Neil Johnston was a 1990 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, an NBA Champion, numerous time All-NBA selection and three time NBA scoring champion. Yet somehow, he's often forgotten even by people in his hometown.
His old high school, Chillicothe in Ohio, does not have something to pay honor to this man's legacy. However, a local memorabilia collector, Bruce Caplinger, is determined to change that.
According to Chris Balusik of the Chillicothe Gazette:
“Caplinger appeared before the Chillicothe school board last week asking for its blessing to proceed with fundraising for a bronze statue paying tribute to Johnston and his accomplishments that could potentially be placed near the entrance to Hatton Memorial Gymnasium. He provided the board with an image of what the statue would look like when completed and a handwritten diagram showing where the base for it would rest on the high school campus.
‘It's going to be 13 feet tall, and the reason I'm here tonight is hopefully that statue will stand right out in front of the Hatton Gymnasium,' he told the board.”
In order to achieve that, Caplinger just requests an available space for the statue to be placed. He plans to fund the project through individual efforts and events.
It is a well deserved honor for a great basketball player who passed away at the very early age of 49 due to a heart condition. His numbers and achievements speak for themselves and people in his old high school should be able to recognize this man as a role model for the young athletes who aspire to play professional sports.
Hopefully, an agreement can be reached and soon Neil Johnston's statue to be raised in Chillicothe High School.
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