| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1929-02-04)February 4, 1929 Chillicothe, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | September 28, 1978(1978-09-28) (aged 49) Irving, Texas, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) |
| Listed weight | 210 lb (95 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Chillicothe (Chillicothe, Ohio) |
| College | Ohio State (1946–1948) |
| NBA draft | 1950:undrafted |
| Playing career | 1951–1959 |
| Position | Center |
| Number | 6 |
| Coaching career | 1959–1965 |
| Career history | |
Playing | |
| 1951–1959 | Philadelphia Warriors |
| 1961–1962 | Pittsburgh Rens |
Coaching | |
| 1959–1961 | Philadelphia Warriors |
| 1961–1963 | Pittsburgh Rens |
| 1964–1966 | Wilmington Blue Bombers |
| Career highlights | |
As player:
As head coach:
| |
| Career playing statistics | |
| Points | 10,023 (19.4 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 5,856 (11.3 rpg) |
| Assists | 1,269 (2.5 apg) |
Stats at NBA.com  | |
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |
| Career coaching record | |
| NBA | 95–59 (.617) |
| Record atBasketball Reference | |
| Basketball Hall of Fame | |
| Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame | |
Donald Neil Johnston (February 4, 1929 – September 28, 1978) was an Americanbasketball player and coach. Acenter, Johnston played in theNational Basketball Association (NBA) from 1951 to 1959. He was a member of thePhiladelphia Warriors for his entire career. Known for his hook shot, Johnston was a six-time NBA All-Star; he led the NBA in scoring three times and led the league in rebounding once. He won an NBA championship with the Warriors in 1956. After his playing career ended due to a knee injury, Johnston coached in the NBA, in other professional basketball leagues, and at the collegiate level. He was inducted into theNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a player in 1990.
Johnston was born on February 4, 1929.[1] He was a 1946 graduate ofChillicothe High School inChillicothe, Ohio, where he was an all-state player in basketball.[2] He led the Red Devils to an undefeated 16–0 regular season and ranked second in Ohio in 1945–46 as the team won its finale 82–19 behind Johnston's 38 points. He averaged 23.7 per game that year, playing only about half of some games.[3] The team was upset in their second postseason game.[4] Johnston was named second team All-OhioAssociated Press Class A (large school).[5] He was also a high jumper on the track team and qualified for the state track meet[6] and he was on the tennis team.[7]
Johnston attendedOhio State University, where he played bothbaseball andbasketball.[8]
Johnston signed a professionalbaseball contract with thePhiladelphia Phillies after two years of college. After failing to distinguish himself in minor league baseball, he tried out for the NBA'sPhiladelphia Warriors at the team camp inHershey, Pennsylvania in 1951 and was signed to a contract.[9]
Johnston played for the Philadelphia Warriors from 1951 to 1959. He spent his entire playing career with the Warriors.[10][11] The 6-foot-8-inch (2.03 m) Johnston was known for his sweeping right-handed hook shot.[12]
Johnston led the NBA in scoring for three consecutive seasons: 1952–53, 1953–54, and 1954–55. During the1954–55 season, he also won the league's rebounding title. He led the league in field goal percentage in the 1952–53,1955–56, and1956–57 seasons.[13][1]
Johnston was a member of the Warriors' NBA championship-winning 1956 team. He played in six NBA All-Star Games,[9] was an All-NBA First Team selection four times, and was an All-NBA Second Team selection once.[2]
Johnston was forced to retire after the 1958–59 season due to a knee injury.[9][13] During his eight-year career, he averaged 19.4 points per game, 11.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists, with a field goal percentage of .444 and a free throw percentage of .768.[1]
After his playing career ended, Johnston was head coach of the Philadelphia Warriors during the 1959–60 and 1960–61 seasons before resigning. Johnston coached the Warriors during the first two seasons ofWilt Chamberlain's NBA career, compiling a record of 95–59. He also worked as an assistant coach underJack McCloskey with thePortland Trail Blazers and atWake Forest University.[9]
Johnston coached thePittsburgh Rens of theAmerican Basketball League and the Wilmington Blue Bombers of theEastern Professional Basketball League (EPBL);[9][13] he won an EPBL championship in 1966.[14] In addition, he coached at Chemeketa Community College.[15] His last job was as athletic director atNorth Lake College inIrving, Texas.[16]
On September 28, 1978, Johnston died of a heart attack at age 49 while playing basketball with his son, Scott, in Bedford, Texas.[17][9] A memorial service was held at North Lake College and at St. Paul's Methodist Church inHurst, Texas.[18] He was survived by his wife, Phyllis (Wilson); three daughters, Nancy, Barbara and Kay; and twin sons Daniel and Scott; and three brothers.[19][20]
In 1980, Johnston was inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame.[21] In 1990, he was enshrined in theNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame[13][22] and the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame.[2] Johnston was inducted into theNational Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.[23]
| 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 |
| † | Won anNBA championship | * | Led the league |
| Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1951–52 | Philadelphia | 64 | 15.5 | 472 | .662 | 5.3 | 0.6 | 6.0 |
| 1952–53 | Philadelphia | 70 | 45.2* | .452* | .700 | 13.9 | 2.8 | 22.3* |
| 1953–54 | Philadelphia | 72 | 45.8* | .449 | .747 | 11.1 | 2.8 | 24.4* |
| 1954–55 | Philadelphia | 72 | 40.5 | .440 | .766 | 15.1* | 3.0 | 22.7* |
| 1955–56† | Philadelphia | 70 | 37.1 | .457* | .801 | 12.5 | 3.2 | 22.1 |
| 1956–57 | Philadelphia | 69 | 36.7 | .447* | .826 | 12.4 | 2.9 | 22.8 |
| 1957–58 | Philadelphia | 71 | 33.9 | .429 | .819 | 11.1 | 2.3 | 19.5 |
| 1958–59 | Philadelphia | 28 | 14.0 | .329 | .784 | 5.0 | 0.8 | 6.3 |
| Career | 516 | 35.5 | .444 | .768 | 11.3 | 2.5 | 19.4 | |
| All-Star | 6 | 22.0 | .429 | .696 | 8.6 | 1.0 | 11.7 | |
| Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | Philadelphia | 3 | 10.7 | .500 | .750 | 3.3 | 0.3 | 5.3 |
| 1956† | Philadelphia | 10 | 39.7 | .408 | .707 | 14.3 | 5.1 | 20.3 |
| 1957 | Philadelphia | 2 | 42.0 | .321 | .667 | 17.5 | 4.5 | 19.0 |
| 1958 | Philadelphia | 8 | 23.96 | .385 | .818 | 8.6 | 1.8 | 10.9 |
| Career | 23 | 30.5 | .390 | .734 | 11.2 | 3.3 | 15.0 | |