Back Bob Cousy AN بوب كوزي Arabic بوب كوزى ARZ Bob Cousy AST Боб Коўзі Byelorussian Bob Cousy Catalan Bob Cousy Czech Bob Cousy Danish Bob Cousy German Bob Cousy DIQ
.jpeg) Cousy with the Boston Celtics, c. 1959–1963 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 9, 1928 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Listed weight | 175 lb (79 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Andrew Jackson (Queens, New York) |
| College | Holy Cross (1946–1950) |
| NBA draft | 1950: 1st round, 3rd overall pick |
| Selected by the Tri-Cities Blackhawks | |
| Playing career | 1950–1963, 1969–1970 |
| Position | Point guard |
| Number | 14, 19 |
| Coaching career | 1963–1973 |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1950–1963 | Boston Celtics |
| 1969–1970 | Cincinnati Royals |
| As coach: | |
| 1963–1969 | Boston College |
| 1969–1973 | Cincinnati Royals / Kansas City-Omaha Kings |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 16,960 (18.4 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 4,786 (5.2 rpg) |
| Assists | 6,955 (7.5 apg) |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
| Basketball Hall of Fame as player | |
| College Basketball Hall of Fame Inducted in 2006 | |
Robert Joseph Cousy (/ˈkuːzi/ KOO-zee, born August 9, 1928) is an American former professional basketball player. He played point guard for the Boston Celtics from 1950 to 1963, and briefly with the Cincinnati Royals during the 1969–70 season. A 13-time NBA All-Star[1] and 1957 NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP), Cousy was a core piece during the early half of the Celtics dynasty winning six NBA championships during his 13-year tenure with the Celtics. Nicknamed "The Houdini of the Hardwood", Cousy was the NBA assists leader for eight consecutive seasons, introducing a new blend of ball-handling and passing skills to the NBA.[2] He is regarded as the first great point guard of the NBA, and was the first to reach the 4,000, 5,000, and 6,000 career assists milestones.
Making his high school varsity squad as a junior, Cousy went on to earn a scholarship to the College of the Holy Cross, where he led the Crusaders to berths in the 1948 NCAA Tournament and 1950 NCAA Tournament, while winning NCAA All-American honors for three seasons. Cousy entered the 1950 NBA draft and was initially drafted by the Tri-Cities Blackhawks as the third overall pick in the first round, but after he refused to report he was picked up by Boston. Following his playing career with the Celtics he served as a college basketball coach and an NBA head coach for the Cincinnati Royals.
Upon his election to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1971 the Celtics retired his No. 14 jersey and hung it in the rafters of the Garden.[2] Cousy was named to the NBA 25th Anniversary Team in 1971, the NBA 35th Anniversary Team in 1981, the NBA 50th Anniversary All-Time Team in 1996, and the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021 making him one of only four players that were selected to each of those teams.[3] He is also one of only two of these players who is still alive with Bob Pettit as of 2023 and the older of the two living members. He was also the first president of National Basketball Players Association. On August 22, 2019, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Donald Trump.[4]
- ^ "Bob Cousy Statistics". Sports Reference, Inc. July 22, 2007.
- ^ a b "Bob Cousy Bio". NBA.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. July 22, 2007.
- ^ "NBA 75th Anniversary Team announced". NBA.com.
- ^ Krantz, Laura (August 22, 2019). "Celtics legend Bob Cousy receives Presidential Medal of Freedom". Boston Globe. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
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