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Johnny Egan (basketball)

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This article is about the basketball player from Hartford. For the player from Chicago, see John Egan (basketball).

Johnny Egan
Personal information
Born(1939-01-31)January 31, 1939
Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.
DiedJuly 21, 2022(2022-07-21) (aged 83)
Listed height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Listed weight180 lb (82 kg)
Career information
High schoolWeaver (Hartford, Connecticut)
CollegeProvidence (1958–1961)
NBA draft1961: 2nd round, 12th overall pick
Selected by the Detroit Pistons
Playing career1961–1972
PositionPoint guard
Number25, 15, 11, 21
Career history
As player:
1961–1963Detroit Pistons
1963–1965New York Knicks
1965–1968Baltimore Bullets
1968–1970Los Angeles Lakers
1970Cleveland Cavaliers
1970–1972San Diego / Houston Rockets
As coach:
1973–1976Houston Rockets
Career highlights and awards
Career NBA statistics
Points5,521 (7.8 ppg)
Rebounds1,284 (1.8 rpg)
Assists2,102 (3.0 apg)
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata

John Francis Egan (January 31, 1939 – July 21, 2022) was an American professional basketball player and coach. He played for the Detroit Pistons, New York Knicks, Baltimore Bullets, Los Angeles Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers, and San Diego / Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association from 1961 to 1972. He coached the Rockets from 1973 to 1976.

Early life and playing career

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Egan was born on January 31, 1939, in Hartford, Connecticut.[1] Playing for the basketball team at Weaver High School, which won the New England high school basketball championship in 1956 and 1957, he was named to the Parade All-America Boys Basketball Team.[2] He was known as "Space", a nickname which alluded to "his ability to stay in the air during drives to the basket or to the length of his long-distance shots".[3] Egan attended Providence College, where he played college basketball for the Providence Friars, and won the 1961 National Invitation Tournament.[2]

The Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA) selected Egan in the second round of the 1961 NBA draft.[4] The New York Knicks acquired Egan from the Pistons in a three-team trade on December 16, 1963.[5] He was traded along with Johnny Green, Jim "Bad News" Barnes and cash from the Knicks to the Baltimore Bullets for Walt Bellamy on November 1, 1965.[6] The Milwaukee Bucks selected Egan from the Bullets in the 1968 NBA Expansion Draft.[7] Before the 1968–69 NBA season, the Bucks traded Egan to the Los Angeles Lakers for a future draft pick.[8] He became a key rotation player for the Lakers, who reached the 1969 NBA Finals but were beaten by the Boston Celtics in Game 7.[9] Egan was not as effective in the following season,[10] as the Lakers again reached the Finals but were beaten by the Knicks in Game 7.[11]

The Cleveland Cavaliers selected Egan in the 1970 NBA expansion draft.[12] He was acquired by the San Diego Rockets from the Cavaliers for a third‐round pick in the 1971 NBA draft (41st overall–Jackie Ridgle) and cash on December 8, 1970.[13][14] Egan became one of the original Houston Rockets when the team left San Diego in 1971.[9] His playing career ended after the 1971–72 season. He averaged 7.8 points per game and 3.0 assists per game in his NBA career.[15] He was the shortest player in the NBA for most of his 11-year career.[16]

Coaching career

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In January 1972, Rockets coach Tex Winter named Egan an assistant coach, and he continued as a player-coach for the remainder of the season.[17] He retired as a player after the season, and was promoted to become head coach, succeeding Winter on January 21, 1973.[18] At one point, he was the youngest and shortest coach in the NBA.[19] During his 3+1⁄2 years as head coach, the Rockets were 129–152, with one playoff appearance in 1975,[19] when they defeated the New York Knicks in the first round to earn the franchise's first playoff series win.[9] He was fired and replaced by Tom Nissalke on April 20, 1976, after the team failed to qualify for the postseason with a 40–42 record.[19]

Personal life

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Egan married Joan (née Grimaldi), his high school sweetheart. They had two children and five grandchildren. Joan died in 1998 from ovarian cancer.[2][16]

