Hal Lear

Harold C. Lear Jr. (January 31, 1935 – June 25, 2016) was an American professional basketball player.

Hal Lear

Personal information
Born	(1935-01-31)January 31, 1935 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	June 25, 2016(2016-06-25) (aged 81) White Plains, New York, U.S.
Listed height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Listed weight	163 lb (74 kg)
Career information
High school	Overbrook (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
College	Temple (1953–1956)
NBA draft	1956: 1st round, 7th overall pick
Drafted by	Philadelphia Warriors
Playing career	1956–1967
Position	Point guard
Number	16
Career history
1956	Philadelphia Warriors
1956–1961	Easton Madisons
1961–1962	Los Angeles Jets
1962–1965	Camden Bullets
1965–1966	Johnstown C-J's
1966–1967	New Haven Elms
Career highlights
2× EPBL champion (1960, 1964) EPBL Most Valuable Player (1957) 4× All-EPBL First Team (1957, 1959–1961) 2× All-EPBL Second Team (1958, 1965) Third-team All-American – Collier's (1956) NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player (1956) No. 6 retired by Temple Owls
Stats at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball Reference

Biography

A 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) guard born in Philadelphia, Lear starred at Temple University in his hometown during the 1950s. He earned the NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player in 1956 after leading Temple to the Final Four, where they lost to the University of Iowa.^[1]

After college, Lear was selected by the Philadelphia Warriors with the seventh pick of the 1956 NBA draft. His NBA career was brief, however: he appeared in just three games during the 1956–57 NBA season and scored four points.^[2] He played for the Easton Madisons of the Eastern Professional Basketball League (EPBL) and was named the league's Most Valuable Player in 1957.^[3]

Lear won EPBL championships with the Madisons in 1960^[4] and the Camden Bullets in 1964.^[5] He was a four-time selection to the All-EPBL First Team and two-time selection to the Second Team.^[6]

In 2013, Temple retired his No. 6 jersey.^[7]

Death

Lear died on June 25, 2016, at his home in White Plains, New York, after an illness.^[8]

Career statistics

Legend

GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field goal percentage	3P%	3-point field goal percentage	FT%	Free throw percentage
RPG	Rebounds per game	APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game
BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game	Bold	Career high

NBA

Source^[2]

Regular season

Year	Team	GP	MPG	FG%	FT%	RPG	APG	PPG
1956–57	Philadelphia	3	4.7	.333	–	.3	.3	1.3