The first great playmaker in professional basketball — led the BAA in assists twice and won an NBA title.
Andrew Michael Phillip was born in Granite City, Illinois in 1922. He was one of the Whiz Kids at the University of Illinois before the Chicago Stags signed him in 1947. He led the BAA/NBA in assists twice — pioneering the concept of the primary ball-handler as a distinct position. His 11-season career produced 9.8 points and 5.4 assists per game and five All-Star appearances. He won the NBA championship with the Philadelphia Warriors in 1956 alongside Paul Arizin and Neil Johnston. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1961 — the inaugural class of modern Hall of Famers. He is considered the first true point guard in professional basketball — a player whose primary value was organising the offence and creating for others rather than scoring himself. His assists leadership predated the formal recognition of the position by a decade.
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
BAA/NBA Assists leader 2x
Career Honours
- BAA/NBA Assists leader 2x
- All-Star 5x
- NBA Champion (1956)
- Hall of Fame (1961)