The 6-10 Imhoff grew up in the San Gabriel Valley and was a CIF standout at Alhambra HS. He was a two-time All-American at Cal-Berkeley for SCBBHOFer Pete Newell and a key player on the 1959 NCAA championship team. He made the NCAA title winning shot with 17 seconds to go. He was an All-American on the 1960 NCAA runner-up team, and went onto to win a gold medal as part of the 1960 USA Olympic Team in Rome. Imhoff was inducted into the California Athletics Hall of Fame in 1988, and enshrined in the Pac-10 Hall of Honor in 2005.

His jersey at Cal (No. 40) was retired in 2009. He was the third overall pick in the 1960 NBA draft by the Knicks. He played for six NBA teams in a 12-year career, including four years with the Lakers, and was part of the famous Wilt Chamberlain trade to Los Angeles, and made the NBA All-Star team.  In 2011 his 1960 Olympic Team was inducted in to the Naismith HOF. He was the father of five children with his wife Susan, he also had 18 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren. He died on June 30, 2017.