Larry McNeill (January 31, 1951 – December 29, 2004) was an American

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 ...

player.

College career

McNeill played at

college basketball In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...

Marquette University Marquette University () is a private Jesuit research university in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Established by the Society of Jesus as Marquette College on August 28, 1881, it was founded by John Martin Henni, the first Bishop of the diocese of M ...

, with the Warriors.

Professional career

McNeill was drafted in the second round of the

1973 NBA draft The 1973 NBA draft was the 27th annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on April 24 and May 5, 1973, before the 1973–74 season. In this draft, 17 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college baske ...

, by the

Kansas City–Omaha 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 Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...

, and would play with the franchise until 1976. That year, he was traded to the

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, for a third-round draft pick. In 1977, he signed as a

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

with the Golden State Warriors. The following two years, he signed as a free agent with the

Buffalo Braves The Buffalo Braves were an American professional basketball franchise based in Buffalo, New York. The Braves competed in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member club of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division from 1970 ...

and

Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division and play their home games at L ...

. McNeil also suited up for several teams in the

Philippine Basketball Association The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) is a men's professional basketball league in the Philippines composed of twelve company-branded franchised teams. Founded in 1975, it is the first professional basketball league in Asia and is the se ...

, once scoring a then record 88 points, in one local game, in 1983. He also spent several seasons in the Continental Basketball Association with the

Wilkes-Barre Barons The Wilkes-Barre Barons were a basketball team from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. The Barons played between 1933 and 1980 in different American leagues. The team won 11 titles during this time, including while playing in the American Basketball ...

Utica Olympics The Utica Olympics, known also as Mohawk Valley Thunderbirds, were an American professional basketball team based in Utica, New York that were members of the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) from 1978 to 1980. The team was previously kno ...

, and Rochester Zeniths.1983–84 Continental Basketball Association Official Guide, page 127 McNeill continues to hold the NBA record for the most field goals in a playoff game without a miss, going 12 for 12 in a playoff game in 1975, with the Kings.

References

1951 births 2004 deaths African-American basketball players American expatriate basketball people in Canada American expatriate basketball people in the Philippines American expatriate basketball people in Spain American men's basketball players Barangay Ginebra San Miguel players Basketball players from North Carolina Buffalo Braves players CB Canarias players Centers (basketball) Detroit Pistons players Golden State Warriors players Kansas City Kings draft picks Kansas City Kings players Marquette Golden Eagles men's basketball players New York Nets players People from Hoke County, North Carolina Philippine Basketball Association imports Power forwards (basketball) Rochester Zeniths players Toronto Tornados players Utica Olympics players Wilkes-Barre Barons players 20th-century African-American sportspeople 21st-century African-American people {{1950s-US-basketball-bio-stub