Gary Neal (born October 3, 1984) is an American former basketball professional player and coach. He played college basketball at La Salle University and Towson University. He began his professional career abroad with teams in Turkey, Spain and Italy before signing with the San Antonio Spurs in 2010. He mostly played the shooting guard position.
Born in Baltimore, Neal attended Aberdeen High School for three years. At Aberdeen, he was teammates with future George Mason standout, forward-center Jai Lewis. As a junior, Neal led Aberdeen to a 21–4 record and won their state championship, while averaging a triple double per game. For his senior year, he enrolled at Calvert Hall College High School, to play in the Baltimore Catholic League. He played alongside Jack McClinton, who was drafted by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2009 NBA draft.
As a freshman, Neal was the Atlantic Ten Rookie of the Year. He led the La Salle Explorers in scoring with an 18.6 average during his two seasons for the Explorers. [1] Before the 2004–05 season, Neal was dismissed from the team due to a rape allegation by a University of New Haven women's basketball player who was working at La Salle camp. [2] Neal was later acquitted after prosecutors failed to convince a jury that the woman was too drunk to consent to sex. [1]
Neal sat out the 2004–05 season to transfer to Towson University. [1] He initially joined Towson with no athletic aspirations, but was given a walk-on spot on their basketball team in 2005–06 conditional on the result of his rape case. Neal was activated as soon as he was acquitted, and received a scholarship for his senior year in 2006–07. That year, he returned to high-scoring numbers averaging 25.3 points per game, 3.5 assists per game, 4.2 rebounds per game, and he led the Tigers to the second round of the 2007 CAA conference tournament, before losing to Old Dominion University. He became the fourth basketball player in NCAA history to score at least 1,000 points with two different schools. [3]
Neal was eligible in the 2007 NBA draft in June and was projected to be on the bubble to get drafted. Neal went undrafted. When playing for Pınar Karşıyaka, Neal led the Turkish Basketball Super League in scoring, averaging 23.6 points per game. [4]
Eventually, FC Barcelona bought out Neal's Pınar Karşıyaka contract. He was signed by FC Barcelona in January 2008. In Barcelona he averaged 2.3 points per game [5] in the Euroleague and 3.3 points per game [4] in the ACB with Barcelona during the 2007–08 season.
In June 2008, Neal was signed by the Italian Serie A outfit Benetton Treviso. With Benetton, he was named to the EuroCup Basketball (the league below the EuroLeague level) All-EuroCup Second Team during the 2008–09 season. [6]
Neal then joined the Spanish club Unicaja Málaga, [7] where he finished the 2009–10 season, averaging 12.6 points per game in Spanish League play. [8]
On July 22, 2010, the San Antonio Spurs of the NBA signed Neal to a three-year deal. [9] In the 2010–11 NBA season, Neal played 80 games and started one and scored 45.1% of his field goal attempts, 41.9% of three-pointers, and 80.8% of free throws; he also averaged 9.8 points per game and 2.5 rebounds per game. [10] On April 27, 2011, during game 5 of the first round of the NBA playoffs and the Spurs trailing the Memphis Grizzlies 97–94 and the series 3–1, Neal hit a three-pointer with 1.7 seconds left in the fourth quarter. [11] The Spurs beat the Grizzlies 110–103 in overtime and forced a sixth game in the series. [12] However, the Spurs lost Game 6 to the Grizzlies 99–91 and were eliminated from the playoffs in the first round. [13] In 22 minutes that game, Neal scored 8 points and made 5 rebounds, one assist, and one steal. [14]
On January 2, 2012, the Spurs assigned Neal to the Austin Toros of the NBA Development League as he recovered from an appendectomy. [15] However, he was recalled on the next day without playing any games for the Toros. [16]
On December 10, 2012, Neal scored an NBA career-high 29 points to go along with his career-high 7 3-pointers made in a win against the Houston Rockets in overtime. [17]
On June 11, 2013, in Game 3 of the 2013 NBA Finals, Neal scored a career playoff-high of 24 points on 9 of 17 from the field, including 6 of 10 three-pointers to help lead the Spurs to a blowout 113–77 victory over the Miami Heat. [18] The 6 made three-point shots was an NBA Finals single-game record for undrafted players that stood until Duncan Robinson achieved 7 in the 2020 NBA Finals. [19] However, the Spurs lost the series in seven games.
