Jim Pollard

James Clifford Pollard (July 9, 1922 – January 22, 1993) was an American professional basketball player and coach. As a player in the National Basketball Association (NBA), Pollard was considered one of the best forwards in the 1950s and was known for his leaping ability, earning him the nickname "The Kangaroo Kid". A five-time NBA champion and four-time NBA All-Star, Pollard spent his entire eight-year professional career with the Minneapolis Lakers.

Pollard was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1978. He has also been inducted into the Bay Area Hall of Fame, Stanford Hall of Fame, and Pac-12 Hall of Honor.

Early life Pollard attended Oakland Technical High School in his hometown of Oakland, California. He led the school's basketball team to three consecutive conference titles from 1937–38 to 1939–40. He averaged 19.8 points per game in his senior year, setting a school record.

College career and military service Pollard was recruited to Stanford University by former Stanford star and future Hall of Famer, Hank Luisetti. Pollard played for the Stanford Indians for two seasons, under head coach Everett Dean. During his sophomore season, he was a key member of the team's 1942 national championship team, but, due to illness, he did not play in the championship game.

Professional career

Pollard began his professional basketball career in 1947 after signing with the Minneapolis Lakers while the team was a part of the National Basketball League. On the team, Pollard was a member of a future Hall of Fame frontcourt alongside center George Mikan and power forward Vern Mikkelsen, as well as fellow Hall of Famer Slater Martin at shooting guard. Led by coach John Kundla, this core group of players have been called the "first legacy in the history of professional basketball".

Coaching career Pollard immediately moved into coaching after retiring, taking the head coach position at La Salle University for the Explorers men's basketball team in 1955. Over three seasons with the team, Pollard compiled a record of 48–28. He was named the head coach of the newly established Chicago Packers in 1961, and managed an 18–62 record in the team's first NBA season.

He moved to the American Basketball Association for the league's inaugural season in 1967, and coached the Minnesota Muskies to a 50–24 record in their first season. The Muskies relocated to Miami and became the Miami Floridians the following season, finishing 43–35. He was fired by the team midway through the 1969–70 season after the Floridians started the season with a 5–15 record.

BAA/NBA career statistics

Regular season

Playoffs Year Team GP MPG FG% FT% RPG APG PPG 1949† Minneapolis 10 – .293 .710 – 3.9 13.0 1950† Minneapolis 12 – .286 .710 – 4.7 12.0 1951 Minneapolis 7 – .324 .833 8.9 3.9 13.6 1952† Minneapolis 11 42.6 .405 .740 6.3 3.0 16.1 1953† Minneapolis 12 37.9 .371 .774 7.2 4.1 14.3 1954† Minneapolis 13 41.8 .361 .800 8.5 3.2 12.3 1955 Minneapolis 7 36.7 .317 .717 11.1 2.0 14.1Career 72 40.1 .339 .750 8.1 3.6 13.6

Head coaching record