Bill Sharman

Lore & Background

Sharman is mostly known for his time with the Boston Celtics in the 1950s as a player in the NBA, partnering with fellow Hall of Fame guard 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. He was named Coach of the Year in both the ABA and NBA. 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 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 Los Angeles 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.

Reader's Guide

Sharman was an All-American basketball player at the University of Southern California (USC). He played under Naismith Hall of Fame head coach Sam Barry. Sharman was selected twice as the Most Valuable Player in the Pacific Coast Conference. Two of his teammates at USC were future Hall of Fame coaches Alex Hannum and Tex Winter.

Did You Know?

• Sharman served during World War II from 1944 to 1946 in the US Navy.
• He was a 15-letter athlete at Porterville High School, excelling in basketball and baseball, competing in track, and winning the state amateur tennis title.
• Sharman 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 drafted by the Washington Capitols in the second round of the 1950 NBA draft and later played ten seasons for the Boston Celtics, winning four NBA championships.