Hal Perry (basketball) facts for kids
Perry with San Francisco circa 1955
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| No. 23 | |
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| Guard | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | December 15, 1933 |
| Nationality | American |
| Died | April 30, 2009 (aged 75) El Cerrito, California |
| High school | Ukiah (Ukiah, California) |
| Career information | |
| College | San Francisco (1953–1956) |
| NBA Draft | 1956 / Undrafted |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Harold L. "Hal" Perry (born December 15, 1933 – died April 30, 2009) was an American basketball player. He later became a lawyer. Hal Perry is best known for being a key player on the University of San Francisco basketball team. This team won two NCAA championships in a row, in 1955 and 1956.
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A Champion Basketball Player
Hal Perry played as a guard. He went to Ukiah High School in Ukiah, California. In his junior year of college, he made history. He played alongside future Hall of Fame players K. C. Jones and Bill Russell. Together, they helped the San Francisco team achieve something special.
Making History in 1955
In the 1954–55 basketball season, their team became the first college to win an NCAA tournament with three black players starting. Hal Perry was one of those starters. That year, he scored about 6.9 points and grabbed 1.9 rebounds per game.
Undefeated in 1956
In his senior year, the San Francisco Dons were even better. They went undefeated and won the national championship again! Hal Perry improved his scoring, averaging 9.1 points per game. He was also named to the second team all-conference.
Stepping Up in the Tournament
During the 1956 NCAA tournament, their star guard, K. C. Jones, could not play. Coach Phil Woolpert asked Hal Perry to take on a bigger role. Hal Perry rose to the challenge. He averaged 14 points per game in the Final Four games. He also joined Bill Russell on the All-Tournament team.
Life After Basketball
After graduating from the University of San Francisco, Hal Perry played basketball for a short time. He joined the famous Harlem Globetrotters. However, the Globetrotters' owner, Abe Saperstein, saw something special in Perry. He told Perry he was very smart and offered to pay for his law school education.
Hal Perry accepted the offer. He went to Lincoln Law School. After finishing law school, he became a successful lawyer. He had his own private law practice for many years.
Hal Perry passed away on April 30, 2009, after being ill for a long time.
