Jim McMillian

Jim McMillian
Personal information
Born	March 11, 1948; Raeford, North Carolina, U.S.
Died	May 16, 2016 (aged 68); Winston-Salem, North Carolina, U.S.
Listed height	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Listed weight	215 lb (98 kg)
Career information
High school	Thomas Jefferson; (Brooklyn, New York)
College	Columbia (1967–1970)
NBA draft	1970: 1st round, 13th overall pick
	Selected by the Los Angeles Lakers
Playing career	1970–1981
Position	Small forward
Number	5
Career history
1970–1973	Los Angeles Lakers
1973–1976	Buffalo Braves
1976–1978	New York Knicks
1978–1979	Portland Trail Blazers
1979–1981	Sinudyne Bologna
Career highlights and awards
	NBA champion (1972); Italian League champion (1980); First-team All-American – USBWA (1969); 2× Second-team All-American – NABC (1969, 1970); Third-team All-American – UPI (1969); Third-team All-American – AP (1970); 3× First-team All-Ivy League (1968–1970); 3× Haggerty Award (1968–1970); First-team Parade All-American (1966);
Career NBA statistics
Points	8,736 (13.8 ppg)
Rebounds	3,319 (5.3 rpg)
Assists	1,557 (2.5 apg)
	Stats at NBA.com
	Stats at Basketball Reference

James M. McMillian (March 11, 1948 – May 16, 2016) was an American professional basketball player. After starring at Thomas Jefferson High School in Brooklyn, McMillian played college basketball at Columbia University. He led Columbia to a three-year mark of 63–14, and their last NCAA Tournament appearance in 1968, his sophomore year.^[1] The tourney ended with a third-place finish for Columbia in the East regional, and Columbia ended that 1967–68 season the sixth-ranked college team in the nation.

"Jimmy Mac" not only was a three-time All-American and All-Ivy Leaguer, he was All-East each year, the ECAC Sophomore of the Year, and became the first person to earn the Haggerty Award in each of his three varsity seasons. He is also known for doing a reverse behind the back layup in the 1972 NBA Finals, winning the 1972 championship in the end.

He scored 1,758 career points then a record, now second and averaged 22.9 points per game second-best then and now. McMillian is also second in career rebounds (743) and holds the season records for field goals in a season (253) and career (677). But despite their outstanding winning percentages, his Columbia teams managed only one Ivy League title in a period when they battled tough Princeton teams with Geoff Petrie and John Hummer and Penn teams with Dave Wohl and Corky Calhoun.

A 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) tall forward, he was drafted in the first round as the 13th overall pick by the Los Angeles Lakers of the NBA and was also a pick of the Utah Stars of the ABA. He chose the Lakers and spent three years there, scoring 3,714 points, an average of 15.3 per game. In 1972, he helped lead the Lakers to an NBA Championship, averaging 19.1 points per game in the playoffs. He was a key factor in the Lakers' record-setting 33-game winning streak that season. McMillian, who was in his second season that year, replaced Elgin Baylor at forward and the team immediately launched their streak. After the retirement of Wilt Chamberlain, the Lakers needed a center and traded McMillian to the Buffalo Braves for Elmore Smith. He later played for the New York Knicks and Portland Trail Blazers.^[2]

At the end of his career he moved to Italy and played for Sinudyne Bologna for two seasons winning two Italian titles and reaching the final of the European Champions' Cup in 1981 where he did not play due to a serious injury.^[3]

McMillian's younger brother, Lloyd, played college basketball for the Loyola Marymount Lions and Long Beach State 49ers.^[4]

McMillian died from complications of heart failure on May 16, 2016.^[5]

References

^ "Jim McMillian, Key Player for Lakers Title Team, Dies at 68". The New York Times. May 17, 2016. Retrieved July 17, 2016.
^ Wallace, Phil (February 8, 2001). "McMillian Starred for Lion Teams, And in NBA". Columbia Daily Spectator. Retrieved July 17, 2016.
^ "BATS web - Il Basket del Bats: formazioni del campionato italiano (1976-1980)". Il Basket del Bats. Retrieved July 17, 2016.
^ Goldaper, Sam (December 13, 1976). "Long Beach State Excels, As Does 'Other' McMillian". The New York Times. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
^ "Jim McMillian, 9-year NBA veteran with 4 teams, dies at 68". ESPN. May 17, 2016. Retrieved July 17, 2016.

External links

Career statistics from NBA.com and Basketball Reference
Jim McMillian – college basketball player statistics at Sports Reference
The book "Buffalo, Home of the Braves", complete narrative and photo history of the Buffalo Braves Archived May 11, 2021, at the Wayback Machine

[ap-1] "Jim McMillian, Key Player for Lakers Title Team, Dies at 68". The New York Times. May 17, 2016. Retrieved July 17, 2016.

[wallace-2] Wallace, Phil (February 8, 2001). "McMillian Starred for Lion Teams, And in NBA". Columbia Daily Spectator. Retrieved July 17, 2016.

[3] "BATS web - Il Basket del Bats: formazioni del campionato italiano (1976-1980)". Il Basket del Bats. Retrieved July 17, 2016.

[4] Goldaper, Sam (December 13, 1976). "Long Beach State Excels, As Does 'Other' McMillian". The New York Times. Retrieved February 8, 2024.

[5] "Jim McMillian, 9-year NBA veteran with 4 teams, dies at 68". ESPN. May 17, 2016. Retrieved July 17, 2016.

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v t e 1970 NBA draft
First round	Bob Lanier Rudy Tomjanovich Pete Maravich Dave Cowens Sam Lacey Jim Ard John Johnson Geoff Petrie George Johnson Greg Howard Jimmy Collins Al Henry Jim McMillian John Vallely John Hummer Gary Freeman Mike Price
Second round	Calvin Murphy Nate Archibald Jake Ford Rex Morgan Doug Cook Pete Cross Cornell Warner Walt Gilmore Dave Sorenson Fred Taylor Paul Ruffner Joe DePre Earnie Killum Dan Hester Ken Warzynski Bill Zopf Howie Wright

v t e Los Angeles Lakers 1971–72 NBA champions
5 McMillian 11 Cleamons 12 Riley 13 Chamberlain (Finals MVP) 14 Ellis 21 Robinson 24 Erickson 25 Goodrich 31 Trapp 44 West 52 Hairston
Head coach: Sharman
Assistant coaches: Bertka Jones
Regular season Playoffs