A
forward and
center from the
University of Louisville, Coleman played nine seasons (
1949–
1958) in the
National Basketball Association as a member of the
Rochester Royals and
St. Louis Hawks. He tallied 6,721 points and 5,186
rebounds in his career, and he represented Rochester in the
1955 NBA All-Star Game. Coleman also appeared in three
NBA Finals, winning championships with Rochester in 1951 and St. Louis in 1958. During the Hawks' appearance in the
1957 NBA Finals, Coleman was involved in one of
Bill Russell's most memorable defensive plays. In the final game of the series, Coleman had an opportunity to clinch the Hawks' championship with a
layup after receiving an outlet pass at midcourt. Bill Russell, who had been standing at his own baseline when the play began, ran the entire length of the floor and managed to
block Coleman's shot, preserving the victory for the Celtics. Celtics announcer
Johnny Most screamed, "Blocked by Russell! Blocked by Russell! He came from nowhere!" The play has since gone down in history as the "Coleman Play." Coleman got some measure of revenge the following year when the Hawks reached the Finals again to play the Celtics. Coleman averaged eight points in the series while the Hawks defeated the Celtics in six games for their first championship; he scored eight points on three shots in his final game in Game 6. An efficient shooter, when Coleman retired, he was one of two players to have eight seasons with a field goal percentage over .400 in NBA history. ==Personal life==