James Edward Paxson Sr. (December 19, 1932 – October 28, 2014) was an American professional basketball player.
A 6'6" swingman, Paxson attended the University of Dayton during the mid-1950s, averaging 10.9 points per game in his collegiate career. He helped the Flyers attain two consecutive second-place finishes in the National Invitation Tournament.[1] After his sophomore year, Paxson Sr. was drafted into the Army during the Korean War. He spent two years in the Army and played with the Armed Forced All-Stars who won the Pan-Am games in Mexico in 1955 before returning for his final season in 1955–56. He averaged 15.5 points per game as a senior as the Flyers went 25-4 and lost to Louisville in the NIT championship game. [6] After graduating in 1956, he was selected by the Minneapolis Lakers with the third pick of the NBA draft, then played two seasons in the NBA with the Lakers and Cincinnati Royals.[2] When his basketball career ended, he entered the insurance business.[3]
