American · Granite City, Illinois · Born 7 March 1922 · Died 2001-04-29American basketball point guard known as one of the greatest passers in early NBA history, leading the league in assists twice during the 1940s-50s.
Andrew Michael "Handy Andy" Phillip was born on 7 March 1922 in Granite City, Illinois, and starred at the University of Illinois, being named Sporting News Player of the Year in 1943 and a two-time consensus first-team All-American before serving in the military, which interrupted his college career. The Chicago Stags selected Phillip in the fifth round of the 1947 draft, and he developed into one of the finest playmaking guards of professional basketball's earliest years, leading the league in assists in both 1951 and 1952 while earning five consecutive All-Star selections. Phillip played for the Chicago Stags, Philadelphia Warriors, and Fort Wayne Pistons before winning an NBA championship with the Boston Celtics in 1957, closing out an 11-year career that helped establish the assist as a central offensive statistic in the sport's formative professional era. Phillip was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, and briefly served as head coach of the St. Louis Hawks. He died on 29 April 2001, at age 79, in Rancho Mirage, California, remembered as one of the pioneering playmakers of the pre-shot-clock NBA.
Pioneering point guard play and exceptional court vision
How They Played
Cerebral floor general with exceptional passing ability and basketball IQ
Lasting Impact
Revolutionary playmaker who helped define the point guard position in early NBA
Career Honours
- BAA/NBA Assists leader 2x
- All-Star 5x
- NBA Champion (1956)
- Hall of Fame (1961)
| Club | Period | Apps |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Stags | 1947–1950 | — |
| Philadelphia Warriors | 1950–1952 | — |
| Fort Wayne Pistons | 1952–1956 | — |
| Boston Celtics | 1956–1958 | — |
American Athletes