Jim Boatwright

James Earl Boatwright (; December 10, 1951 – February 11, 2013) was an American-Israeli professional basketball player, basketball coach, and schoolteacher. He won two EuroLeague championships with Maccabi Tel Aviv, in 1977 and 1981, while reaching the EuroLeague Final another time in 1980. In the 1977 final, he led all scorers with 26 points.

Amateur career Boatwright graduated from Minico High School in Rupert, Idaho, in 1970, where he lettered in basketball, track and golf. He led the Spartans to back-to-back state championship games in 1969 and 1970. As a junior, he averaged 37 points per game during the state tournament. He still holds the record for most free throws taken and made. Boatwright is the second-leading Minico scorer, all time.

Professional career Boatwright played for Maccabi Tel Aviv of the Israeli Basketball Super League, from 1974 to 1982. He began playing only in EuroLeague, until 1976, when he also started playing in the Israeli League. Maccabi won the EuroLeague championship in 1977, and Boatwright was the team's leading scorer. He converted to Judaism from Christianity in 1975, and became an Israeli citizen.

National team career Boatwright was selected as a member of the Israeli Olympic basketball team for the 1980 Moscow Summer Olympics. While playing for Maccabi, Boatwright had acquired Israeli citizenship. He was consequently able to participate in the EuroBasket 1981, as a member of the senior Israeli national team. At EuroBasket 1981, he averaged 9.6 points a game, and helped Israel finish in sixth place.

Personal life Jim Boatwright was born in 1951 to William Boatwright who operated a service station in Twin Falls. Boatwright died on February 11, 2013, of liver cancer in Ketchum, Idaho.