 Imhoff c. 1960 | |||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | (1938-10-11)October 11, 1938 San Gabriel, California, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Died | June 30, 2017(2017-06-30) (aged 78) Bend, Oregon, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 220 lb (100 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school | Alhambra (Alhambra, California) | ||||||||||||||
| College | California (1957–1960) | ||||||||||||||
| NBA draft | 1960: 1st round, 3rd overall pick | ||||||||||||||
| Selected by theNew York Knicks | |||||||||||||||
| Playing career | 1960–1972 | ||||||||||||||
| Position | Center | ||||||||||||||
| Number | 18, 17, 14, 22, 30, 35 | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
| 1960–1962 | New York Knicks | ||||||||||||||
| 1962–1964 | Detroit Pistons | ||||||||||||||
| 1964–1968 | Los Angeles Lakers | ||||||||||||||
| 1968–1970 | Philadelphia 76ers | ||||||||||||||
| 1970–1971 | Cincinnati Royals | ||||||||||||||
| 1971–1972 | Portland Trail Blazers | ||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
Stats at NBA.com  | |||||||||||||||
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |||||||||||||||
Medals
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Darrall Tucker Imhoff (October 11, 1938 – June 30, 2017) was an American professionalbasketball player. He spent 12 seasons in theNational Basketball Association (NBA), playing for six teams from 1960 to 1972. He made anNBA All-Star team, and was also anOlympic Gold medalist. He is perhaps best remembered for being one of the defenders tasked with guardingWilt Chamberlain during hisfamed 100-point game in 1962.
Imhoff was born October 11, 1938, to Clark and Lorraine (Tucker) Imhoff.[1]He grew up in San Gabriel, California and attendedAlhambra High School,Alhambra, California.[2]
After making the team as a walk-on at theUniversity of California, Berkeley, Imhoff was a two-timeAll-American and was the top rebounder on the 1959NCAA championship team and hit the winning basket with :17 remaining. He was the leading scorer and rebounder on the 1960 NCAA runner-up Berkeley team and was a member of the gold medal-winning 1960 Olympic basketball team.[3]
As a collegian, Imhoff was feared as a shot blocker, and was a respected rebounder who was the hub around which coachPete Newell built hisNCAA championUniversity of California team. The Golden Bears edgedJerry West'sWest Virginia University team in 1959, with Imhoff rated by some the best college player in the country. In 1960, leading the nation's top-rated defense from his center spot, the 6'10" 235-pounder led Cal back to the NCAA finals before losing toJerry Lucas andOhio State. He was a two-time First Team All-American and a member of Berkeley's Nu chapter ofPhi Kappa Tau fraternity.
Imhoff was inducted into the Cal AthleticHall of Fame in 1988 and enshrined in thePac-10 Hall of Honor in 2005. His jersey at Cal (No. 40) was retired during a game between Cal andStanford atHaas Pavilion on February 14, 2009.[4]
In 75 career games at Cal, Imhoff averaged 10.0 points and 9.5 rebounds.[5]
Imhoff was a senior awaiting entry into theNational Basketball Association in 1960 when Hall of Fame CoachPete Newell, now the U.S. Olympic coach, added his prize player to the1960 United States men's Olympic basketball team for theSummer Olympic Games.Walt Bellamy and Imhoff saw action together as center and power-forward during the Rome Games, especially against the tallSoviet national team, as the Americans usually jetted out to a big lead early and then rested their starters.
The Olympic roster included Hall of Fame players Bellamy,Oscar Robertson,Jerry West,Jerry Lucas andBob Boozer, among others. Imhoff averaged 4.5 points in the 8 games as the Team USA captured the gold medal.[6]
The entire1960 United States men's Olympic basketball team and coaching staff was inducted into theNaismith Hall of Fame in 2011.[7]
Imhoff was the most highly publicizeddraft pick of the1960 NBA draft. TheNew York Knicks, picking third overall, made him their first pick, a move which generated much excitement for the team. The Knicks had two all-stars already,Richie Guerin andWillie Naulls, and looked for Imhoff to complete a potential contender in the league's largest city. Imhoff had a season which fell below hopes.
Disappointed, he was the backup center by season's end. He was the starter in a March 1962 game whenPhiladelphia Warriors centerWilt Chamberlain set an NBA recordscoring 100 points in a game.[3] After the season, Imhoff was traded to theDetroit Pistons for their All-Star guardGene Shue.
Imhoff's lack of shooting skills at the NBA level had been exposed, but he never quit working to improve. He began to see more minutes with the Pistons until he was dealt to theLos Angeles Lakers in 1964.
On a star-studded team that included Jerry West,Elgin Baylor and others, Imhoff was now a respected reserve. He contributed solidly to a team that won the NBA Western Division and made it to theNBA Finals in 1965. The Lakers were encouraged enough to start Imhoff the next season. Los Angeles again took the Western Division, but were Finals runner-up again to theBoston Celtics.
