Neil Johnston

With a devastating sweeping hook shot from the pivot, Neil Johnston became one of the early NBA's most prolific scorers. The 6-foot-8-inch former minor league baseball star played eight NBA seasons with the Philadelphia Warriors. During the 1953-54 season, "Gabby" enjoyed five of the league's top six individual game highs, and led the NBA with a 50-point effort against Syracuse. A multidimensional player, Johnston used his athletic talent to lead the NBA in scoring (1953, 1954, 1955), rebounding (1955), and field goal percentage (1953, 1956, 1957). For five consecutive seasons starting in 1953, Johnston averaged better than 20 points per game despite playing during an era of legendary centers. After a career-ending knee injury, Johnston became coach of the Philadelphia Warriors and the Pittsburgh Rens of the American Basketball League as well as the Wilmington Blue Bombers of the Eastern Basketball League.