Jim Tucker (basketball)
James D. Tucker | |
|---|---|
| Born | 11 December 1932 United States |
| Died | 14 May 2020 (aged 87) |
| Occupation | Professional basketball player |
| Years active | 1954–1960 |
| Known for | NBA champion (1955) with Syracuse Nationals; one of the first two African Americans to earn an NBA championship title |
James D. Tucker (December 11, 1932 – May 14, 2020) was a professional basketball player from the United States.
Biography
Tucker completed his high school education at Paris Western High School located in Paris, Kentucky. Standing 6 feet 7 inches tall and playing as a forward, he represented Duquesne University before joining the National Basketball Association (NBA). Between 1954 and 1957, he spent three seasons with the Syracuse Nationals, during which he maintained an average of 4.1 points per game and contributed to the team’s NBA championship victory in 1955.
Together with teammate Earl Lloyd, Tucker was among the first two African Americans to earn an NBA championship title.
Following his NBA tenure, Tucker continued his basketball career with the Harlem Magicians and competed in the Eastern Professional Basketball League (EPBL). From 1958 through 1960, he played for the Allentown Jets, the Baltimore Bullets, and the Easton Madisons. He achieved an EPBL championship while with the Madisons in 1960.
In 2018, a brief documentary entitled "Let 'Em Know You're There" depicted Tucker’s basketball journey alongside his struggle with Alzheimer's disease; this film received a Mid-Atlantic Emmy award in 2019.
Tucker passed away on May 14, 2020, at age 87 due to complications associated with Alzheimer's disease.
NBA
Source
Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:Nbay† | Syracuse | 20 | 14.4 | .336 | .711 | 4.9 | .6 | 5.3 |
| Template:Nbay | Syracuse | 70 | 12.8 | .348 | .795 | 3.3 | .5 | 3.8 |
| Template:Nbay | Syracuse | 9 | 13.2 | .386 | .000 | 2.2 | .0 | 3.9 |
| Career | 99 | 13.1 | .349 | .762 | 3.5 | .5 | 4.1 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955† | Syracuse | 9 | 6.6 | .296 | .889 | 1.7 | .1 | 2.7 |
| 1956 | Syracuse | 6 | 12.0 | .382 | .750 | 4.2 | .3 | 5.3 |
| Career | 15 | 8.7 | .344 | .824 | 2.7 | .2 | 3.7 | |