![]() Dillon as a member of the 1944–45 North Carolina Tar Heels | |
Personal information | |
---|---|
Born | Savannah, Georgia | January 8, 1924
Died | January 18, 2004 Winston-Salem, North Carolina | (aged 80)
Nationality | American |
Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
Listed weight | 180 lb (82 kg) |
Career information | |
High school | Benedictine (Savannah, Georgia) |
College | North Carolina (1944–1948) |
NBA draft | 1948: – round, – |
Selected by the Chicago Stags | |
Playing career | 1949–1950 |
Position | Small forward / power forward |
Number | 22 |
Career history | |
1949–1950 | Washington Capitols |
Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Career NBA statistics | |
Points | 36 |
Assists | 5 |
Games played | 22 |
Stats at NBA.com | |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
John "Hook" Dillon (January 8, 1924 – January 18, 2004) was an American basketball player.
He played collegiately for the University of North Carolina from 1945 to 1948. Prior to attending UNC, he previously played in the Savannah (GA) Ice Delivery city league and Benedictine Military Academy.
Dillon earned All-America honors in 1946 and 1947. He was the leading scorer on the 1946 team, which was UNC's first team to ever reach the Final Four. He first started gaining national attention early in 1946 against New York University in Madison Square Garden when he scored 21 points, many on his deadly hook shot. After the game, the media declared his shot to be one of the best ever showcased in Madison Square Garden, and the nickname stuck.
Because of his national accolades, Dillon's number 13 was honored by the University of North Carolina and currently hangs in the rafters of the Dean Smith Center.
Dillon had a brief professional career with the Toronto Huskies and Washington Capitols of the NBA.[1]
He died on January 18, 2004.