Bill Sharman
William Walton Sharman (May 25, 1926 – October 25, 2013) was an American professional basketball player and coach. He is mostly known for his time with the Boston Celtics in the 1950s, partnering with Bob Cousy in what was then considered the greatest backcourt duo of all time. As a coach, Sharman won titles in the ABL, ABA, and NBA, and is credited with introducing the now-ubiquitous morning shootaround.
Sharman with USC, c. 1950 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 25, 1926 Abilene, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | October 25, 2013 (aged 87) Redondo Beach, California, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Listed weight | 175 lb (79 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Porterville (Porterville, California) |
| College | USC (1946–1950) |
| NBA draft | 1950: 2nd round, 17th overall pick |
| Selected by the Washington Capitols | |
| Playing career | 1950–1961 |
| Position | Shooting guard |
| Number | 10, 21 |
| Coaching career | 1961–1976 |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1950–1951 | Washington Capitols |
| 1951–1961 | Boston Celtics |
| As coach: | |
| 1961–1962 | Cleveland Pipers |
| 1966–1968 | San Francisco Warriors |
| 1968–1971 | Los Angeles / Utah Stars |
| 1971–1976 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Career highlights and awards | |
As player:
As coach:
As executive: | |
| Career playing statistics | |
| Points | 12,665 (17.8 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 2,779 (3.9 rpg) |
| Assists | 2,101 (3.0 apg) |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
| Career coaching record | |
| NBA & ABA | 466–353 (.569) |
| Basketball Hall of Fame as player | |
| Basketball Hall of Fame as coach | |
| College Basketball Hall of Fame Inducted in 2006 | |
Sharman was the first North American sports figure to win a championship as a player, coach, and executive. He was a 15-time NBA champion (having won four titles as a player with the Celtics, one as head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, and ten as a Lakers executive), and a 17-time World Champion in basketball overall counting his ABL and ABA titles. Sharman is also a two-time Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, having been inducted in 1976 as a player, and in 2004 as a coach. Only John Wooden, Lenny Wilkens, Tommy Heinsohn and Bill Russell share this double honor.
Sharman is also notable for coaching the 1971-72 Lakers to an NBA record 33 game win streak, a then-record regular season 69–13 win–loss mark, and the first Lakers championship in Los Angeles.