Johnny Neumann

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title: "Johnny Neumann" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1951-births", "2019-deaths", "20th-century-american-sportsmen", "21st-century-american-sportsmen", "aek-larnaca-b.c.-coaches", "al-hilal-basketball-coaches", "al-ittihad-jeddah-basketball-coaches", "all-american-college-men's-basketball-players", "american-expatriate-basketball-people-in-belgium", "american-expatriate-basketball-people-in-china", "american-expatriate-basketball-people-in-cyprus", "american-expatriate-basketball-people-in-germany", "american-expatriate-basketball-people-in-greece", "american-expatriate-basketball-people-in-israel", "american-expatriate-basketball-people-in-italy", "american-expatriate-basketball-people-in-japan", "american-expatriate-basketball-people-in-kuwait", "american-expatriate-basketball-people-in-lebanon", "american-expatriate-basketball-people-in-romania", "american-expatriate-basketball-people-in-saudi-arabia", "american-men's-basketball-coaches", "american-men's-basketball-players", "american-people-of-german-descent", "apoel-b.c.-coaches", "basketball-coaches-from-tennessee", "basketball-players-from-memphis,-tennessee", "bsc-saturn-köln-players", "buffalo-braves-players", "chicago-bulls-draft-picks", "continental-basketball-association-coaches", "hapoel-tel-aviv-b.c.-coaches", "indiana-pacers-players", "iraklis-thessaloniki-b.c.-coaches", "kagawa-five-arrows-coaches", "kentucky-colonels-players", "los-angeles-lakers-players", "memphis-pros-players", "memphis-tams-players", "ole-miss-rebels-men's-basketball-players", "pagrati-b.c.-coaches", "pallacanestro-cantù-players", "p.a.o.k.-bc-coaches", "parade-high-school-all-americans-(boys'-basketball)", "rbc-pepinster-coaches", "rizing-zephyr-fukuoka-coaches", "shooting-guards", "small-forwards", "undrafted-aba-players", "utah-stars-players", "virginia-squires-players", "zhejiang-lions-coaches"] description: "American basketball player and coach (1950–2019)" topic_path: "science/astronomy" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Neumann" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary American basketball player and coach (1950–2019) ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox basketball biography"]

Field	Value
name	Johnny Neumann
image	Johnny Neumann 1974.jpeg
image_size	135px
caption	Neumann, in 1974.
height_ft	6
height_in	6
weight_lb	200
birth_date
birth_place	Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
death_date
death_place	Oxford, Mississippi, U.S.
high_school	Overton (Memphis, Tennessee)
college	Ole Miss (1970–1971)
draft_year	1973
draft_round	6
draft_pick	98
draft_team	Chicago Bulls
career_start	1971
career_end	1982
career_number	14, 22, 44, 4, 31, 21
career_position	Small forward / shooting guard
coach_start	1982
coach_end	2017
years1	1971–1974
team1	Memphis Pros / Tams
years2	1974
team2	Utah Stars
years3	1974
team3	Virginia Squires
years4	1974–1975
team4	Indiana Pacers
years5	1975
team5	Virginia Squires
years6	1975–1976
team6	Kentucky Colonels
years7
team7	Buffalo Braves
years8
team8	Los Angeles Lakers
years9
team9	Indiana Pacers
years10	1978–1979
team10	Gabetti Cantù
years11	1980–1982
team11	Saturn Köln
cyears1	1982–1984
cteam1	Maine Lumberjacks / Bay State Bombardiers
cyears2	1986–1987
cteam2	RBC Pepinster
cyears3	1987–1989
cteam3	PAOK Thessaloniki
cyears4	1989–1990
cteam4	Pagrati Athens
cyears5	1991–1992
cteam5	Louisville Shooters
cyears6	1992–1993
cteam6	Iraklis Thessaloniki
cyears7	1993–1994
cteam7	Pezoporikos
cyears8	1994–1995
cteam8	AEK Larnaca
cyears9	1997–1998
cteam9	APOEL
cyears10	1998
cteam10	Hapoel Tel Aviv
cyears11	1999–2000
cteam11	Youngstown Hawks
cyears12	2000
cteam12	Kazma Sport Club
cyears13	2001–2002
cteam13	Lebanon
cyears14	2003–2004
cteam14	Al-Hilal Riyadh
cyears15	2005
cteam15	Al Ittihad
cyears16	2006–2007
cteam16	Zhejiang Lions
cyears17	2007–2009
cteam17	Rizing Fukuoka
cyears18	2009–2010
cteam18	Takamatsu Five Arrows
cyears19	2010–2012
cteam19	Romania
cyears20	2016–2017
cteam20	South Panola HS (assistant)
stats_league	ABA and NBA
stat1label	Points
stat1value	6,022 (13.2 ppg)
stat2label	Rebounds
stat2value	1,234 (2.7 rpg)
stat3label	Assists
stat3value	1,345 (3.0 apg)
::

