University of Dayton Athletics

James Palmer was born on June 8, 1933 in Keokee, Virginia.  Jim, standing at 6’ 8’’,played power forward for the Flyers basketball team.  His picture can be seen on the cover of the Louisville v Dayton game program.  In 1957, he was drafted with the 4th pick in the 2nd round by the St. Louis Hawks.  During his time at UD, Jim averaged 7.8 points per game for the Flyers.  

Palmer’s NBA career started later than he expected.  After sitting his first two seasons, Palmer got his shot with the Cincinnati Royals.   He scored 690 points in his rookie season and played in 67 games. The next season, he played 20 games with the Royals before being sent to play with the New York Knicks. 

In his 3-year NBA career, Palmer totaled 1,595 points scored, 1,040 rebounds, 165 assists, and played 3,794 minutes.