Cleo Hill
Encyclopedia
Cleo Hill is an American former professional basketball
player who was selected by the St. Louis Hawks in the 1st round (8th overall) of the 1961 NBA Draft
. A 6'1" guard from the Winston-Salem State University
, Hill played in the National Basketball Association
for one season with the Hawks, in 1961-62
, averaging 5.5 points in 58 games. Hill was only the fifth African-American from an historically Black college and university to be taken in the first round of an NBA draft.
In 2008, Hill was profiled in a segment on the ESPN
documentary Black Magic, which told the story of African American
s and basketball. The segment asserted that early in that 1961-62 season, St. Louis Hawks coach Paul Seymour
was told by team management to severely diminish Hill's offensive role so that stars Bob Pettit
, Cliff Hagan
, and Clyde Lovellette (who were all white) would receive more shot attempts. Seymour refused and was fired, and Hill's scoring averaged dropped from 10.8 points per game to 5.5 points per game. Hill never played in the NBA after that season.
Hill has denied that his race was a factor in his NBA struggles, saying, "It wasn't racial. It was points." He went on to become a successful head coach at Essex County College
in Newark, New Jersey
.
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player who was selected by the St. Louis Hawks in the 1st round (8th overall) of the 1961 NBA Draft
1961 NBA Draft
The 1961 NBA Draft was the 15th annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on March 27, 1961 before the 1961–62 season. In this draft, nine NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players. A player who had finished his four-year college...
. A 6'1" guard from the Winston-Salem State University
Winston-Salem State University
Winston-Salem State University , a constituent institution of the University of North Carolina, is a historically black public research university located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States. It is a member school of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund.Winston-Salem State has been...
, Hill played in the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
for one season with the Hawks, in 1961-62
1961-62 NBA season
The 1961–62 NBA season was the 16th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Boston Celtics winning their 4th straight NBA Championship, beating the Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals.-Notable occurrences:...
, averaging 5.5 points in 58 games. Hill was only the fifth African-American from an historically Black college and university to be taken in the first round of an NBA draft.
In 2008, Hill was profiled in a segment on the ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
documentary Black Magic, which told the story of African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
s and basketball. The segment asserted that early in that 1961-62 season, St. Louis Hawks coach Paul Seymour
Paul Seymour (basketball)
Paul Norman Seymour was an American basketball player and coach. A 6'1" guard, he played collegiately at the University of Toledo, and had a 12-year career in the NBA and its predecessor, the Basketball Association of America...
was told by team management to severely diminish Hill's offensive role so that stars Bob Pettit
Bob Pettit
Robert Lee "Bob" Pettit Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player. He played 11 seasons in the NBA, all with the Milwaukee/St. Louis Hawks . He was the first recipient of the NBA's Most Valuable Player Award. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1970...
, Cliff Hagan
Cliff Hagan
Clifford Oldham Hagan is an American former professional basketball player. A 6-4 forward who excelled with the hook shot, Hagan, nicknamed "Li'l Abner," played his entire 10-year NBA career with the St. Louis Hawks...
, and Clyde Lovellette (who were all white) would receive more shot attempts. Seymour refused and was fired, and Hill's scoring averaged dropped from 10.8 points per game to 5.5 points per game. Hill never played in the NBA after that season.
Hill has denied that his race was a factor in his NBA struggles, saying, "It wasn't racial. It was points." He went on to become a successful head coach at Essex County College
Essex County College
Essex County College is an open-door, public two-year college located in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. It is committed to providing quality educational programs and life-long learning activities at the most affordable cost. The college is open to students with a wide variety of...
in Newark, New Jersey
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
.
External links
- NBA stats @ basketballreference.com