Gary Keller (basketball)

Gary Keller
Personal information
Born	June 13, 1944 (age 80); Elizabeth, New Jersey
Nationality	American
Listed height	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight	220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
High school	Dixie M. Hollins; (St. Petersburg, Florida)
College	Florida (1964–1967)
NBA draft	1967: 6th round, 59th overall pick
	Selected by the Los Angeles Lakers
Playing career	1967–1969
Position	Center / power forward
Number	51, 42
Career history
1967–1969	Minnesota Muskies / Miami Floridians
Career highlights and awards
	Third-team Parade All-American (1962);
	Stats at Basketball Reference

Gary J. Keller (born June 13, 1944) is an American former college and professional basketball player who was a center and power forward in the American Basketball Association (ABA) for two seasons during the late 1960s. Keller played college basketball for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Minnesota Muskies and the Miami Floridians of the ABA.

Early years

Keller was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey in 1944.^[1] He grew up in St. Petersburg, Florida, where he attended Dixie M. Hollins High School.^[2] He played high school basketball for the Dixie Hollins Rebels, winning back-to-back Florida state championships in 1961 and 1962.^[2] He was a McDonald's fourth-team high school All-American selection as a senior.^[2]

College career

Keller accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, and played for coach Norm Sloan and coach Tommy Bartlett's Florida Gators men's basketball teams from 1964 to 1967. The Gators finished 21–4 in 1967—their best-ever win-loss record up to that time.^[2] Keller was an Academic All-American, and graduated from Florida with a bachelor's degree in business administration in 1967. He was later inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great,"^[3] and was recognized as an SEC Basketball Legend in 2003.

Professional career

After his college career, Keller was drafted in the sixth round of the 1967 National Basketball Association (NBA) Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers,^[1] and by the Denver Nuggets in the 1967 ABA Draft.^[2] After the Nuggets traded him to the Minnesota Muskies, he chose to play for the Minnesota ABA franchise instead of the NBA.^[2] Keller averaged 6.0 points and 4.5 rebounds per game during his two ABA seasons.^[1]

Life after basketball

Keller is married, and he and his wife Barbara live in St. Petersburg, Florida.^[2] They have a son and a daughter.^[2]

Career statistics

Legend
GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field goal percentage	3P%	3-point field goal percentage	FT%	Free throw percentage
RPG	Rebounds per game	APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game
BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game	Bold	Career high

ABA

Source^[4]

Regular season

Year	Team	GP	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	PPG
1967–68	Minnesota	69	17.6	.381	.000	.650	5.6	.6	7.3
1968–69	Miami	53	9.5	.406	.000	.600	3.2	.2	4.3
Career		122	14.0	.388	.000	.632	4.5	.4	6.0

Playoffs

Year	Team	GP	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	PPG
1968	Minnesota	10	14.2	.373	–	.565	5.0	.8	6.3
1969	Miami	6	9.5	.571	–	.600	3.8	.5	5.0
Career		16	12.4	.420	–	.576	4.6	.7	5.8

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Basketball-Reference, Gary Keller. Retrieved June 7, 2010.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Bob Chick, "Tampa Bay's All-Century Team: No. 86 Gary Keller Archived July 20, 2011, at the Wayback Machine," The Tampa Tribune (October 4, 1999). Retrieved April 25, 2010.
^ F Club, Hall of Fame, Gator Greats. Retrieved December 13, 2014.
^ "Gary Keller ABA stats". Basketball Reference. Sports Reference, LLC. Retrieved October 3, 2023.

[brprofile-1] Basketball-Reference, Gary Keller. Retrieved June 7, 2010.

[chick10041999-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Bob Chick, "Tampa Bay's All-Century Team: No. 86 Gary Keller Archived July 20, 2011, at the Wayback Machine," The Tampa Tribune (October 4, 1999). Retrieved April 25, 2010.

[3] F Club, Hall of Fame, Gator Greats. Retrieved December 13, 2014.

[4] "Gary Keller ABA stats". Basketball Reference. Sports Reference, LLC. Retrieved October 3, 2023.

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