Bill McGill facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Bill McGill

McGill, c. 1962
Personal information
Born	(1939-09-16)September 16, 1939 San Angelo, Texas, U.S.
Died	July 11, 2014(2014-07-11) (aged 74) Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.
High school	Jefferson (Los Angeles, California)
Listed height	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight	225 lb (102 kg)
Career information
College	Utah (1959–1962)
NBA Draft	1962 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1st overall
Selected by the Chicago Zephyrs
Pro career	1962–1970
Career history
1962–1963	Chicago Zephyrs / Baltimore Bullets
1963–1964	New York Knicks
1964	St. Louis Hawks
1965	Los Angeles Lakers
1964–1967	Grand Rapids Tackers
1967–1968	Holland Carvers
1968–1969	Denver Rockets
1969	Los Angeles Stars
1969–1970	Pittsburgh Pipers
1970	Dallas Chaparrals
Career highlights and awards
Consensus first-team All-American (1962) Consensus second-team All-American (1961) Third-team All-American – AP, NABC (1960) NCAA season scoring leader (1962) No. 12 retired by Utah Utes First-team Parade All-American (1958) Second-team Parade All-American (1957)
Career NBA and ABA statistics
Points	3,094 (10.5 ppg)
Rebounds	1,286 (4.4 rpg)
Assists	330 (1.1 apg)

Bill "The Hill" McGill (born September 16, 1939 – died July 11, 2014) was an American basketball player. He is famous for creating a special shot called the "jump hook." Bill McGill was the very first player chosen in the 1962 NBA draft after playing for the University of Utah. He was amazing in the 1961–1962 season, leading all college players by scoring 38.8 points per game!

Bill McGill's Early Life

Bill McGill was born in San Angelo, Texas. When he was five, he moved to Los Angeles, California with his mother.

High School Basketball Star

Bill went to Jefferson High School in Los Angeles and graduated in 1958. He was a fantastic basketball player there. He was chosen as an All-Los Angeles City player four times! In 1957 and 1958, he was even named the Los Angeles City Player of the Year. He helped his team win two City Championships in 1955 and 1958.

McGill playing for the Utah Utes.

During his junior year, Bill hurt his knee badly. Doctors told him he shouldn't play basketball anymore and even wanted to replace his knee. But Bill kept playing, and a doctor secretly helped him manage the injury for years.

More than 250 colleges wanted Bill to play for them! He was very close to going to the University of California, Berkeley, but his grades weren't quite high enough. He ended up choosing the University of Utah. He said Salt Lake City, where the university is, was "overwhelming and beautiful." His coach, Jack Gardner, really wanted Bill on his team.

College Basketball Career

Bill McGill was a 6-foot-9-inch center and forward for the University of Utah. In the 1961–1962 season, he was the top scorer in college basketball. He scored 1,009 points in 26 games, averaging an incredible 38.8 points per game! This was one of the highest scoring averages ever for a college player at the time.

First Black Player at Utah

In the 1959–1960 season, Bill became the first black player for the Utah Utes men's basketball team. He led the team with 15.5 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. The Utes had a great season, finishing with 26 wins and only 3 losses. Bill scored 31 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in a big win against the #2 ranked Ohio State team, who later won the NCAA Championship.

NCAA Tournament Appearances

The Utes played in the 1960 NCAA tournament. They beat USC in the first round, with Bill scoring 27 points. They later lost to Oregon.

In the 1960–1961 season, Bill led the Utes to a 23–8 record. They made it all the way to the 1961 NCAA Final Four! Bill averaged 27.8 points per game that season. In the tournament, he scored 20 points and had 13 rebounds against Loyola Marymount. He then had 31 points and 18 rebounds against Arizona State to help the Utes reach the Final Four.

At the 1961 NCAA Final Four, Utah lost to Cincinnati. Bill scored 25 points in that game. In the third-place game, he scored 34 points and had 14 rebounds.

Record-Breaking Senior Year

As a senior in 1961–1962, Bill had an amazing season, averaging 38.8 points and 15.0 rebounds. The Utes finished with a 26–3 record and were ranked #7 in the country. However, Utah was not allowed to play in the 1962 NCAA tournament because one of their players had accepted a plane ticket from a fan.

During that season, Bill set a school record by scoring 60 points against Brigham Young on February 24, 1962. He also had nine other games where he scored 40 or more points!

Bill McGill is still the Utah Utes' second all-time leading scorer with 2,321 points. He is also their all-time leader in rebounds with 1,106, even though he only played for three seasons.

Professional Basketball Career

On March 26, 1962, Bill McGill was the very first player chosen in the 1962 NBA draft by the Chicago Zephyrs. As a rookie in 1962–1963, he played in 60 games, averaging 7.4 points per game. He received a $5,000 bonus and a two-year contract for $17,000 per year. The team's announcer called his special shot the "radar hook."

Moving Between Teams

In 1963–1964, the Chicago Zephyrs moved and became the Baltimore Bullets. Bill was traded to the New York Knicks where he had his best professional season, averaging 16.0 points and 5.9 rebounds per game.

He later played for the St. Louis Hawks and the Los Angeles Lakers. While with the Hawks, Bill even taught his "jump hook" shot to the famous player Bob Pettit.

Bill also played in another league called the North American Basketball League for the Grand Rapids Tackers and Holland Carvers. He was named to the First Team NABL All-Star Team twice.

In 1968–1969, Bill joined the American Basketball Association (ABA) and played for the Denver Rockets, averaging 12.8 points per game. In his final professional season (1969–1970), he played for three different ABA teams: the Los Angeles Stars, Pittsburgh Pipers, and Dallas Chaparrals.

Overall, Bill McGill played three seasons in the NBA and two seasons in the ABA. He scored a total of 3,094 points in his career, averaging 10.5 points and 4.4 rebounds per game.

The Famous Jump Hook Shot

Bill McGill is known for inventing the "jump hook" shot. Bill Sharman, a famous coach, said Bill had "the most fantastic turnaround jump hook there was. Nobody could stop it."

The story goes that Bill first used this shot in the summer of 1955. He was just a freshman in high school when he played a pick-up game in Los Angeles with future Hall-of-Fame players like Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain. Bill Russell chose to play with McGill. McGill then used his new, special shot against the taller and stronger Chamberlain – and that shot was the jump hook!

Bill McGill's Life After Basketball

After his basketball career, Bill McGill faced some challenges. Luckily, a sportswriter named Brad Pye Jr. helped him get a job at Hughes Aircraft, where he worked until 1995.

The NBA sometimes asked Bill to give advice to new players about how important it is to finish their education.

Bill McGill also wrote a book about his life called "Billy 'the Hill' and the Jump Hook: The Autobiography of a Forgotten Basketball Legend."

He married Gwendolyn Willie and adopted her children. His grandson, Ryan Watkins, also played college basketball at Boise State University.

Bill McGill passed away on July 11, 2014, at the age of 74.

Career Statistics

NBA and ABA Regular Season

NBA and ABA Playoffs

Honors and Awards

Bill McGill received many honors for his amazing basketball career:

• In 2008, he was named a member of the University of Utah All-Century team.
• In 2014, he was inducted into the PAC 12 Hall of Honor.
• In 2013, Bill was chosen for the Los Angeles City Section Hall of Fame.
• The University of Utah retired his jersey number, 12, to honor his contributions.

See also

In Spanish: Bill McGill para niños

• List of NCAA Division I men's basketball players with 60 or more points in a game
• List of NCAA Division I men's basketball season scoring leaders
• List of NCAA Division I men's basketball players with 2000 points and 1000 rebounds