Jim Tucker (basketball)

Jim Tucker
Personal information
Born	December 11, 1932; Paris, Kentucky
Died	May 14, 2020 (aged 87); Jacksonville, Florida
Nationality	American
Listed height	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Listed weight	185 lb (84 kg)
Career information
High school	Paris Western (Paris, Kentucky)
College	Duquesne (1951–1954)
NBA draft	1954 / Round: 3 / Pick: 24th overall
	Selected by the Syracuse Nationals
Playing career	1954–1957
Position	Power forward
Number	14, 17
Career history
1954–1957	Syracuse Nationals
Career highlights and awards
	NBA champion (1955); Second-team All-American – INS (1952); Third-team All-American – UPI (1952);
Career statistics
Points	407
Rebounds	349
Assists	52
	Stats at NBA.com
	Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

James D. Tucker (December 11, 1932 – May 14, 2020) was an American professional basketball player.

A 6'7" forward from Duquesne University, Tucker played three seasons (1954–1957) in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Syracuse Nationals. In his second season, he was known for recording the fastest triple-double in league at the time, completing the feat in 17 minutes of action. The record would not be beaten until 2018, when Nikola Jokić would break that record in 14 minutes and 33 seconds of playing time. He averaged 4.1 points per game in his career and won a league championship in 1955.

Tucker and teammate Earl Lloyd were also the first two African Americans to play on an NBA championship team.[1]

In 2018, a short documentary titled "Let 'Em Know You're There" told the story of Jim's professional basketball career and eventual battle with Alzheimer's Disease. The documentary won a 2019 Mid-Atlantic Emmy.

Tucker died on May 14, 2020 from complications from Alzheimer’s disease at age 87.[2]

References

Paul Kuharsky. "Pioneer Lived Out His Hoop Dreams". Black Athlete Sports Network.
Rohrbach, Ben (May 19, 2020). "Remembering Jim Tucker, the trailblazing NBA champion who died at age 87". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved May 20, 2020.

External links

Career statistics and player information from NBA.com or Basketball-Reference.com

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[1] Paul Kuharsky. "Pioneer Lived Out His Hoop Dreams". Black Athlete Sports Network.

[2] Rohrbach, Ben (May 19, 2020). "Remembering Jim Tucker, the trailblazing NBA champion who died at age 87". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved May 20, 2020.