Jack Gillespie

{{short description|American basketball player}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}

{{Infobox basketball biography

| name = Jack Gillespie

| image =

| image_size =

| caption =

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 6

| weight_lb = 215

| nationality = American

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1947|10|1}}

| birth_place =

| death_date =

| death_place =

| high_school = Great Falls (Great Falls, Montana)

| college = Montana State (1966–1969)

| draft_year = 1969

| draft_round = 12

| draft_pick = 166

| draft_team = Los Angeles Lakers

| career_start =

| career_end =

| career_position = Forward

| career_number = 11

| years1 = 1969

| team1 = New York Nets

| highlights =

| bbr = gilleja01

}}

Jack A. Gillespie (born October 1, 1947) is an American former professional basketball forward who played one season in the American Basketball Association (ABA) as a member of the New York Nets during the 1969–70 season.

He graduated from Great Falls High School in Great Falls, Montana, where he led the team to a Montana High School Basketball Championship in 1964.{{cite news |last=Nicholson |first=Ken |title=Sweeney's Thoughts Turn to Moscow |work=Great Falls Tribune |date=November 17, 1965 |page=6 |accessdate=June 19, 2018 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/240146518/}} He attended Montana State University where he finished his college career as the school's all-time leader in rebounds (1,011) and points (1,543) along with two Big Sky Conference Player of the Year awards. Gellespie went on to be inducted into the Montana State Bobcats' Hall of Fame.{{cite web |title=Hall of Fame: Jack Gillespie Class of 1970 |url=http://msubobcats.com/hof.aspx?hof=83&path=&kiosk= |work=msubobcats.com/ |publisher=Montana State Bobcats |accessdate=1 January 2014}}

He was selected in the 12{{sup|th}} (166{{sup|th}} pick overall) round of the 1969 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Lakers, but never signed.

In 1999, Sports Illustrated ranked him forty-seventh in a list of Montana's 50 greatest athletes of all time.{{cite news |title=The 50 Greatest Sports Figures From Montana |work=Sports Illustrated |date=December 27, 1999 |accessdate=June 19, 2018 |url=https://www.si.com/vault/1999/12/27/274009/the-50-greatest-sports-figures-from-montana}} The Great Falls Tribune newspaper in 2014 listed him as one of the top four athletes to play high school basketball in the city.{{cite news |last=Mansch |first=Scott |title=Montana's greatest ball players: Wayne Estes died too young |work=Great Falls Tribune |date=November 1, 2014 |accessdate=June 19, 2018 |url=https://www.greatfallstribune.com/story/life/my-montana/2014/11/02/montanas-greatest-ball-players-wayne-estes-died-young/18273955/}}