2.9 points and 3.6 rebounds per game until the franchise folded in November 1954.[4]

Neal died on October 3, 2011, in his home in Greer, South Carolina.[3]

Career statistics
Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

NBA

Source[4]

Regular season
Year Team GP MPG FG% FT% RPG APG PPG
1953–54 Syracuse 67 13.4 .317 .591 3.8 .4 4.7
1954–55 Baltimore 13 14.9 .203 .667 3.6 .7 2.9
Career 80 13.7 .301 .601 3.8 .4 4.4

Playoffs
Year Team GP MPG FG% FT% RPG APG PPG
1954 Syracuse 11 9.1 .371 .385 2.5 .2 2.8

References
  1. "Ellerbe Neal wins small college scoring crown". The Florence Times Daily. March 28, 1953. Retrieved October 5, 2011.
  2. 2010-11 Wofford men's basketball media guide, accessed October 5, 2011
  3. Wofford basketball legend James Neal dead at age 81, accessed October 5, 2011
  4. "Jim Neal NBA statistics". Basketball Reference. Sports Reference, LLC. Retrieved 28 September 2023.


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