Darrell Eugene Elston (born August 15, 1952) is an American former professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

player. Born in

Tipton, Indiana Tipton is a city in and the county seat of Tipton County, Indiana, United States. The population was estimated to be 5,275 as of July 1, 2021. Tipton is approximately 19 miles southeast of Kokomo, Indiana and approximately 42 miles north of Indi ...

, he was a

guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison gu ...

and played collegiately at the

University of North Carolina The University of North Carolina is the Public university, public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referre ...

. Elston was selected with the 7th pick of the third round in the

1974 NBA draft The 1974 NBA draft was the 28th annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA), and was held on May 28, 1974, before the 1974–75 season. In this draft, 18 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and ot ...

by the

Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Easte ...

. He was also selected in the fourth round of the 1974

American Basketball Association The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a major professional basketball league that operated for nine seasons from 1967 to 1976. The upstart ABA operated in direct competition with the more established National Basketball Association thr ...

draft by the

Carolina Cougars The Carolina Cougars were a basketball franchise in the American Basketball Association that existed from 1969 through 1974. The Cougars were originally a charter member of the ABA as the Houston Mavericks in 1967. The Mavericks moved to North Ca ...

. He played for the

Virginia Squires The Virginia Squires were a basketball team based in Norfolk, Virginia, and playing in several other Virginia cities. They were members of the American Basketball Association from 1970 to 1976. The team originated in 1967 as the Oakland Oaks, a ...

in 1974–75, playing 72 games and averaging 8.3 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. On August 18, 1976, the former ABA's

Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...

signed Elston in their first move since their absorption into the NBA.Indiana Pacers – Franchise Snapshot
''Basketball Digest'', March–April, 2004, by Brett Ballantini In 1976–77, Elston played 5 games for the Pacers, averaging 1.0 point, 1.2 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game. He was waived not long after. His son Derek spent four seasons on the

Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball The Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball team represents Indiana University Bloomington in NCAA Division I college basketball and competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Hoosiers play at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on the Branch McCracken Court in Bl ...

team, including the 2013 Big Ten Championship team. Derek averaged 4.3 points and 2.9 rebounds per game as a Hoosier.

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NBA stats
@ basketballreference.com 1952 births Living people American men's basketball players Atlanta Hawks draft picks Basketball players from Indiana Carolina Cougars draft picks Indiana Pacers players North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball players People from Tipton, Indiana Shooting guards Virginia Squires players {{1950s-US-basketball-bio-stub