Gary Keller
| Center/Power forward | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 13, 1944 Elizabeth, New Jersey |
| Nationality |  United States |
| Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
| Listed weight | 220 lb (100 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | University of Florida |
| NBA Draft | 1967 / Round: 6 |
| Selected by the Los Angeles Lakers (NBA) | |
| Pro career | 1967–1969 |
| League | ABA |
| Career history | |
| 1967–1968 | Minnesota Muskies (ABA) |
| 1968–1969 | Minnesota Pipers (ABA) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Gary J. Keller (born June 13, 1944) is a former American college and professional basketball player who was a center and power forward in the American Basketball Association (ABA) for two seasons during the late 1960s. Keller played college basketball for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Minnesota Muskies and the Minnesota Pipers of the ABA.
Contents |
[edit] Early years
Keller was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey in 1944.[1] He grew up in St. Petersburg, Florida, where he attended Dixie M. Hollins High School.[2] He played high school basketball for the Dixie Hollins Rebels, winning back-to-back Florida state championships in 1961 and 1962.[2] He was a McDonald's fourth-team high school All-American selection as a senior.
[edit] College career
Keller received an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, and played for coach Norm Sloan and coach Tommy Bartlett's Florida Gators men's basketball teams from 1965 to 1967. The Gators finished 21–4 in 1967—their best-ever win-loss record up to that time.[2] Keller was an Academic All-American, and graduated from Florida with a bachelor's degree in business administration in 1967. He was later inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great."[3]
[edit] Professional career
After his college career, Keller was drafted in the sixth round of the 1967 National Basketball Association (NBA) Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers,[1] and by the Denver Nuggets in the 1967 ABA Draft.[2] After the Nuggets traded him to the Minnesota Muskies, he chose to play for the Minnesota ABA franchises instead of the NBA.[2] He averaged 6.0 points and 4.5 rebounds per game in his two ABA seasons.[1]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Basketball-Reference, Gary Keller. Retrieved June 7, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e Bob Chick, "Tampa Bay's All-Century Team: No. 86 Gary Keller," The Tampa Tribune (October 4, 1999). Retrieved April 25, 2010.
- ^ F Club, Hall of Fame, Gator Greats. Retrieved July 29, 2010.
