{{Short description|American basketball player (1972–2019)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Infobox basketball biography | name = Howard Nathan | image = | width = | caption = | height_ft = 5 | height_in = 11 | weight_lb = 175 | birth_date = {{birth date|1972|1|21}} | birth_place = Peoria, Illinois, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|2019|7|28|1972|1|21}} | death_place = Peoria, Illinois, U.S. | high_school = Manual (Peoria, Illinois) | college = *DePaul (1991–1992) *Louisiana–Monroe (1993–1994) *{{nowrap|Northwest Arkansas CC (1994–1995)}} | draft_year = 1995 | career_start = 1995 | career_end = 1999 | career_position = Point guard | career_number = 14 | coach_start = 2014 | coach_end = 2017 | years1 = 1995 | team1 = Omaha Racers | years2 = {{nbay|1995|full=y}} | team2 = Atlanta Hawks | years3 = 1998–1999 | team3 = Rockford Lightning | cyears1 = 2014–2017 | cteam1 = Manual HS (assistant) | highlights = * McDonald's All-American (1991) * Second-team ''Parade'' All-American (1991) * Illinois Mr. Basketball (1991) | stats_league = NBA | stat1label = Points | stat1value = 13 | stat2label = Steals | stat2value = 3 | stat3label = Assists | stat3value = 2 }} '''Howard Nathan Jr.''' (January 21, 1972 – July 28, 2019) was an American professional basketball player. Born in Peoria, Illinois, Nathan attended DePaul University, Northeast Louisiana University (now University of Louisiana at Monroe) and Northwest Arkansas Community College. He played 5 games during the 1995–96 NBA season with the Atlanta Hawks, averaging 2.6 points and 0.4 assists per game.
Nathan attended Manual High School in Peoria and was named Illinois Mr. Basketball in 1991.<ref name=reynolds>{{cite web |last1=Reynolds |first1=Dave |title=Friends fondly remember one of Peoria's greatest, Mr. Basketball Howard Nathan |url=https://www.pjstar.com/story/news/2019/07/28/friends-fondly-remember-one-peoria/4584420007/ |website=Journal Star |access-date=August 31, 2023 |date=July 29, 2019}}</ref> He appears in the 1994 documentary film ''Hoop Dreams'' as the victor of Arthur Agee's John Marshall Metropolitan High School Commandos in the 1991 Illinois high school basketball championship tournament.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Vlahos |first1=Nick |title=Nick in the AM: From the start, Howard Nathan was legendary in Peoria hoops |url=https://www.pjstar.com/story/news/columns/nick-in-the-morning/2019/07/29/nick-in-am-from-start/4577168007/ |website=Journal Star |access-date=August 31, 2023 |date=July 29, 2019}}</ref> Shaun Livingston called Nathan "the greatest player to come out of Peoria at the high school level."<ref name=reynolds />
Nathan was paralyzed after an allegedly drunk driver drove into his Oldsmobile in Peoria on July 30, 2006.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hamilton |first1=Brian |title=An accident left Peoria basketball legend Howard Nathan paralyzed, but he says his life is headed on the right path |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2006-12-17-0612170232-story.html |website=Chicago Tribune |access-date=August 31, 2023 |date=December 17, 2006}}</ref> He returned to Manual High School as an assistant coach from 2014 to 2017.<ref name=reynolds /> On July 9, 2019, Nathan's heart stopped twice after he collapsed in his Peoria home.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Reynolds |first1=Dave |title=Former Mr. Basketball Howard Nathan hospitalized, but showing improvement |url=https://www.pjstar.com/story/sports/high-school/2019/07/11/former-mr-basketball-howard-nathan/4703441007/ |website=Journal Star |access-date=August 31, 2023 |date=July 11, 2019}}</ref> He was taken to OSF Saint Francis Medical Center where he died on July 28, 2019, at the age of 47.<ref name=reynolds /><ref>{{cite web |title=Howard Nathan Jr Obituary |url=https://www.twparkschapel.com/obituaries/Howard-Nathan/#!/Obituary |website=T.W. Parks Colonial Chapel |access-date=August 31, 2023}}</ref>
On February 6, 2020, the area where Nathan grew up on the corner of Madison Park Terrace and Proctor Street in Peoria was honored as "Howard Nathan Jr. Court".<ref>{{cite web |title=Peoria basketball icon Howard Nathan to be honored on Thursday |url=https://www.pjstar.com/story/sports/high-school/basketball/2020/02/05/peoria-basketball-icon-howard-nathan/1754087007/ |website=Journal Star |access-date=August 31, 2023 |date=February 5, 2020}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
== External links == {{basketball stats}} * [https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/howard-nathan-1.html College statistics]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nathan, Howard}} Category:1972 births Category:2019 deaths Category:20th-century American sportsmen Category:African-American basketball coaches Category:American men's basketball coaches Category:American men's basketball players Category:Atlanta Hawks players Category:Basketball coaches from Illinois Category:Basketball players from Peoria, Illinois Category:DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball players Category:High school basketball coaches in Illinois Category:Junior college men's basketball players in the United States Category:Louisiana–Monroe Warhawks men's basketball players Category:McDonald's High School All-Americans Category:Northwest Arkansas Community College alumni Category:Omaha Racers players Category:Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) Category:People with paraplegia Category:Point guards Category:Road incident deaths in Illinois Category:Rockford Lightning players Category:Undrafted NBA players
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