Gary Neal
Encyclopedia
Gary Neal is an American professional basketball
guard for the San Antonio Spurs
of the National Basketball Association
(NBA). Neal attended Aberdeen High School
and Calvert Hall College High School
in Maryland then played college basketball at La Salle University
before tranfserring to Towson University
. He began his professional career abroad with teams in Turkey, Spain, and Italy before signing with the Spurs in 2010. At 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) tall and weighs 95 kg (210 lb), Neal is considered a combo guard
.
, Neal played at Aberdeen High School
and one year at Calvert Hall College High School
. As a junior, he led Aberdeen to a 21–4 record and won their state championship, while averaging a triple double per game. One of his Aberdeen teammates was former George Mason forward-center Jai Lewis
. During his senior season, his Calvert Hall team went 22–9. One of his teammates on that squad was former Miami shooting guard Jack McClinton.
in scoring with an 18.6 average during his two seasons for the Explorers. Before the 2004–05 season, Neal was dismissed from the team due to a rape allegation by a University of New Haven
women's basketball player who was working at La Salle camp. Neal was later acquitted after prosecutors failed to convince a jury that the woman was too drunk to consent to sex.
Neal sat out the 2004–05 season to transfer to Towson University
. He initially joined Towson with no athletic aspirations, but was given a walk-on spot on their basketball team in 2005–06 conditional on the result of his rape case. Neal was activated as soon as he was acquitted, and received a scholarship for his senior year in 2006–07. That year, he returned to high scoring numbers averaging 25.3 points per game, 3.5 assists per game, 4.2 rebounds per game, and he led the Tigers to the 2nd round of the 2007 CAA conference tournament, before losing to Old Dominion University
. He became the fourth basketball player in NCAA history to score at least 1,000 points with two different schools.
in June and was projected to be on the bubble to get drafted. Neal went undrafted
. When playing for Pınar Karşıyaka
, Neal lead the Turkish Basketball League
in scoring, averaging 23.6 points per game.
Eventually, FC Barcelona
bought out Neal's Pınar Karşıyaka contract. Neal was signed by FC Barcelona in January 2008. In Barcelona he played with Pepe Sanchez
, the former Philadelphia 76er
, and Juan Carlos Navarro
. He averaged 2.3 points per game in the Euroleague
and 3.3 points per game in the Spanish ACB League with Barcelona during the 2007–08 season.
In June 2008, he was signed by the Italian Lega A outfit Benetton Treviso
. Benetton Treviso is known as one of the most organized basketball clubs in Italy. Neal was the starting shooting guard
for Benetton, and there he played with both American and international players, including two stars of the Italian national basketball team
. With Benetton, he was also named to the ULEB Eurocup (the league below the Euroleague
level) All-Eurocup Second Team
during the 2008–09 season.
Neal then joined the Spanish League club Unicaja Málaga, where he finished the 2009–10 season, averaging 12.6 points per game in Spanish League play.
On July 22, 2010, the San Antonio Spurs
of the NBA signed Neal to a three-year deal. In the 2010–11 NBA season
, Neal played 80 games and started one and scored 45.1% of his field goal attempts, 41.9% of three-pointers, and 80.8% of free throws; he also averaged 9.8 points per game and 2.5 rebounds per game. On April 27, 2011, during game 5 of the first round of the NBA Playoffs and the Spurs trailing the Memphis Grizzlies
97-94 and the series 3 games to one, Neal scored a buzzer-beating three-pointer with 1.7 seconds left in the fourth quarter. The Spurs beat the Grizzlies 110-103 in overtime and forced a sixth game in the series. However, the Spurs lost Game 6 to the Grizzlies 99-91 and were eliminated from the playoffs in the first round. In 22 minutes that game, Neal scored 8 points and made 5 rebounds, one assist, and one steal.
| align="left" | 2010–11
| align="left" | San Antonio
| 80 || 1 || 21.1 || .451 || .419 || .808 || 2.5 || 1.2 || .3 || .1 || 9.8
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 80 || 1 || 21.1 || .451 || .419 || .808 || 2.5 || 1.2 || .3 || .1 || 9.8
| align="left" | 2010–11
| align="left" | San Antonio
| 6 || 0 || 18.5 || .370 || .263 || 1.000 || 3.0 || 0.8 || .2 || .2 || 7.7
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 6 || 0 || 18.5 || .370 || .263 || 1.000 || 3.0 || 0.8 || .2 || .2 || 7.7
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...
guard for the San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
of 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...
