Larry Costello
Lawrence Ronald Costello (July 2, 1931 – December 13, 2001) was an American professional basketball player and coach. He played for the Philadelphia Warriors, the Syracuse Nationals / Philadelphia 76ers for the NBA and the Wilkes-Barre Barons. He served as head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks and the Chicago Bulls.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 2, 1931 Minoa, New York, U.S. |
| Died | December 13, 2001 (aged 70) Fort Myers, Florida, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Listed weight | 186 lb (84 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Minoa (Minoa, New York) |
| College | Niagara (1951–1954) |
| NBA draft | 1954: 2nd round, 12th overall pick |
| Selected by the Philadelphia Warriors | |
| Playing career | 1954–1968 |
| Position | Point guard |
| Number | 5, 18, 15, 6, 21 |
| Coaching career | 1968–1987 |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1954–1957 | Philadelphia Warriors |
| 1957–1965 | Syracuse Nationals / Philadelphia 76ers |
| 1965–1966 | Wilkes-Barre Barons |
| 1966–1968 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| As coach: | |
| 1968–1976 | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 1978–1979 | Chicago Bulls |
| 1979–1980 | Milwaukee Does |
| 1980–1987 | Utica College |
| Career highlights and awards | |
As player:
As coach: | |
| Career NBA playing statistics | |
| Points | 8,622 (12.2 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 2,705 (3.8 rpg) |
| Assists | 3,215 (4.6 apg) |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
| Career coaching record | |
| NBA | 430–300 (.589) |
| Basketball Hall of Fame | |
A six-time All-Star, Costello was the National Basketball Association's last two-handed set shooter. As the inaugural coach of the Bucks, he led them to a championship in their third season of existence in 1971, the fastest run for an expansion team in NBA history. In ten seasons as a coach, Costello reached the postseason six times, while winning 37 of his 60 postseason games as coach, for a winning percentage of 61.7%, ninth best in NBA history. In 2022, Costello was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor.