Willie J. Taylor is an American former

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

player. He played basketball at a high school in

Byhalia, Mississippi Byhalia , is a town in Marshall County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 1,302 as of the 2010 census. History Byhalia was founded in the 1830s and named after Byhalia Creek, which flows past the site. Geography According to the U ...

. Taylor played

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 ...

for the LeMoyne–Owen Magicians where he starred as a center from 1965 to 1969. He averaged 18 points and 18 rebounds per game during his senior season. Taylor was selected by the

Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eas ...

as the 28th overall pick in the

1969 NBA draft The 1969 NBA draft was the 23rd annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on April 7 and May 7, 1969, before the 1969–70 season. In this draft, fourteen NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college bas ...

. He was drafted at the recommendation of a 76ers scout who saw him play at the 1969 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament where he recorded 25 points and 22 rebounds in a game. Taylor signed a one-year deal with the 76ers on June 30, 1969, but never played in 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 S ...

(NBA). Taylor became a reverend. He had three children with his wife, Cassie, who died in 2014 after 44 years of marriage.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Taylor, Willie Year of birth missing (living people) Living people American men's basketball players Basketball players from Mississippi Centers (basketball) LeMoyne–Owen Magicians basketball players People from Byhalia, Mississippi Sportspeople from the Memphis metropolitan area Philadelphia 76ers draft picks 21st-century African-American people