(NBA). Neal attended Aberdeen High School
Aberdeen High School (Aberdeen, Maryland)
Aberdeen High School is a public high school in Aberdeen, Maryland.The school is a part of the Harford County Public Schools.-Science and Mathematics Academy:...
and Calvert Hall College High School
Calvert Hall College High School
Calvert Hall College High School is a Catholic college preparatory high school for boys located in Towson, Maryland, United States...
in Maryland then played college basketball at La Salle University
La Salle University
La Salle University is a private, co-educational, Roman Catholic university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. Named for St. Jean-Baptiste de La Salle, the school was founded in 1863 by the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools. As of 2008 the school has approximately 7,554...
before tranfserring to Towson University
Towson University
Towson University, often referred to as TU or simply Towson for short, is a public university located in Towson in Baltimore County, Maryland, U.S...
. He began his professional career abroad with teams in Turkey, Spain, and Italy before signing with the Spurs in 2010. At 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) tall and weighs 95 kg (210 lb), Neal is considered a combo guard
Combo Guard
A combo guard is a basketball player who combines the attributes of a shooting guard and point guard , but does not necessarily fit the standard description of either position...
.
High school career
Born in BaltimoreBaltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, Neal played at Aberdeen High School
Aberdeen High School (Aberdeen, Maryland)
Aberdeen High School is a public high school in Aberdeen, Maryland.The school is a part of the Harford County Public Schools.-Science and Mathematics Academy:...
and one year at Calvert Hall College High School
Calvert Hall College High School
Calvert Hall College High School is a Catholic college preparatory high school for boys located in Towson, Maryland, United States...
. As a junior, he led Aberdeen to a 21–4 record and won their state championship, while averaging a triple double per game. One of his Aberdeen teammates was former George Mason forward-center Jai Lewis
Jai Lewis
Jai Lamar Lewis is an American basketball player who currently plays in Japan for Rera Kamuy Hokkaido.-College career:...
. During his senior season, his Calvert Hall team went 22–9. One of his teammates on that squad was former Miami shooting guard Jack McClinton.
College career
As a freshman, Neal was the Atlantic Ten Rookie Of The Year. He led the La Salle ExplorersLa Salle Explorers
La Salle Explorers is the name of the athletic teams from La Salle University. The school's 23 varsity sports teams compete in the NCAA's Division I and are a member of the Atlantic Ten Conference. The American football team previously played in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Football...
in scoring with an 18.6 average during his two seasons for the Explorers. Before the 2004–05 season, Neal was dismissed from the team due to a rape allegation by a University of New Haven
University of New Haven
The University of New Haven is a private university that combines a liberal arts education with professional training. The university comprises five colleges: the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Business, the Tagliatela College of Engineering, the Henry C...
women's basketball player who was working at La Salle camp. Neal was later acquitted after prosecutors failed to convince a jury that the woman was too drunk to consent to sex.
Neal sat out the 2004–05 season to transfer to Towson University
Towson University
Towson University, often referred to as TU or simply Towson for short, is a public university located in Towson in Baltimore County, Maryland, U.S...
. He initially joined Towson with no athletic aspirations, but was given a walk-on spot on their basketball team in 2005–06 conditional on the result of his rape case. Neal was activated as soon as he was acquitted, and received a scholarship for his senior year in 2006–07. That year, he returned to high scoring numbers averaging 25.3 points per game, 3.5 assists per game, 4.2 rebounds per game, and he led the Tigers to the 2nd round of the 2007 CAA conference tournament, before losing to Old Dominion University
Old Dominion University
Old Dominion University is a state university located in Norfolk, Virginia, United States, and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools...
. He became the fourth basketball player in NCAA history to score at least 1,000 points with two different schools.
Pro career
Neal was eligible in the 2007 NBA Draft2007 NBA Draft
The 2007 NBA Draft was held on June 28, 2007 at the WaMu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. It was broadcast on television in 115 countries. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur U.S...
in June and was projected to be on the bubble to get drafted. Neal went undrafted
Undrafted
An undrafted sportsperson or undrafted free agent is specific type of sportsperson who plays, or attempts to play, in a professional sports league without first being selected in a draft....
. When playing for Pınar Karşıyaka
Pinar Karsiyaka
Pınar Karşıyaka is a professional basketball team based in the city of İzmir in Turkey. It is a section of the Karşıyaka SK. The team was sponsored by Pınar since 1998. It is the product of Yasar Holding's Food and Beverage Group....
, Neal lead the Turkish Basketball League
Turkish Basketball League
The Turkish Basketball League is the top men’s professional basketball league in Turkey, which is also called Turkish Premier Basketball League . There is also a Turkish Second Basketball League consisting of 2 divisions .-History:The first basketball game played in Turkey was at the Robert...
in scoring, averaging 23.6 points per game.
Eventually, FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona Bàsquet
FC Barcelona Bàsquet, known as FC Barcelona Regal for sponsorship reasons, is a Spanish professional basketball club. It is part of the FC Barcelona sports club and was founded on August 24, 1926 which makes it the oldest club in Liga ACB. The club competes in the Asociación de Clubes de Baloncesto...
bought out Neal's Pınar Karşıyaka contract. Neal was signed by FC Barcelona in January 2008. In Barcelona he played with Pepe Sanchez
Juan Ignacio Sánchez
Juan Ignacio Sánchez Brown, also known as Pepe Sánchez , is an Argentine professional basketball player. He is a point guard. He was part of Argentina's 2004 Olympic gold medal team. Pepe Sánchez was the first Argentine to play in the NBA...
