A dedication ceremony was held in front of the Hatton Gym at Chillicothe High School in honor of the late Neil Johnston, Monday.
"Neil Johnston was one of the greatest basketball players in the history of the game," said CHS Athletic Director Knute Bonner. "The pioneer of the hook shot."
Johnston, a Chillicothe native, was an all-state basketball player, 6-time NBA All-Star, and inductee of the Ohio Basketball and Naismith Basketball Halls of Fame.
"At the end of the day, it's a piece of art work," committee member Bruce Caplinger said of the statue and memorial garden. "It brings so much more than even that but a statue (that) inspires our youth that if you too try hard -- regardless of what your career is -- you can be successful."
Johnston passed away at the age of 49 in 1978.