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Guard · 1975–79

Jim McElroy

Central Michigan sent the 6-foot-3 guard to the NBA in 1975, where he broke in with the New Orleans Jazz and stayed through most of the franchise's Louisiana years. In 1978-79 he ranked tenth in the league in total assists.

Seven NBA seasons in all — New Orleans, Detroit and Atlanta — closed out in 1982 with career averages of 9.9 points and 3.5 assists per game. He was born in Cotton Plant, Arkansas.

HOW HE CAME & WENTNew Orleans took him 38th overall in 1975 with the pick it got from the Lakers for Stu Lantz. He left as a veteran free agent for Detroit in July 1979, returning to the city he grew up in, with the Jazz taking a second-rounder and $125,000 as compensation.

Full name
James Charles McElroy Jr.
New Orleans Jazz tenure
1975–79
Position
Guard
Born
1953, Cotton Plant, Arkansas
Height
6′3″ (190 cm)
Weight
190 lb (86 kg)
College
Central Michigan
Drafted
1975, 2nd round, Atlanta
Signature in the archive 1979 Topps Card #131 Utah Jazz Beckett BAS
Also on the shelf — unsigned 1979-80 Topps - #131 (RC) New Orleans Jazz

No photograph of this signature is online yet.

With the Jazz

JIM MCELROY · 1975–79 · PER GAME
SEASONTEAMGMPGPPGRPGAPGSPGBPGFG%3P%FT%
1975–76NOJ5122.27.52.22.10.90.1.510.736
1976–77NOJ7327.810.62.53.60.80.1.470.779
1977–78NOJ7423.89.42.03.90.80.5.473.737
1978–79NOJ7934.216.92.75.71.90.6.491.762
JAZZ TOTAL4 SEASONS27727.511.52.44.01.10.3.484.758

Season by season, regular season, with this franchise only. More info: Basketball-Reference ↗  ·  Wikipedia ↗

Did you know

JIM MCELROY · 5 NOTES
  • Started in the New Orleans backcourt through the Pete Maravich era.
  • Appears under both Jim and James McElroy in different card sets and references.
  • He later played for the Pistons, in the city where he had grown up.
  • Asked in 1979 why he chose Detroit, McElroy said 'I told my agent I think I want to go home. This is the place for me.'
  • He had been set on signing with Atlanta until Will Robinson, the Pistons' director of community relations, talked him into coming home instead.