9. Neil Johnston
A six-time All-Star, Neil Johnston played for the Philadelphia Warriors all eight seasons of his career. Coming out of Ohio State in 1951, the 6-foot-8 center nicknamed “Ol’ Hoss” brought one championship to Golden State.
Johnston was among the best players in the mid-50s, scoring the most points in the league three times. Then, Johnston led the league by averaging 22.3 points per game, playing a league-high 45.2 minutes per game as well.
In his fourth season in the league, Johnston put up 22.7 points and 15.1 rebounds per game — both the highest average among the eight teams in the league at the time. His career ended before he turned 30 as well.
At that time, the league still had a mere eight teams, but immense growth was quickly underway. Johnston is oftentimes forgotten about but was certainly a star in the early days of the league.