Ed Macauley

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Macauley acquired his nickname "Easy Ed" during a pre-game warmup in his sophomore year at Saint Louis University, when fans shouted "Take it easy, Ed" because he did not realize the national anthem was being played when he left the locker room and ran onto the court. He was named AP Player of the Year in 1949 and led his college team to the NIT championship in 1948. Macauley was traded from the Celtics to the Hawks on the day of the 1956 NBA draft (April 29, 1956) along with Cliff Hagan for Bill Russell, after Macauley convinced reluctant Celtics owner Walter A. Brown to trade him so he could be near his son, who was receiving care for spinal meningitis in St. Louis. Macauley was ordained a deacon of the Catholic Church in 1989 and co-authored the book Homilies Alive: Creating Homilies That Hit Home with Father Francis Friedl.

In Their Own Story

The first NBA All-Star Game belonged to Ed Macauley. In a league still finding its identity, he stood out not just for his size but for his command of the game. He earned MVP honors in that inaugural contest, proving his dominance among the league's elite. During his six seasons with Boston, he was named to the All-NBA First Team in three consecutive years and the Second Team once, specifically during the 1953–54 season where he also led the league in field goal percentage. His style was distinct; he didn't rely on brute force but on precision. Even as he reached the Finals in 1957, averaging 14.9 points and 5.9 rebounds per game over a grueling seven-game series against his former team, his focus remained sharp, though the Celtics fell just short.

Reader's Guide

Macauley played for the St. Louis Bombers (1949–1950), Boston Celtics (1950–1956), and St. Louis Hawks (1956–1959). He was named MVP of the first NBA All-Star Game and was named to the All-NBA First Team in three consecutive seasons. He was named to the All-NBA Second Team in the 1953–54 season while also leading in field goal percentage. Macauley was player-coach of the Hawks for the 1958–59 season, playing in 14 regular-season games before retiring as a player. He coached the Hawks to the 1960 NBA Finals (lost in seven games to the Celtics) and retired from coaching with an 89–48 regular-season record and a 9–11 playoff record. After retiring from basketball, he became a sportscaster at KTVI in St. Louis.

Did You Know?

• Macauley scored 11,234 points in ten NBA seasons.
• He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1960.
• His uniform number 22 was retired by the Celtics on October 16, 1963, the same date as Bob Cousy's number retirement.
• Macauley was one of only two Celtics to have his number retired without having won a championship with the team; the other was Reggie Lewis.
• He was awarded a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame.