Leo Byrd
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
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| Born | June 30, 1936 | ||||||||||||||
| Died | July 20, 1991 (aged 54) | ||||||||||||||
| Nationality | American | ||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 170 lb (77 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school | Huntington (Huntington, West Virginia) | ||||||||||||||
| College | Marshall (1956–1959) | ||||||||||||||
| NBA draft | 1959: 4th round, 25th overall pick | ||||||||||||||
| Drafted by | Cincinnati Royals | ||||||||||||||
| Position | Guard | ||||||||||||||
| Number | 44 | ||||||||||||||
| Career highlights | |||||||||||||||
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| Stats at Basketball Reference | |||||||||||||||
Medals
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Leo Wesley Byrd (June 30, 1936 – July 20, 1991)[1][2] was an NCAA All-American basketball player for Marshall College whose career spanned from 1956–57 to 1958–59.[1][3] He also won a gold medal at the 1959 Pan American Games for Team USA after the squad finished with a 6–0 record.[4] It was the first Pan American Games to be played in the United States as well.[4]
Byrd was born and raised in Huntington, West Virginia and was the son of a Methodist minister.[5] At age 12, he was stricken with infantile paralysis (polio), but he eventually recovered to a full, normal life.[5] Byrd attended Huntington High School and became a prolific scorer. During his senior year of 1954–55, he averaged a state-record 34.2 points per game (ppg) for a season total of 889 points.[5] He led the school to a 22–4 record en route to the Class A state championship game and shattered the three-game tournament's previous scoring record of 93 points – Byrd scored 128 points with games of 48, 49 and 31 points, respectively.[5] Over that season he scored 40 or more points six times, including a career-high 56 against Bluefield, one of the larger schools.[5] Despite his scoring ability, his high school coach lauded his "team" concept of basketball.[5]