, the former Philadelphia 76er
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
, and Juan Carlos Navarro
Juan Carlos Navarro (basketball)
Juan Carlos Navarro Feijoo , nicknamed "La Bomba" , is a Spanish professional basketball player...
. He averaged 2.3 points per game in the Euroleague
Euroleague
Euroleague Basketball, commonly known as the Euroleague, is the highest level tier and most important professional club basketball competition in Europe, with teams from up to 18 different countries, members of FIBA Europe. For sponsorship reasons, for five seasons starting with 2010–2011, it is...
and 3.3 points per game in the Spanish ACB League with Barcelona during the 2007–08 season.
In June 2008, he was signed by the Italian Lega A outfit Benetton Treviso
Pallacanestro Treviso
Pallacanestro Treviso, more often known by its sponsorship name of Benetton Basket, or Benetton Treviso, is an Italian Serie A League professional basketball club from Treviso, the headquarters city of its longtime owner Benetton Group...
. Benetton Treviso is known as one of the most organized basketball clubs in Italy. Neal was the starting shooting guard
Shooting guard
The shooting guard , also known as the two or off guard, is one of five traditional positions on a basketball team. Players of the position are often shorter, leaner, and quicker than forwards. A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for his team...
for Benetton, and there he played with both American and international players, including two stars of the Italian national basketball team
Italy national basketball team
The Italian national basketball team is the national basketball team representing Italy. It is administrated by the Federazione Italiana Pallacanestro ....
. With Benetton, he was also named to the ULEB Eurocup (the league below the Euroleague
Euroleague
Euroleague Basketball, commonly known as the Euroleague, is the highest level tier and most important professional club basketball competition in Europe, with teams from up to 18 different countries, members of FIBA Europe. For sponsorship reasons, for five seasons starting with 2010–2011, it is...
level) All-Eurocup Second Team
ULEB Eurocup Awards
The Eurocup Basketball Awards are the awards given to the top individual performers of each season's edition of Eurocup Basketball, which is Europe's second-tier level continental professional basketball competition...
during the 2008–09 season.
Neal then joined the Spanish League club Unicaja Málaga, where he finished the 2009–10 season, averaging 12.6 points per game in Spanish League play.
On July 22, 2010, the San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
of the NBA signed Neal to a three-year deal. In the 2010–11 NBA season
2010–11 NBA season
The 2010–11 NBA season was the 65th season of the National Basketball Association . The 2011 NBA All-Star Game was played on February 20, 2011 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Miami Heat in six games, 4 games to 2, to win their first NBA title, and...
, Neal played 80 games and started one and scored 45.1% of his field goal attempts, 41.9% of three-pointers, and 80.8% of free throws; he also averaged 9.8 points per game and 2.5 rebounds per game. On April 27, 2011, during game 5 of the first round of the NBA Playoffs and the Spurs trailing the Memphis Grizzlies
Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies are a professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. The team is part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Along with the Toronto Raptors, the Grizzlies were established in 1995 as part of the NBA's...
97-94 and the series 3 games to one, Neal scored a buzzer-beating three-pointer with 1.7 seconds left in the fourth quarter. The Spurs beat the Grizzlies 110-103 in overtime and forced a sixth game in the series. However, the Spurs lost Game 6 to the Grizzlies 99-91 and were eliminated from the playoffs in the first round. In 22 minutes that game, Neal scored 8 points and made 5 rebounds, one assist, and one steal.
Regular season
|-| align="left" | 2010–11
2010–11 NBA season
The 2010–11 NBA season was the 65th season of the National Basketball Association . The 2011 NBA All-Star Game was played on February 20, 2011 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Miami Heat in six games, 4 games to 2, to win their first NBA title, and...
| align="left" | San Antonio
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
| 80 || 1 || 21.1 || .451 || .419 || .808 || 2.5 || 1.2 || .3 || .1 || 9.8
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 80 || 1 || 21.1 || .451 || .419 || .808 || 2.5 || 1.2 || .3 || .1 || 9.8
Playoffs
|-| align="left" | 2010–11
2011 NBA Playoffs
The 2011 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2010–11 season. Eight teams from each of the league's two conferences qualified for the playoffs, all seeded 1 to 8 in a tournament bracket, with all rounds in a best-of-seven format. The 2011 NBA Playoffs began on...
| align="left" | San Antonio
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
| 6 || 0 || 18.5 || .370 || .263 || 1.000 || 3.0 || 0.8 || .2 || .2 || 7.7
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 6 || 0 || 18.5 || .370 || .263 || 1.000 || 3.0 || 0.8 || .2 || .2 || 7.7