Darnell "Dr. Dunk" Hillman (born August 29, 1949) is a former professional
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
player.
Hillman graduated from
Hiram W. Johnson High School.
The 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
forward played college basketball at
San Jose State University
San José State University (San Jose State or SJSU) is a public university in San Jose, California. Established in 1857, SJSU is the oldest public university on the West Coast and the founding campus of the California State University (CSU) sy ...
. Hillman was selected in the first round of the
1971 NBA draft (the 8th pick overall) by the
Golden State Warriors, but opted instead to play for the
Indiana Pacers of the
American Basketball Association. While at San Jose State Hillman also branched out into
track and field
Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping eve ...
. In the high jump he cleared 6'11 1/2" which still ranks 10th on San Jose's all-time list.
Hillman played six seasons for the Pacers, who joined the
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...
(NBA) with the
ABA–NBA merger
The ABA-NBA merger was a major pro sports business maneuver in 1976 when the American Basketball Association (ABA) combined with the National Basketball Association (NBA), after multiple attempts over several years. The NBA and ABA had entered ...
in June 1976. Hillman earned a reputation for his stylish
slam dunk
A slam dunk, also simply known as dunk, is a type of basketball shot that is performed when a player jumps in the air, controls the ball above the horizontal plane of the rim, and scores by shoving the ball directly through the basket with one ...
s and oversized
afro
The afro is a hair type created by natural growth of kinky hair, or specifically styled with chemical curling products by individuals with naturally curly or straight hair.Garland, Phyl"Is The Afro On Its Way Out?" ''Ebony'', February 1973. ...
hairstyle.
He would even be named the winner of the NBA's Slam Dunk Contest in the 1976–77 season, which was a precursor to the event that's known today, although he wouldn't be give an official trophy for it until March 8, 2017 In the final of that contest, which took place at halftime of Game 5 of the
1977 NBA Finals
The 1977 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 1976–77 season, and the culmination of the season's playoffs. The Western Conference champion Portland Trail Blazers played ag ...
Hillman defeated
Larry McNeill
Larry McNeill (January 31, 1951 – December 29, 2004) was an American National Basketball Association player.
College career
McNeill played at college basketball at Marquette University, with the Warriors.
Professional career
McNeill was dra ...
of the
Golden State Warriors. At the time of the final, Hillman's rights had been traded to the
New York Nets
New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created.
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
Albums and EPs
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...
, but he had not yet signed a contract. Since he was not officially a member of any NBA team, instead of wearing a jersey, he competed in a plain white tank top. Then for the post-competition interview, Hillman donned a shirt with the words "Bottle Shoppe" – the name of an Indianapolis liquor store, which is still in existence, and was the sponsor of a city parks softball league team for which Hillman played left field (and the only team he was a member of at the time).
Hillman later played with the
New Jersey Nets
New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created.
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
Albums and EPs
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator ...
,
Denver Nuggets,
Kansas City Kings
The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference Pacific Division ( ...
, and
Golden State Warriors in the NBA, and he ended his career in 1980 with combined NBA/ABA totals of 6,666 points and 5,187 rebounds during the regular season, and 7,339 points and 5,809 rebounds including the post-season.
Hillman also played for the
United States men's national basketball team
The USA Basketball Men's National Team, commonly known as the United States men's national basketball team, is the basketball team representing the United States. They are the most successful team in international competition, winning medals in ...
at the
1970 FIBA World Championship
The 1970 FIBA World Championship was the 6th FIBA World Championship, the international basketball world championship for men's teams. It was hosted by Yugoslavia in Sarajevo, Split, Karlovac, Skopje and Ljubljana, from 10 to 24 May 1970. It was ...
.
Hillman was once asked by a reporter if it was true he could jump high enough to grab a quarter off the top of the backboard. Hillman responded, "Put a $100 bill up there and see." The reporter, who had heard the stories of Hillman picking quarters off the top of backboards, turned down the offer.
At the 1997 ABA reunion, Hillman won the "Biggest ABA Afro" Award.
Currently, Hillman serves as Associate Director of Camps, Clinics & Alumni Relations for the
Indiana Pacers.
On February 4, 2012, Hillman's #45 was retired by
San Jose State University
San José State University (San Jose State or SJSU) is a public university in San Jose, California. Established in 1857, SJSU is the oldest public university on the West Coast and the founding campus of the California State University (CSU) sy ...
.
Hillman joins
Ricky Berry
Ricky Alan Berry (October 6, 1964 – August 14, 1989) was an American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Sacramento Kings.
Early life
Berry was born in Lansing, Michigan in 1964, when his father ...
(#34) and
Olivier Saint-Jean (#3) as the only Spartans to have their jerseys retired.
References
External links
Career statistics
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hillman, Darnell
1949 births
Living people
African-American basketball players
American men's basketball players
Basketball players from Sacramento, California
Denver Nuggets players
Golden State Warriors draft picks
Golden State Warriors players
Indiana Pacers players
Kansas City Kings players
New Jersey Nets players
Power forwards (basketball)
San Jose State Spartans men's basketball players
United States men's national basketball team players
21st-century African-American people
20th-century African-American sportspeople
1970 FIBA World Championship players