Bill Sharman

Two-time Hall of Famer and pioneer of the morning shootaround.

William Walton Sharman (May 25, 1926 – October 25, 2013), also known as "Battling Bill", was an American professional basketball player and coach. He is a two-time Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee (1976 as a player, 2004 as a coach). Sharman is mostly known for his time with the Boston Celtics in the 1950s as a player, partnering with Bob Cousy in what was then considered the greatest backcourt duo of all time. As a coach, he won titles in the ABL, ABA, and NBA, and is credited with introducing the morning shootaround. He was named Coach of the Year in both the ABA and NBA.

Quick Facts

Born: 25 May 1926
Birthplace: Abilene, Texas, U.S.
Died: 25 October 2013
Place of death: Redondo Beach, California, U.S.
High school: Porterville (Porterville, California)
College: USC (1946–1950)
Draft round: 2
Draft pick: 17

Lore & Background

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 (four titles as a player with the Celtics, one as head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, and ten during his time as a Lakers' general manager, president, and special consultant); and a 17-time champion in professional basketball overall counting his ABL and ABA titles. Sharman coached the 1971–72 Lakers to an NBA record 33-game win streak, a then-record regular season 69–13 mark, and the first Lakers championship in Los Angeles. He played under Hall of Fame coach Sam Barry at USC, where his teammates included future Hall of Fame coaches Alex Hannum and Tex Winter.

Reader's Guide

Sharman was an All-American basketball player at USC, selected twice as the Most Valuable Player in the Pacific Coast Conference. He played four years for USC (1946–1950), averaging 13.7 points per game over his career (a then school record). As a senior, he was team captain and team MVP. He was a consensus first-team 1950 NCAA All-American. Sharman also played professional baseball in the Brooklyn Dodgers minor league system from 1950 to 1955, with a lifetime .281 batting average in 638 games. He was called up to the Dodgers in 1951 but did not appear in a game. He broke his basketball shooting hand while sliding into home plate, after which he focused solely on basketball.

Did You Know?

Sharman was drafted by the Washington Capitols in the second round of the 1950 NBA draft and later joined the Celtics in a transaction involving Chuck Share.
He led the Celtics in scoring for consecutive seasons from 1955 to 1959, averaging over 20 points per game during three of those seasons.
Sharman won four NBA championships with the Celtics and was in the playoffs every season he played for Boston (1951 to 1961).
He served in the US Navy from 1944 to 1946 during World War II.