Jack Coleman
Center, Basketball Player
1924 – 1998
Who was Jack Coleman?
Jack L. Coleman was an American professional basketball player.
A 6 ft 7 in forward/center from the University of Louisville, Coleman played nine seasons in the National Basketball Association as a member of the Rochester Royals and St. Louis Hawks. He tallied 6,721 points and 5,186 rebounds in his career, and he represented Rochester in the 1955 NBA All-Star Game. Coleman also appeared in three NBA Finals, winning championships with Rochester in 1951 and St. Louis in 1958.
During the Hawks' losing effort in the 1957 NBA Finals, Coleman became the unwitting victim of one of Bill Russell's greatest defensive plays. In the final game of the series, Coleman had an opportunity to clinch the Hawks' championship with a layup after receiving an outlet pass at midcourt. Bill Russell, who had been standing at his own baseline when the play began, ran the entire length of the floor and managed to block Coleman's shot, preserving the victory for the Celtics. Celtics announcer Johnny Most screamed, “Blocked by Russell! Blocked by Russell! He came from nowhere!” The play has since gone down in history as the "Coleman Play."
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- Born
- May 23, 1924
Burgin - Nationality
- United States of America
- Education
- University of Louisville
- Lived in
- Kentucky
- Burgin
- Died
- Dec 11, 1998
Submitted
on July 23, 2013
Citation
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"Jack Coleman." Biographies.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 27 Apr. 2024. <https://www.biographies.net/people/en/jack_coleman_1924>.
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