An appreciation of the late Hall of Famer Hal Greer

Being a Boston Celtics fan, especially during a superlative career of Bill Russell, required loathing admiration for a player like Philadelphia 76ers shooting guard Hal Greer.

The Celtics dominance included Sam Jones and K.C. Jones, Don Nelson, Bailey Howell, John Havlicek, Satch Sanders and a litany of other players who bought into team ideas delivered by cigar chomping Red Auerbach.

Greer, recently deceased, played an integral part of the 76ers’ 1967 championship NBA team. The 6-2 player mastered all aspects of basketball as shooting guard, defense specialist and assist man.

The Philadelphia title ended a streak of eight consecutive Celtics championships before Boston followed with two more.

Wilt Chamberlain, Luke Jackson, Wali Jones, Matt Guokas, Larry Costello, Billy Cunningham and Greer starred for Philadelphia. Anyone who loved the Celtics knew the entire Philadelphia roster.

Crossed paths as a teen with Greer when older sister, Patricia, gifted a spot at a five-day overnight summer basketball camp which included the 76ers guard as a main attraction.

Imagine a 13-year-old country kid standing in the presence of basketball royalty. Greer played as a 76ers but his tough style of play, showing up every night and rarely off his game, would have made him a perfect sidekick for Boston’s backcourt superstar, Sam Jones.

Greer played 15 NBA seasons, with the Syracuse Nationals and their successor franchise, the 76ers. He was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1982 and named to the NBA’s 50th anniversary team in 1996.

Over his career he scored 21,586 points for an average of 19.2 a game and played in 1,122 games.

Greer averaged 22.1 points a game on the 76ers’ 1967 championship squad which turned in a 68-13 regular season mark for coach Alex Hannum. Philadelphia beat Boston in five games then defeated San Francisco in six games.

In 1965, Greer achieved infamy during game seven of the Eastern Division finals. Philadelphia trailed by one point with five seconds remaining but Celtics’ star John Havlicek stole the ball.

Greer, 81, passed away last Saturday night in Arizona.

L.A. Parker is a Trentonian columnist

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Hal Greer, a Hall of Fame guard and the 76ers’ career leading scorer, died last week. L.A. Parker recalls attending a basketball camp Greer was working at.