::callout[type=note]

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| name = Johnny Neumann | image = Johnny Neumann 1974.jpeg | image_size = 135px | caption = Neumann, in 1974. | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 6 | weight_lb = 200 | birth_date = | birth_place = Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = Oxford, Mississippi, U.S. | high_school = Overton (Memphis, Tennessee) | college = Ole Miss (1970–1971) | draft_year = 1973 | draft_round = 6 | draft_pick = 98 | draft_team = Chicago Bulls | career_start = 1971 | career_end = 1982 | career_number = 14, 22, 44, 4, 31, 21 | career_position = Small forward / shooting guard | coach_start = 1982 | coach_end = 2017 | years1 = 1971–1974 | team1 = Memphis Pros / Tams | years2 = 1974 | team2 = Utah Stars | years3 = 1974 | team3 = Virginia Squires | years4 = 1974–1975 | team4 = Indiana Pacers | years5 = 1975 | team5 = Virginia Squires | years6 = 1975–1976 | team6 = Kentucky Colonels | years7 = | team7 = Buffalo Braves | years8 = | team8 = Los Angeles Lakers | years9 = | team9 = Indiana Pacers | years10 = 1978–1979 | team10 = Gabetti Cantù | years11 = 1980–1982 | team11 = Saturn Köln | cyears1 = 1982–1984 | cteam1 = Maine Lumberjacks / Bay State Bombardiers | cyears2 = 1986–1987 | cteam2 = RBC Pepinster | cyears3 = 1987–1989 | cteam3 = PAOK Thessaloniki | cyears4 = 1989–1990 | cteam4 = Pagrati Athens | cyears5 = 1991–1992 | cteam5 = Louisville Shooters | cyears6 = 1992–1993 | cteam6 = Iraklis Thessaloniki | cyears7 = 1993–1994 | cteam7 = Pezoporikos | cyears8 = 1994–1995 | cteam8 = AEK Larnaca | cyears9 = 1997–1998 | cteam9 = APOEL | cyears10 = 1998 | cteam10 = Hapoel Tel Aviv | cyears11 = 1999–2000 | cteam11 = Youngstown Hawks | cyears12 = 2000 | cteam12 = Kazma Sport Club | cyears13 = 2001–2002 | cteam13 = Lebanon | cyears14 = 2003–2004 | cteam14 = Al-Hilal Riyadh | cyears15 = 2005 | cteam15 = Al Ittihad | cyears16 = 2006–2007 | cteam16 = Zhejiang Lions | cyears17 = 2007–2009 | cteam17 = Rizing Fukuoka | cyears18 = 2009–2010 | cteam18 = Takamatsu Five Arrows | cyears19 = 2010–2012 | cteam19 = Romania | cyears20 = 2016–2017 | cteam20 = South Panola HS (assistant) | highlights = As player:

• ABA All-Rookie First Team (1972)
• FIBA Saporta Cup Finals Top Scorer (1979)
• 2× German League champion (1981, 1982)
• German Cup winner (1981)
• Consensus second-team All-American (1971)
• NCAA scoring champion (1971)
• SEC Player of the Year (1971) As head coach:
• Cypriot League champion (1994)
• 2× Cypriot League Coach of the Year (1994, 1995) | stats_league = ABA and NBA | stat1label = Points | stat1value = 6,022 (13.2 ppg) | stat2label = Rebounds | stat2value = 1,234 (2.7 rpg) | stat3label = Assists | stat3value = 1,345 (3.0 apg) Carl John Neumann (September 11, 1951 – April 23, 2019), nicknamed "Johnny Reb", was an American professional basketball player and coach. At 6'6" and 200 pounds, he played at the shooting guard and small forward positions.

