Hal Greer

Harold Everett Greer, known as Hal Greer, was an American professional basketball player and coach who lived from June 26, 1936, to April 14, 2018. A guard, he played in the National Basketball Association from 1958 through 1973 for the Syracuse Nationals, who later became the Philadelphia 76ers. Over his career he was named an NBA All-Star ten times and earned All-NBA Second Team honors on seven occasions.

Greer was born in Huntington, West Virginia, and attended Douglass Junior and Senior High School there, an all-black school, where he played guard for the men's basketball team. He went on to enroll at Marshall University, playing college basketball for the Marshall Thundering Herd and becoming the first African American to play for a public college in West Virginia. His enrollment drew uneasiness rather than open uproar from the surrounding community, and local newspapers treated him and his family with casual deference.

Greer's number was retired by the Philadelphia 76ers. He was later named to the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History and to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team. He is a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame.