NBA legend and Hall of Famer dies at 81
The Philadelphia 76ers, and the NBA fraternity as a whole, mourned the passing of the legendary Hal Greer on Monday.
The Sixers confirmed the news via a statement on the team site.
“We extend our deepest condolences and send our love to the Greer family during this difficult time,” the team said.
The NBA and Greer’s alma mater, Marshall University, also released poignant statements.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver released the following statement regarding the passing of Hal Greer pic.twitter.com/cZClTTsJmB
— NBA (@NBA) April 16, 2018
“I’m terribly saddened by the news of Hal’s passing,” said Marshall athletic director Mike Hamrick, via Herdzone.com. “I had the wonderful opportunity to visit with him and his family back in February of 2012 when we closed the doors on the Veterans Memorial Field House. That is a memory I will always cherish. My thoughts and prayers go out to his loved ones.”
“Hal was a fantastic ambassador for Marshall and a great basketball player,” Marshall men’s basketball head coach Dan D’Antoni added. “He will forever be remembered by Herd fans and will be enshrined forever with the boulevard that is named after him.”
Greer’s accomplishments illustrate a pretty clear case why he was so beloved and revered.
He made history by becoming the first black player to suit up for Marshall. Greer earned Mid-American Conference MVP in 1958, and was eventually enshrined in the Marshall University Athletics Hall of Fame for his accomplishments as both a baseball and basketball player.
When he eventually made his way to the NBA, Greer continued to excel.
Over a storied 15-year career for the Syracuse Nationals and Sixers, Greer’s accomplishments were nothing short of spectacular.
Greer, a 10-time All-Star, won a championship in 1967 with the Sixers on a loaded team that also featured Wilt Chamberlain.
When Greer finally retired after the 1972-73 season, it was evident to everyone how impressive his career had been.
Greer finished with 21,586 points scored. He remains the Sixers’ all-time leader in points, field goals, field goals attempted, games and minutes played. Unsurprisingly, Greer’s No. 15 jersey became the first ever retired by the Sixers.
In 1996, Greer was named one of the NBA’s 50 greatest players of all time.
The Sixers plan to honor Greer during Monday’s home playoff game against the Miami Heat.
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