Greater Columbus Basketball Legend Association
JIM BOWMAN
PLAYER
2014 GCBLA INDUCTEE
COLUMBUS, OHIO
Category: PLAYER
Recognition
Many considered Jim Bowman to be a young Phenom as he earned a starting position as a sophomore on Linden McKinley High School’s 1956 varsity boys’ basketball team. This was a very uncommon accomplishment as there was no freshman class in the Columbus city schools in the 1950’s. Coached by Vince Chickerella, Jim led the Panthers in scoring and rebounding as a sophomore, junior, and as a senior, and was an All-City selection all three of those years. Jim’s long and lean frame at 6’3” made him the team’s tallest player which made it necessary for him to play the center position and he took full advantage of his athleticism, mental toughness and hustle to garner accolades from Columbus basketball aficionados, league officials and the local press. Bowman played as a freshman at Wittenberg University. He had been a manager at ATT / Bell labs for 40 years and had earned Manager of the Year honors several times during his career. Jim Bowman is now deceased.
Career Highlights
- Sophomore on Linden McKinley High School’s 1956 varsity boys’ basketball team.
- Jim led the Panthers in scoring and rebounding as a sophomore, junior, and as a senior, and was an All-City selection all three of those years.
- At 6’3” he was the team’s tallest player which made it necessary for him to play the center position Bowman played as a freshman at Wittenberg University.
JIM BOWMAN