Andy Phillip

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Andy Phillip
No. 19, 7, 4, 14, 17
Guard / Forward
Personal information
Born (1922-03-27)March 27, 1922
Granite City, Illinois
Nationality American
Died April 29, 2001(2001-04-29) (aged 79)
Rancho Mirage, California
Listed height 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Listed weight 195 lb (88 kg)
Career information
High school Granite City
(Granite City, Illinois)
College Illinois (1941–1943, 1946–1947)
NBA Draft 1947 / Round: 5 / Pick: 43rd overall
Selected by the Chicago Stags
Pro career 1945–1958
Career history
As player:
1947–1950 Chicago Stags
1950–1952 Philadelphia Warriors
1952–1956 Fort Wayne Pistons
1956–1958 Boston Celtics
As coach:
1958–1959 St. Louis Hawks
Career highlights and awards
Career statistics
Points 6,384 (9.1 ppg)
Rebound 2,395 (4.4 rpg)
Assists 3,759 (5.4 apg)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Basketball Hall of Fame as player

Andrew Michael "Handy Andy"[1] Phillip (March 7, 1922 – April 29, 2001) was a guard/forward who had an 11 year career professional basketball career from 1948 to 1958. Born in Granite City, Illinois, Andy Phillip played for the Chicago Stags of the Basketball Association of America and the Philadelphia Warriors, Fort Wayne Pistons and Boston Celtics, all of the National Basketball Association.

Phillip led his high school, Granite City, to the Illinois state championship in 1940. He attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where he earned renown for his talents and for the Fighting Illini's success during war-interrupted, non-consecutive seasons, 1941–1943 and 1946–1947, .[2] He was a member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity. Phillip served as a First Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps in World War II at Iwo Jima.[3] [4]

Phillip played in the first five NBA All-Star Games, and was twice named to the All-NBA Second Team. He was the first player to record 500 assists in a season, and led the NBA in assists during the 1950-51 and 1950-52 seasons. Phillip's teams made it to the NBA Finals during his final four seasons — twice with Fort Wayne and twice with Boston. The 1957 Boston team won the NBA Championship.

Phillip was alleged by one of his Fort Wayne Pistons teammates, George Yardley, to have conspired with gamblers to throw the 1955 NBA Finals to the Syracuse Nationals.[5] In the decisive seventh game, Phillip turned the ball over with three seconds remaining in the game, enabling Syracuse to win by one point, 92-91.[6]

He coached the St. Louis Hawks for 10 games in 1958, posting a 6-4 record.

Phillips later coached the Chicago Majors of the American Basketball League.[7]

Phillip was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1961.

He was elected to the Illini Men's Basketball All-Century Team in January 2005. In 2007, Phillip was voted one of the "100 Legends of the IHSA Boys Basketball Tournament," recognizing his superior performance in his appearance in the tournament.[8]

Phillip died at his home in Rancho Mirage, CA on April 29, 2001. He was 79 years old.

Notes and sources [edit]

  1. ^ "Sport: Whiz Kids". Time. March 15, 1943. 
  2. ^ [1]
  3. ^ "Sport: Whiz Kids, Grown Up". Time. December 23, 1946. 
  4. ^ Lamothe, Dan (2009-04-29). "Corps to induct 4 into Sports Hall of Fame". Marine Corps Times. Retrieved 2009-05-07. 
  5. ^ The Wizard of Odds: How Jack Molinas Almost Destroyed the Game of Basketball. By Charley Rosen. p. 154. 2001 Seven Stories Press. ISBN 1-58322-268-5
  6. ^ "City Hails Nats' World Title Triumph," Syracuse Herald Journal, April 11, 1955, pp. 1, 45.
  7. ^ Association for Professional Basketball Research American Basketball League page
  8. ^ IHSA 100 Legends of Boys Basketball

External links [edit]

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