Memorial statue at Chillicothe HS stands tall in honor of NBA champion Neil Johnston
CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — Tucked away in downtown Chillicothe outside of the Chillicothe High School gymnasium, you will find a beautiful statue and memorial garden dedicated to Neil Johnston. “Neil Johnston Gardens” is a local treasure that came about because of a group of Chillicothe citizens who wanted to pay tribute and keep the legend alive.
Chillicothe High School graduate, Bruce Caplinger, is a collector of sports memorabilia. He took some of his collection to a class reunion to auction off for a fundraiser. Bruce realized that not many people in Chillicothe realized that Chillicothe High School had produced such a high level athlete in Neil Johnston. Encouraged by the enthusiasm of other locals to learn more about Johnston, Bruce was encouraged to do something special for Neil and his first idea was a large, bronze statue.
The larger than life memorial stands 11’4” tall and weighs 2,500 pounds. The bronze statue was sculpted by Brian Hanlon who is the official sculptor for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The Neil Johnston Gardens is the result of a large group effort. Caplinger said this couldn’t have been done without all of the support that was received.
“We had a total of 23 committee members of which I give all the credit to. We had four fundraisers and received numerous donations from corporate, businesses and individuals.” At the base of the statue is a beautiful piece of concrete work spanning 22 feet in diameter. “The 22’ round concrete base was donated and built by Vince Beverly Concrete. The landscaping was donated by Chris Littler of Arselli’s Landscape and Design.”
Neil Johnston was born in Chillicothe on February 4, 1929. He grew up in the area, the youngest of four brothers who all grew to 6’5” or taller. At an early age, Neil started to develop and shoot the hook shot to get the ball over his older brothers. During his sophomore year Neil played on the varsity basketball team at a height of 5’10” and would continue to grow; playing his junior year at 6’6” and 6’8” by his senior year. As a senior, Neil averaged 24 points a game and was first team all-state. Neil went on to play both baseball and basketball at the Ohio State University.
After two years he ran out of money and signed a bonus to pitch in the minor leagues for the Philadelphia Phillies. After three years and an average career, Neil hurt his shoulder and opted to try out for the Philadelphia Warriors in 1951. Neil made the team, but played sparingly his first year. While using his devastating hook shot, Neil led the NBA in scoring the next three years and rebounding once. He once held the record for most rebounds in one NBA game with 39. He also once scored 50 points in an NBA game. With Neil’s help, the Warriors won the NBA championship in 1956.
Neil was a 6-time NBA All-Star in an 8-year career cut short by a knee injury. Neil would go on to coach, coaching greats such as Wilt Chamberlain. Neil would go 95-59 as an NBA coach, and was ultimately asked to step down. He went on to coach in other professional organizations and eventually at the collegiate level. At the age of 49, he was the golf coach and athletic director at North Lake College in Irving Texas, when he died of a heart attack while playing in a pickup game of basketball. Neil is a member of several halls of fame including Chillicothe High School and the Ohio State University. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1990 and the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.
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