Finally, in the1966–67 season, Imhoff realised some of his potential, averaging 12 points, 13 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocks per game as a Laker starter. He made the1967 NBA All-Star Team.
Following the1967–68 season, the Lakers acquiredWilt Chamberlain from the Philadelphia 76ers in a multi-player trade that sent Imhoff to Philadelphia.
The 76ers were second in the East in1968–69, but were knocked out by Boston and Russell again in the playoffs. Imhoff was a starter again for the1969–70 campaign and Philadelphia made it to the playoffs before losing toMilwaukee andLew Alcindor.
He was traded to Cincinnati at the start of the1970–71 season for 2 players and second round draft choice and became the starting center until he tore a cartilage and ACL and had surgery. He re-injured the knee again at the start of the next season and was put on waivers.
Portland signed Imhoff to a new contract for the remainder of the1971–72 season and finished his career at the end ofPortland's bench in 1972. Imhoff retired with a bad knee and had surgery in January 1973 to repair his ACL.
In 801 career NBA games over 12 seasons, Imhoff averaged 7.2 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists.[8]
After retiring Imhoff lived inHillsboro andEugene, Oregon.[9] He was the Vice President of Sales & Marketing at the United States Basketball Academy (USBA), a prestigious, internationally recognized basketball camp located in Oregon'sMcKenzie River Valley, about 45 miles east of Eugene prior to his retirement.
He was also active in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the Providence Child Center and Rotary International.[1]
He was married to wife Susan and had three daughters, Karen, Diana and Nancy, and two sons, David and Robert.[1]
His daughter Nancy was inducted into theIdaho State University Sports Hall of Fame in 2005.[10]
Imhoff's grandson,Damon Jones, played inMajor League Baseball (MLB) for thePhiladelphia Phillies.[11]
Imhoff died on June 30, 2017, inBend, Oregon, of a heart attack.[3] He was survived by his children, 18 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.[1]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960–61 | New York | 62 | 16.0 | .394 | .510 | 4.8 | .8 | 4.7 |
| 1961–62 | New York | 76 | 19.5 | .386 | .576 | 6.2 | 1.1 | 5.9 |
| 1962–63 | Detroit | 45 | 10.2 | .314 | .480 | 3.4 | .6 | 2.7 |
| 1963–64 | Detroit | 58 | 15.0 | .414 | .605 | 4.9 | 1.0 | 4.8 |
| 1964–65 | L.A. Lakers | 76 | 20.0 | .466 | .571 | 6.6 | 1.1 | 5.0 |
| 1965–66 | L.A. Lakers | 77 | 18.4 | .448 | .566 | 6.6 | 1.5 | 4.9 |
| 1966–67 | L.A. Lakers | 81 | 33.6 | .474 | .614 | 13.3 | 2.7 | 10.7 |
| 1967–68 | L.A. Lakers | 82 | 27.7 | .478 | .619 | 10.9 | 2.5 | 9.3 |
| 1968–69 | Philadelphia | 82 | 28.8 | .470 | .597 | 9.7 | 2.7 | 9.2 |
| 1969–70 | Philadelphia | 79 | 31.3 | .540 | .650 | 9.5 | 2.7 | 13.6 |
| 1970–71 | Cincinnati | 34 | 24.3 | .461 | .507 | 6.9 | 2.3 | 8.1 |
| 1971–72 | Cincinnati | 9 | 8.4 | .345 | .375 | 3.0 | .2 | 2.6 |
| 1971–72 | Portland | 40 | 10.1 | .408 | .600 | 2.7 | 1.3 | 2.6 |
| Career | 801 | 22.3 | .458 | .594 | 7.6 | 1.8 | 7.2 | |
| All-Star | 1 | 6.0 | .000 | – | 7.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | |
| Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962–63 | Detroit | 1 | 2.0 | – | – | 1.0 | .0 | .0 |
| 1964–65 | L.A. Lakers | 11 | 13.7 | .542 | .583 | 3.9 | 1.2 | 3.0 |
| 1965–66 | L.A. Lakers | 14 | 17.4 | .350 | .722 | 5.8 | 2.1 | 2.9 |
| 1966–67 | L.A. Lakers | 3 | 28.7 | .542 | .800 | 12.3 | 1.7 | 10.0 |
| 1967–68 | L.A. Lakers | 15 | 29.3 | .494 | .510 | 10.9 | 2.0 | 7.6 |
| 1968–69 | Philadelphia | 5 | 38.2 | .500 | .658 | 16.4 | 2.4 | 18.2 |
| 1969–70 | Philadelphia | 5 | 27.6 | .458 | .143 | 7.0 | 2.2 | 9.0 |
| Career | 54 | 23.2 | .478 | .580 | 8.2 | 1.9 | 6.6 | |
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