Philadelphia 76ers legend and Basketball Hall-of-Famer Hal Greer has died. (Reuters)
Basketball Hall of Famer Hal Greer has died, the NBA announced Monday. He was 81.
Greer played 15 seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers and Syracuse Nationals from 1958 to 1973. He was named an All-Star 10 consecutive times from 1961 to 1970 and won the game’s MVP in 1968 after he scored 21 points on 8-of-8 shooting, including 19 in one quarter.
Greer helped the 76ers win an NBA championship in 1967 – the franchise’s first since the team moved from Syracuse to Philadelphia prior to the start of the 1963-64 season.
The Huntington, W.Va. native is widely considered to be the third best guard of the 1960s behind Oscar Robertson and Jerry West, despite never making an All-NBA First Team selection.
Over the course of his career, Greer averaged 19.2 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists in 1,122 games. He is the 76ers’ all-time leader in points, field goals, field goals attempted, games and minutes played. He was also the first player to have his number retired by the organization.
Greer was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1982 alongside Slater Martin, Frank Ramsey, Willie Reed, Clarence Gaines and Ava Duer.
“In addition to his historic contributions on the court, Greer will forever be remembered as a true gentleman who used the tremendous platform of basketball to uplift and inspire others,” the 76ers said in a statement.
The organization plans to honor Greer ahead of Game 2 of its first-round matchup against the Miami Heat later Monday.
Receive your weekly recap of all the happenings around the world of sports.