Clifton McNeely
He holds the unique, quiet distinction of being the very first NBA draft pick—a selection he famously declined to pursue a lifelong coaching career.
1919–2003 (age 84)·American basketball player and coach·Birthday: June 22·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Clifton McNeely's name is cemented in basketball history by a single, paradoxical fact. In 1947, the fledgling Basketball Association of America (which became the NBA) held its first-ever draft. The Pittsburgh Ironmen used the inaugural pick to select McNeely, a high-scoring forward from tiny Texas Wesleyan University. In an era before draft spectacle or guaranteed contracts, McNeely made a pragmatic and life-defining choice: he never suited up for the Ironmen or any other pro team. Instead, he returned to Texas and embarked on a decades-long career as a high school coach and educator at Pampa High School. While his on-court NBA legacy is a void, his historical status is absolute. McNeely lived a life dedicated to shaping young athletes far from the professional spotlight, his story a reminder that the draft's first call wasn't answered with fame, but with a commitment to community.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Clifton was born in 1919, placing them squarely in The Greatest 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 Clifton Was Born
The biggest hits of 1919
Clifton's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1919Born
Treaty of Versailles signed; Prohibition ratified
President: Woodrow Wilson
1924Started school
First Winter Olympics held in Chamonix, France
President: Calvin Coolidge"It Had to Be You" — Isham Jones
1932Became a teenager
Amelia Earhart flies solo across the Atlantic
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Night and Day" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Grand Hotel
1935Could drive
Social Security Act signed into law
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,450President: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Cheek to Cheek" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Mutiny on the Bounty
1937Could vote
Hindenburg disaster; Golden Gate Bridge opens
Gas: $0.20/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"A-Tisket, A-Tasket" — Ella FitzgeraldBest Picture: The Life of Emile Zola
1940Turned 21
The Blitz: Germany bombs London
Gas: $0.18/galHome: $2,938Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I'll Never Smile Again" — Tommy DorseyBest Picture: Rebecca
1949Turned 30
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1959Turned 40
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1969Turned 50
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 60
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 70
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 80
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2003Died at 84
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Key Achievements
- Selected as the first overall pick in the inaugural 1947 BAA/NBA draft by the Pittsburgh Ironmen.
- Led the nation in scoring for the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) during his senior season at Texas Wesleyan.
- Built a respected and lengthy career as a head basketball coach at Pampa High School in Texas.
- His selection formally marks the beginning of the NBA draft process that continues today.
Did You Know?
He is the only number one overall NBA draft pick to never play a single game in the league.
McNeely served in the U.S. Navy during World War II before his college career.
After his coaching career, he worked as a golf pro in Amarillo, Texas.
The team that drafted him, the Pittsburgh Ironmen, folded after just one season.
“I was the first pick, but my classroom was my true court.”