After his basketball career, Egan remained in Houston, where he founded and operated an insurance business.[16] He continued to live in Houston in his later life.[2] After suffering a head injury in a fall in May 2022, he died on July 21, 2022, at age 83.[20][9]

Head coaching record

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Legend
Regular season G Games coached W Games won L Games lost W–L % Win–loss %
Playoffs PG Playoff games PW Playoff wins PL Playoff losses PW–L % Playoff win–loss %
Team Year G W L W–L% Finish PG PW PL PW–L% Result
Houston 1972–73 35 16 19 .457 3rd in Central – – – – Missed playoffs
Houston 1973–74 82 32 50 .390 3rd in Central – – – – Missed playoffs
Houston 1974–75 82 41 41 .500 2nd in Central 8 3 5 .375 Lost in Conf. Semi-finals
Houston 1975–76 82 40 42 .488 3rd in Central – – – – Missed playoffs
Career 281 129 152 .459 8 3 5 .375
Source:[21]

References

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  1. ^ Marcus, J. (2003). A Biographical Directory of Professional Basketball Coaches. American Sports History Series. Scarecrow Press. pp. 116–7. ISBN 978-1-4617-2653-1. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d "Dom Amore: Hartford basketball icon Johnny Egan fighting off the harsh winter in Houston with his iron will – Hartford Courant". Courant.com. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  3. ^ Lee, Edward (July 22, 2022). "Johnny Egan, former Baltimore Bullets 'spark plug' guard and Houston Rockets coach, dies at 83". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
  4. ^ "Johnny Egan Drafted by Detroit". Hartford Courant. March 28, 1961. p. 32. Retrieved July 22, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Knicks Get Bob Boozer, Johnny Egan". The Paducah Sun. December 16, 1963. p. 15. Retrieved July 22, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Knicks Grab Bellamy: For 3 Players, $$," United Press International (UPI), Tuesday, November 2, 1965. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  7. ^ "Johnny Egan Drafted by Milwaukee Cagers". Hartford Courant. May 7, 1968. p. 28. Retrieved July 22, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Lakers Obtain Johnny Egan". Pasadena Independent. October 9, 1968. p. 32. Retrieved July 22, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ a b c d "Former Rockets coach Johnny Egan dies at 83". www.nba.com. July 22, 2022. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
  10. ^ Schilken, Chuck (February 12, 2011). "Johnny Egan – All Things Lakers – Los Angeles Times". projects.latimes.com. Retrieved July 23, 2022. The Lakers returned to the NBA Finals in 1970, but Egan was not as effective. He played in 10 fewer games during the regular season, and his scoring average dipped to 7.3.
  11. ^ "1970 NBA Finals Game 7: Lakers vs Knicks, May 8, 1970". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
  12. ^ "Egan Goes to Cleveland in NBA Expansion Draft". Hartford Courant. May 12, 1970. p. 51. Retrieved July 22, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Rockets Acquire Egan". The New York Times. The Associated Press. December 8, 1970. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  14. ^ "1971 NBA Draft Pick Transactions, March 29 – Pro Sports Transactions". Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  15. ^ Jonathan Feigen (July 21, 2022). "Houston Rockets: Former coach, player Johnny Egan dies at 83". Houstonchronicle.com. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  16. ^ a b c Klingaman, Mike (January 18, 2015). "Catching Up With ... Former Baltimore Bullets guard Johnny Egan". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
  17. ^ "Johnny Egan Named Rocket Player-Coach". The Los Angeles Times. January 20, 1972. p. 49. Retrieved July 22, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ Koppett, Leonard. (January 22, 1973). "2 Hours Before, Egan Is Named Houston Coach". The New York Times. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  19. ^ a b c Goldaper, Sam (April 21, 1976). "Rockets Drop Egan and Hire Nissalke". The New York Times. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  20. ^ Neumann, Thomas (July 21, 2022). "Former Houston Rockets Coach, Player Johnny Egan Dies at 83". SI. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  21. ^ "Johnny Egan". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
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