Robert William Harrison (August 12, 1927 â March 3, 2024) was an American professional basketball player. A 6'1" guard from the University of Michigan, Harrison played nine seasons from 1949 to 1958 in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Minneapolis Lakers, Milwaukee Hawks, St. Louis Hawks, and Syracuse Nationals. He averaged 7.2 points per game in his professional career and appeared in the 1956 NBA All-Star Game. Harrison coached the Syracuse Centennials during the 1976âÂÂ77 Eastern Basketball Association season.
On February 3, 1941, as a 13-year-old 8th grader in Toledo, Ohio, Harrison scored all 139 points during his LaGrange School team's 139âÂÂ8 win over Arch Street School. In the game, he made 69 field goals and one free throw.
Harrison later coached basketball at Kenyon College and Harvard University. He was the head coach of the Syracuse Centennials of the Eastern Basketball Association (EBA) during the 1976âÂÂ77 season.
After the death of Bud Grant in 2023 he became the oldest living NBA champion. Harrison died on March 3, 2024, at the age of 96.