Wallace Choice Jr. (August 13, 1932 – September 9, 2018Wally Choice, Basketball-Reference.com. Accessed December 21, 2022. "Born: August 13, 1932 in Montclair, New Jersey" Note that if the 1932 date of birth is correct, he would have graduated from high school at 20 and been 86 (not 85) at his death.) was an American professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Indiana Hoosiers. Choice played professionally with the Harlem Globetrotters and in the Eastern Professional Basketball League. After his retirement from playing, he became a prominent community activist in his hometown of Montclair, New Jersey.
Playing career Choice was born in Montclair, New Jersey, and graduated from Montclair High School in 1952. He played college basketball for the Indiana Hoosiers and was the second African-American to play in the Big Ten Conference. Choice was appointed as team captain and became the first African-American to hold the role for a Big Ten team.
Choice played for the Harlem Globetrotters and in the Eastern Professional Basketball League (EPBL). He played for the Easton Madisons / Trenton Colonials with whom he won an EPBL championship in 1960 and was a five-time selection to the All-EPBL Team. Choice led the EPBL in scoring twice: 1,033 points during the 1961–62 season and 956 during the 1962–63 season. His 41.3 points per game during the 1961–62 season were a league record.
Later life Choice returned to Montclair where he became a real estate developer and owned retail outlets. He was a founding member of Montclair Grass Roots in 1968 which hosted summer camps. Choice was a community activist and nicknamed as a "godfather" of the Montclair community. Montclair Grass Roots led upgrades at Glenfield Park which renamed its Glenfield Park House to the Wally Choice Community Center in 2009.
Personal life Choice met his wife at Indiana University. He had a son.
Death Choice died aged 85 at the Mountainside Medical Center on September 9, 2018, after a short illness.
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External links College statistics