High school and college

Following a standout career at Overton High School in Memphis, Neumann took his game to the University of Mississippi, where he played from 1969 to 1971. During his sophomore season, he drew comparisons to Pete Maravich, after averaging an NCAA-high of 40.1 points per game. His strongest performances included a 63-point game against Louisiana State University and a 60-point game against Baylor University. Neumann earned All-America and SEC Player of the Year honors at the end of the season.

Johnny Neumann returned to Ole Miss and completed his undergraduate degree, in 2016. After earning his degree, he returned to coaching. He was named to the 2016 SEC Legends class. Neumann continues to hold the Ole Miss single-season scoring record of 923 points.

Professional career

Memphis Pros and Memphis Tams

After his sophomore season at Ole Miss, Neumann became the first player in basketball history to sign a hardship clause as he signed a five-year, $2 million contract with the Memphis Pros of the American Basketball Association. Neumann was later drafted by the Chicago Bulls, in the 6th round of the 1973 NBA draft.

Neumann's professional career started strong, with averages of 18.3 points per game and 19.6 points per game in his first two full seasons with Memphis. He was named to the ABA All-Rookie Team in 1972. However, Neumann gradually fell out of favor with the team's head coach and management, who thought he was not passing the ball enough, and he was traded by the Memphis Tams to the Utah Stars, in exchange for Glen Combs, Ronnie Robinson, Mike Jackson and cash, in January 1974.

The exploits of Neumann were briefly detailed in Terry Pluto's book Loose Balls, which had varuous players note his talent in scoring along with his immaturity that never quite ended in his playing days.

Utah Stars

In Neumann's first year with the Utah Stars, his team won the ABA Western Division and defeated the San Diego Conquistadors, in the Western Division Semifinals and the Indiana Pacers in the Western Division Finals, to make it to the ABA Championship series, where they lost the 1974 ABA Finals to the New York Nets. Despite the team's success, Neumann struggled to regain his scoring average after being traded to Utah. He averaged just 10.1 points per game, in 44 games played with the Stars.

Virginia Squires and Indiana Pacers

In August 1974 the Stars traded Neumann and a draft choice, to the Virginia Squires, in exchange for Jim Eakins and Larry Miller. After just four games with the Squires, the Indiana Pacers bought Neumann's rights from the Squires, in November 1974. He averaged 8.3 points per game with Indiana. Neumann finished out the 1974–75 season as a Pacer, and in March 1975, the Virginia Squires bought Neumann's rights back from the Pacers.

Neumann averaged 16.6 points per game for Virginia during the 1975–76 season, but in January 1976, he was traded by the Squires.

Kentucky Colonels

In January 1976, Neumann was traded along with Jan van Breda Kolff, to the Kentucky Colonels, in exchange for Marv Roberts. He averaged 10.1 points per game as the Colonels defeated the Indiana Pacers in the ABA Quarterfinals and lost a 4–3 seven-game series to the Denver Nuggets, in the 1976 ABA Semifinals.

NBA

After the ABA–NBA merger took place in June 1976, Neumann ended up with the Buffalo Braves. From 1976 to 1978, Neumann played 83 games in the NBA, as a member of the Braves, Los Angeles Lakers, and once again with the Pacers. His 1977–78 campaign with the Pacers, during which he averaged just 4.2 points per game, would be his last in the United States.

Europe

After leaving the NBA, Neumann took his game to Europe, where he competed in the Italian A League with Gabetti Cantù, in the 1978–79 season, and in the German Federal League, with Saturn Köln, from 1980 to 1982.

