Jim Neal
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 21, 1930 Silverstreet, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | October 3, 2011 (aged 81) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) |
| Listed weight | 235 lb (107 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Wofford (1949–1953) |
| NBA draft | 1953: 1st round, 6th overall pick |
| Drafted by | Syracuse Nationals |
| Position | Center |
| Number | 17 |
| Career history | |
| 1953–1954 | Syracuse Nationals |
| 1954 | Baltimore Bullets |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
James Ellerbe "Daddy" Neal (May 21, 1930 – October 3, 2011) was an American basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Neal, a 6'11" center, played college basketball for the Wofford Terriers from 1949 to 1953, leading the NCAA's small colleges in scoring as a senior at 32.6 points per game. 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) At Wofford, Neal received the nickname "Daddy," a reference to his long, thin arms and legs which students compared to a daddy longlegs spider.
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.
Neal was inducted into the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame in 1990. Neal died on October 3, 2011, in his home in Greer, South Carolina.