Jim Tucker (basketball)

James D. Tucker (December 11, 1932 – May 14, 2020) was an American professional basketball player.

Biography

Tucker attended Paris Western High School in Paris, Kentucky. A 6' 7" forward from Duquesne University, Tucker played three seasons (1954–1957) in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Syracuse Nationals. He averaged 4.1 points per game in his career and won a league championship in 1955.

Tucker and teammate Earl Lloyd were also the first two African Americans to play on an NBA championship team.

After the NBA he played with the Harlem Magicians. He played in the Eastern Professional Basketball League (EPBL) for the Allentown Jets, Baltimore Bullets and the Easton Madisons from 1958 to 1960. Tucker won an EPBL championship with the Madisons in 1960.

In 2018, a short documentary titled "Let 'Em Know You're There" told the story of Jim's professional basketball career and eventual battle with Alzheimer's disease. The documentary won a 2019 Mid-Atlantic Emmy.

Tucker died on May 14, 2020, from complications from Alzheimer's disease at age 87.