Personal information | |
---|---|
Born |
Memphis, Tennessee |
September 11, 1951
Nationality | American |
Listed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
Listed weight | 200 lb (91 kg) |
Career information | |
High school | Overton (Memphis, Tennessee) |
College | Ole Miss (1970–1971) |
NBA draft | 1973 / Round: 6 / Pick: 98th overall |
Selected by the Chicago Bulls | |
Playing career | 1971–1979 |
Position | Small forward |
Number | 14, 22, 44, 4, 31, 21 |
Career history | |
1971–1974 | Memphis Pros / Tams |
1974 | Utah Stars |
1974 | Virginia Squires |
1974–1975 | Indiana Pacers |
1975 | Virginia Squires |
1975–1976 | Kentucky Colonels |
1976 | Buffalo Braves |
1976–1977 | Los Angeles Lakers |
1977 | Indiana Pacers |
1978–1979 | Gabetti Cantù |
Career highlights and awards | |
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Career ABA and NBA statistics | |
Points | 6,022 (13.2 ppg) |
Rebounds | 1,234 (2.7 rpg) |
Assists | 1,345 (3.0 apg) |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Not to be confused with former professional basketball player Johnny Newman.
Carl John Neumann (born September 11, 1951), nicknamed "Johnny Reb" is an American former professional basketball player and coach. At 6'6" and 200 pounds, he played the guard and forward positions.
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 season, he drew comparisons to Pete Maravich after averaging an NCAA-high 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 Men's Basketball Player of the Year honors at the end of the season.
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 coach and management, who thought he was not passing the ball enough, and he was traded by the Memphis Tams to the Utah Stars for Glen Combs, Ronnie Robinson, Mike Jackson and cash in January 1974.