On July 30, 2013, Neal signed with the Milwaukee Bucks. [20]
On February 20, 2014, Neal and Luke Ridnour were traded to the Charlotte Bobcats in exchange for Jeff Adrien and Ramon Sessions. [21] In April 2014, Charlotte changed their name to the Hornets. On December 12, 2014, he had his best game since the 2012–13 season with the Spurs when he scored 25 points in the Hornets' 107–113 double-overtime loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. [22]
On February 10, 2015, Neal was traded, along with Miami's 2019 second-round draft pick, to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Mo Williams, Troy Daniels and cash considerations. [23]
On July 9, 2015, Neal signed with the Washington Wizards. [24] During the 2015–16 season, he missed 23 games due to injury, forcing the Wizards to waive him on March 9, 2016. [25]
On December 16, 2016, Neal was acquired by the Westchester Knicks of the NBA Development League. [26] Ten days later, he made his debut with Westchester in a 118–114 loss to the Long Island Nets, recording four points, one rebound and one steal in 13 minutes off the bench. [27]
On January 2, 2017, Neal was traded to the Texas Legends in exchange for a 2017 third-round draft pick. [28] Four days later, he made his debut for the Legends in a 148–122 loss to the Sioux Falls Skyforce, recording 18 points, four rebounds, three assists and one steal in 26 minutes off the bench. [29]
On January 18, 2017, Neal signed a 10-day contract with the Atlanta Hawks. [30] On January 28, 2017, after his 10-day contract expired, he parted ways with the Hawks and re-joined the Legends. [31]
On January 30, 2017, Neal was traded to the Reno Bighorns in exchange for a 2017 fourth-round draft pick. [32]
On September 23, 2017, Neal signed with Spanish club Tecnyconta Zaragoza for the 2017–18 ACB season. [33] He was named Player of the Month of November after averaging 22.7 points and four assists in the three matches played during the month. [34] On 24 May 2018, he finished in third place in voting for the Liga ACB MVP of the season. [35]
On December 14, 2018, Neal signed with Turkish club Banvit. [36]
On August 27, 2019, Neal joined the Towson coaching staff for the 2019–20 season as a graduate manager. [37] [38]
In 2021, Neal was named as the head coach of the varsity basketball team at his alma mater, Calvert Hall College High School. [39] He was also employed as a social studies teacher at the school. Neal resigned as head coach on March 15, 2024. [40] He finished his head coaching tenure with an overall record of 45-59 over three seasons.
GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2010–11 | San Antonio | 80 | 1 | 21.1 | .451 | .419 | .808 | 2.5 | 1.2 | .3 | .1 | 9.8 |
2011–12 | San Antonio | 56 | 7 | 21.5 | .436 | .419 | .781 | 2.1 | 2.1 | .5 | .0 | 9.9 |
2012–13 | San Antonio | 68 | 17 | 21.8 | .412 | .355 | .865 | 2.1 | 1.9 | .4 | .0 | 9.5 |
2013–14 | Milwaukee | 30 | 2 | 20.2 | .390 | .360 | .833 | 1.7 | 1.5 | .2 | .0 | 10.0 |
2013–14 | Charlotte | 22 | 1 | 23.0 | .438 | .406 | .961 | 1.8 | 1.7 | .5 | .0 | 11.2 |
2014–15 | Charlotte | 43 | 0 | 21.7 | .359 | .293 | .863 | 2.2 | 1.9 | .4 | .0 | 9.6 |
2014–15 | Minnesota | 11 | 1 | 23.8 | .429 | .355 | .879 | 3.2 | 1.8 | .6 | .0 | 11.8 |
2015–16 | Washington | 40 | 2 | 20.2 | .465 | .410 | .855 | 2.1 | 1.2 | .5 | .0 | 9.8 |
2016–17 | Atlanta | 2 | 0 | 9.0 | .000 | .000 | 1.000 | .5 | .5 | .0 | .0 | 2.0 |
Career | 352 | 31 | 21.3 | .422 | .382 | .850 | 2.2 | 1.6 | .4 | .0 | 9.9 |
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2011 | San Antonio | 6 | 0 | 18.5 | .370 | .263 | 1.000 | 3.0 | .8 | .2 | .2 | 7.7 |
2012 | San Antonio | 14 | 0 | 15.5 | .476 | .444 | .846 | 1.3 | 1.4 | .1 | .0 | 7.5 |
2013 | San Antonio | 21 | 0 | 18.6 | .385 | .348 | 1.000 | 2.1 | .7 | .1 | .0 | 6.8 |
2014 | Charlotte | 4 | 0 | 26.0 | .353 | .222 | .714 | 2.0 | 1.0 | .0 | .0 | 11.3 |
Career | 41 | 0 | 17.5 | .411 | .364 | .944 | 2.0 | 1.0 | .1 | .0 | 7.2 |
Vincent Lamar Carter Jr. is an American former professional basketball player who serves as a basketball analyst for YES Network and formerly ESPN. He currently works as an alternate Studio Analyst for the NBA on TNT. He primarily played the shooting guard and small forward positions, but occasionally played power forward later in his NBA career. He was an eight-time All-Star and a two-time All-NBA Team selection. He is the only player in NBA history to play as many as 22 seasons from his debut in 1999 to his retirement in 2020. He was the scoring leader on the 2000 United States Men's Olympic Basketball Team where the USA defeated France to win the nation's twelfth Men's Basketball Olympic gold medal. He entertained crowds with his leaping ability and slam dunks, earning him nicknames such as "Vinsanity", "Air Canada" named after the Canadian airline with the same name, and "Half Man, Half Amazing". He has been ranked as the greatest dunker of all time by numerous players, journalists, and by the National Basketball Association (NBA). In addition to his dunking prowess, he was a prolific three-point shooter, making the ninth most three-point field goals in league history. Various contemporaries have called him the league's "most gifted/talented" player. In 2024, it was announced that Carter would be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Michael Lloyd Miller is an American basketball coach, former professional player who is the boys' basketball head coach at Houston High School in Germantown, Tennessee, as well as being a sports agent. He played 17 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) after being selected by the Orlando Magic in the first round of the 2000 NBA draft with the fifth overall pick. Miller was named the NBA Rookie of the Year with the Magic in 2001 and was voted NBA Sixth Man of the Year with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2006. He won two consecutive NBA championships with the Miami Heat in 2012 and 2013.
