NBA Executive John Hammond Returns to Greenville

GREENVILLE, Ill. -- Friday was a big day on the campus of Greenville College as NBA executive and Greenville alumnus John Hammond spoke to students. Hammond, a 1976 Greenville graduate and general manager of the Milwaukee Bucks, recently received the NBA Executive of the Year award, the league's top annual front office award.

Hammond was the first Bucks executive to win the award, after Milwaukee finished the regular season with 12 more wins than last season and earned its first playoff berth since 2006. Bucks owner and U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl hired Hammond, who had been Joe Dumars' assistant in Detroit, just over two years ago to rebuild the floundering franchise.

Hammond was voted to the Greenville College Athletic Hall of Fame in 1998. He received Greenville College's distinguished alumnus award in 2009. "John Hammond is a loyal alum who loves Greenville College and appreciates the education and athletic experience he received while attending from 1972-76", said Greenville athletic director Doug Faulkner. "John still keeps tabs on the Panthers and always responds when asked for advice or help in any way."

While attending Greenville, Hammond overcame the death of his best friend and college basketball teammate, Scott Burgess, who passed away following an accident on the basketball floor during their freshmen season. To make matters worse, John's parents both died after battles with cancer within the early years of John's professional career. After these traumatic events, Scott's parents, Jay and Shay Burgess, all but adopted John as their own son. To this day, Jay and Shay are known to Hammond's daughter, as "Grandpa Jay" and "Grandma Shay."

Courtesy Greenville College sports information