Bill McGill
A dominant college scorer whose invention of the jump hook changed post play, yet his professional career never matched his historic draft status.
1939–2014 (age 75)·American basketball player·Birthday: September 16·The Silent Generation
Biography
Bill 'The Hill' McGill was a scoring phenomenon at the University of Utah, a 6'9" center with a soft touch and a revolutionary move. In 1962, he averaged a staggering 38.8 points per game, leading the nation and captivating basketball fans. His signature innovation was the jump hook, a shot that combined a hook's leverage with the elevation of a jumper, making it nearly unblockable. This prowess made him the first overall pick in the NBA draft. However, the professional game proved a difficult transition; his defensive limitations and the physical style of the era limited his impact. While his NBA journey was brief and itinerant, his legacy as an offensive innovator and one of college basketball's most potent scorers remains secure.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Bill was born in 1939, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Bill Was Born
The biggest hits of 1939
#1 Movie
Gone with the Wind
Best Picture
Gone with the Wind
Bill's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1939Born
World War II begins; The Wizard of Oz premieres
Gas: $0.19/galMin wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Over the Rainbow" — Judy GarlandBest Picture: Gone with the Wind
1944Started school
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1952Became a teenager
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1955Could drive
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1957Could vote
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1960Turned 21
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1969Turned 30
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1979Turned 40
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1989Turned 50
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1999Turned 60
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 70
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2014Died at 75
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
Key Achievements
- Selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the 1962 NBA Draft by the Chicago Zephyrs.
- Led all NCAA Division I scorers in the 1961-62 season with an average of 38.8 points per game for the University of Utah.
- Credited with inventing and popularizing the jump hook shot, a fundamental move for post players.
- Scored 60 points in a single game for Utah against Brigham Young University in 1962.
Did You Know?
His nickname, 'The Hill,' was a reference to his hometown of San Angelo, Texas, which is not particularly hilly, and his own tall, slender frame.
He played for five different NBA teams in just three seasons.
After basketball, he worked for many years as a counselor for the Los Angeles County Probation Department.
“The jump hook isn't about strength; it's about creating an unblockable angle.”
