Gary J. Keller (born June 13, 1944) is an American former 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 Miami Floridians of the ABA.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 13, 1944 Elizabeth, New Jersey |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
| Listed weight | 220 lb (100 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Dixie M. Hollins (St. Petersburg, Florida) |
| College | Florida (1964–1967) |
| NBA draft | 1967: 6th round, 59th overall pick |
| Selected by the Los Angeles Lakers | |
| Playing career | 1967–1969 |
| Position | Center / power forward |
| Number | 51, 42 |
| Career history | |
| 1967–1969 | Minnesota Muskies / Miami Floridians |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Early years edit
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.[2]
College career edit
Keller accepted 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 1964 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] and was recognized as an SEC Basketball Legend in 2003.
Professional career edit
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 franchise instead of the NBA.[2] Keller averaged 6.0 points and 4.5 rebounds per game during his two ABA seasons.[1]
Life after basketball edit
Keller is married, and he and his wife Barbara live in St. Petersburg, Florida.[2] They have a son and a daughter.[2]
Career statistics edit
| 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 |
ABA edit
Source[4]
Regular season edit
| Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967–68 | Minnesota | 69 | 17.6 | .381 | .000 | .650 | 5.6 | .6 | 7.3 |
| 1968–69 | Miami | 53 | 9.5 | .406 | .000 | .600 | 3.2 | .2 | 4.3 |
| Career | 122 | 14.0 | .388 | .000 | .632 | 4.5 | .4 | 6.0 | |
Playoffs edit
| Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Minnesota | 10 | 14.2 | .373 | – | .565 | 5.0 | .8 | 6.3 |
| 1969 | Miami | 6 | 9.5 | .571 | – | .600 | 3.8 | .5 | 5.0 |
| Career | 16 | 12.4 | .420 | – | .576 | 4.6 | .7 | 5.8 | |
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b c Basketball-Reference, Gary Keller. Retrieved June 7, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Bob Chick, "Tampa Bay's All-Century Team: No. 86 Gary Keller Archived July 20, 2011, at the Wayback Machine," The Tampa Tribune (October 4, 1999). Retrieved April 25, 2010.
- ^ F Club, Hall of Fame, Gator Greats. Retrieved December 13, 2014.
- ^ "Gary Keller ABA stats". Basketball Reference. Sports Reference, LLC. Retrieved October 3, 2023.