Coaching career

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/Carl_John_Neumann.JPG" caption="Neumann coaching [[Takamatsu Five Arrows]] in 2010"] ::

Neumann became an assistant coach while playing in Germany, a position that would prove to be his first of many basketball coaching jobs. Neumann also coached in Belgium, Greece, Cyprus, Israel, Kuwait, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, China, and Japan, as well as in the American minor-league Continental Basketball Association with the Maine Lumberjacks. Neumann also coached the Louisville Shooters of the Global Basketball Association, in 1991 and 1992. While in Cyprus, he discovered Darrell Armstrong, a little-known American point guard from Fayetteville State University, who later found success in the NBA.

On June 23, 2010, Neumann was appointed as the new head coach of the Romanian national team. After graduation from Ole Miss with a bachelor's degree in general studies, he hoped to obtain a position as a professional sports analyst and broadcaster, but those opportunities did not materialize. In an attempt to reenter coaching while waiting for the next professional opportunity, he served as an assistant coach at South Panola High School, in Batesville, Mississippi.

Death

Neumann had suffered from several health issues for many years. By 2018, Johnny's health had declined significantly and it was discovered he had developed a brain tumor. In spite of surgery, Neumann died in Oxford, Mississippi, on April 23, 2019, after struggling against brain cancer. His ashes were deposited in an undisclosed location, but close to some of his most significant basketball achievements.

Head coaching record

|- | style="text-align:left;"|Rizing Fukuoka | style="text-align:left;"|2007–08 | 44||20||24|||| style="text-align:center;"|3rd in Western|||1||0||1|| | style="text-align:center;"|Lost in playoff semifinals |- | style="text-align:left;"|Rizing Fukuoka | style="text-align:left;"|2008–09 | 52||22||30|||| style="text-align:center;"|4th in Western|||2||0||2|| | style="text-align:center;"|Lost in 1st round |- | style="text-align:left;"|Takamatsu Five Arrows | style="text-align:left;"|2009–10 | 52||13||39|||| style="text-align:center;"|7th in Western|||-||-||-|| | style="text-align:center;"|- |-

References

References

1. [http://www.thelocalvoice.net/TLV-pages/athletics/TLV22-johnnyneumann.html http://www.thelocalvoice.net/TLV-pages/athletics/TLV22-johnnyneumann.html]{{Dead link. (February 2020)
2. "High scorers".
3. [https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2017/07/29/basketball/documentary-former-hoop-star-neumanns-life-provides-cautionary-tale/ Documentary on former hoop star Neumann's life provides a cautionary tale.]
4. [http://www.nba.com/pacers/news/johnny_neumann.html NBA Official Site, "Where Are They Now? Johnny Neumann article]
5. [http://www.remembertheaba.com/MemphisMaterial/BuccaneersMemphisYearly.html http://www.remembertheaba.com/MemphisMaterial/BuccaneersMemphisYearly.html] {{webarchive. link. (February 10, 2007)
6. [https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/n/neumajo01.html Basketball-Reference.com Johnny Neumann page]
7. [http://www.remembertheaba.com/TeamMaterial/MemphisMaterial/BuccaneersMemphisYearly.html RememberTheABA.com Memphis Pros Detailed Year to Year Notes Page] {{webarchive. link. (May 8, 2009)
8. Pluto, Terry. (1990). "Loose Balls". Simon & Schuster.
9. [http://www.remembertheaba.com/TeamMaterial/IndianaMaterial/PacersYearly.html RememberTheABA.com Indiana Pacers Detailed Year to Year Notes Page]
10. "John Neumann".
11. [http://www.remembertheaba.com/Memphis-Tams.html http://www.remembertheaba.com/Memphis-Tams.html] {{webarchive. link. (November 2, 2015)
12. "Johnny Neumann Stats".
13. [https://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/5501046.html His playbook has an atlas]. Retrieved on August 12, 2008.
14. "Where Are They Now? Johnny Neumann".
15. [https://www.panolian.com/2019/04/25/johnny-neumann-dead-at-68/ Johnny Neumann dead at 68.]
16. Cobb, David. (April 23, 2019). "Local basketball legend, former Ole Miss star Johnny Neumann dies at 68". [[The Commercial Appeal]].

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