Marc Gasol Sáez is a Spanish former professional basketball player who is the president of Bàsquet Girona of the Liga ACB. The center is a two-time All-NBA Team member and a three-time NBA All-Star. He was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2013, and won an NBA championship with the Toronto Raptors in 2019.
Ricard Rubio Vives is a Spanish professional basketball player for FC Barcelona of the Spanish Liga ACB and the EuroLeague. Rubio became the youngest player ever to play in the Spanish ACB League on 15 October 2005, at age 14. He made his EuroLeague debut on 24 October 2006, a few days after turning 16, making him one of the youngest players to play in the EuroLeague.
Wayne Robert Ellington Jr. is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is a player development coach for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Known for his shooting ability, he was nicknamed "The Man With The Golden Arm". He played for the University of North Carolina from 2006 to 2009. He chose to forgo his final season of college eligibility to declare for the 2009 NBA draft, and was drafted 28th overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Michael Alex Conley Jr. is an American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was drafted as the fourth overall pick in the 2007 NBA draft by the Memphis Grizzlies. Conley spent 12 seasons with the Grizzlies and became the team's all-time leading scorer before being traded to the Utah Jazz in 2019, then traded again to the Timberwolves in 2023.
Donté Dominic Greene is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Syracuse Orange for one year before being selected with the 28th overall pick by the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2008 NBA draft.
Mirza Teletović is a Bosnian former professional basketball player who was the president of the Basketball Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina from 2018 to 2022. As a player, he spent six seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He also represented and captained the Bosnia and Herzegovina national basketball team. Standing at 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m), he played at the power forward position.
Daniel Richard Green is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). In his NBA career, Green has played for six teams. As of 2020, Green is one of just four players in history to have won NBA championships with three different teams; he won titles with the San Antonio Spurs in 2014, the Toronto Raptors in 2019, and the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020.
The 2010–11 San Antonio Spurs season was the 44th season of the franchise, 38th in San Antonio and 35th in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
JaMychal Green is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Alabama Crimson Tide. Green started his career in the G League and overseas before signing his first NBA contract with the San Antonio Spurs in 2015. He also played for the Memphis Grizzlies, Los Angeles Clippers, and Denver Nuggets.
Dāvis Bertāns is a Latvian professional basketball player for the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed the "Latvian Laser", he also represents the Latvian national team. He was the 42nd pick in the 2011 NBA draft by the Indiana Pacers.
Tony LeonDre Wroten Jr. is an American professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Washington Huskies, where he was a first-team all-conference selection in the Pac-12, before being drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies with the 25th overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft.
Ray Michael McCallum Jr. is an American professional basketball player for Karditsa of the Greek Basket League. In the 2012–13 NCAA Division I men's basketball season, he was named the Horizon League Player of the Year after leading the Horizon League in scoring at 18.7 points per game and guiding the Detroit Titans to a berth in the 2013 National Invitation Tournament. McCallum also averaged 4.5 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game. On June 27, 2013, he was selected in the second round by the Sacramento Kings in the 2013 NBA draft.
Troy Daniels is an American professional basketball player who last played for Olimpia Milano of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A and the EuroLeague. He played college basketball for Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), where in 2013, he set the Atlantic 10 Conference record for made three-point field goals in a single game.
Bryn Jerrel Forbes is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for Cleveland State and Michigan State, and became a reliable three-point shooter. He plays both guard positions.
Grayson James Allen is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played four years of college basketball at Duke University, where he helped Duke win a national championship in 2015. He has often been called one of Duke's best players of the 2010s. Allen was drafted with the 21st overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft by the Utah Jazz, where he played for one season before being traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in July 2019. In August 2021, Allen was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks, where he played for two seasons before being traded to the Suns in September 2023.
Jarrod Reed Uthoff is an American professional basketball player for the Yokohama B-Corsairs of the Japanese B.League. He played three seasons of college basketball for the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Juan Alberto "Juancho" Hernangómez Geuer is a Spanish professional basketball player for Panathinaikos of the Greek Basket League and the EuroLeague. He also represents the senior Spanish national team in international competition. He was selected by the Denver Nuggets with the 15th overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft and spent seven seasons in the NBA with clubs such as the Nuggets, the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Boston Celtics, the San Antonio Spurs, the Utah Jazz and the Toronto Raptors.
Dakota Daniel Mathias is an American professional basketball player for ratiopharm Ulm of the Basketball Bundesliga. He played college basketball for Purdue University.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link){{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link){{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link){{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)