Bob Cousy is a former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association. He is considered one of the best passers and playmakers in NBA history. In his career, he won six NBA Championships while with the Boston Celtics, and in 1957, he was named the NBA Most Valuable Player.
Player Profile and Personal Life
Robert Joseph Cousy was born on August 9, 1928, in New York City, New York in the United States of America. He stands 185 cm tall and his weight was last listed at 79 kg. He shoots right-handed and he held the position of point guard.
His parents were French immigrants and he grew up in New York City during the Great Depression. He spoke only French during the first five years of his life and only learned English when he started primary school.
| Position | Point Guard |
| Height / weight | 1.85 m / 79 kg |
| Born | 9 Aug 1928 |
| Nationality |
United States
|
| Playing Style | Right Handed |
| Nickname | Houdini of Hardwood |
| Official Site | www.cmgww.com |
| Team History | |
Cincinnati Royals
|
1969 - 1970 |
Boston
|
1950 - 1963 |
Cousy is known for his anti-racist stance, which was brought about by his having grown up alongside ethnic minority children.
In 1950, he married his college sweetheart and they had two daughters. They remained married until her death due to complications from dementia in 2013.
High School and College Career
He attended the Andrew Jackson High School in Queens. Later, he committed to play college basketball for the College of the Holy Cross.
While at Holy Cross, he helped the team become NCAA Champions in 1947. In his college career, he was also named as a 1950 Consensus first-team All-American. The Holy Cross Crusaders also later retired his jersey number 17 in his honor.
Professional Career
During the 1950 NBA Draft, Cousy was the third overall pick, chosen by the Tri-Cities Blackhawks, now the Atlanta Hawks. He was traded to the Boston Celtics and he played for the team from 1950 until his first retirement in 1963.
While with the Celtics, he won 6 NBA Championships. In 1957, he was also named the NBA Most Valuable Player. Cousy was also named an NBA All-Star a total of 13 times in his career. Twice in those 13 times, he was named the NBA All-Start Game MVP.
Other accolades include being named to the All-NBA Second Team twice and the All-NBA First Team ten times. He also led the league in assists a total of eight times.
He first retired in 1969 but came out of retirement in 1969 to play for the Cincinnati Royals. He retired for good in 1970.
In his hiatus from playing, he coached at Boston College from 1963 to 1969. Then from 1969 to 1973, he coached the Royals.
After his retirement, he was named to the 25th, 35th, 50th, and 75th NBA Anniversary Teams. The Celtics also retired Jersey Number 14 in his honor.
Career Highlights
- 1957, 1959–1963 - NBA champion
- 1957 - NBA Most Valuable Player
- 1951–1963 - NBA All-Star
- 1954, 1957 - NBA All-Star Game MVP
- 1952–1961 - All-NBA First Team
- 1962, 1963 - All-NBA Second Team
1953–1960 - NBA assists leader
- NBA anniversary team (25th, 35th, 50th, 75th)
No. 14 retired by the Boston Celtics
- 1947 - NCAA champion
- 1950 - Consensus first-team All-American
- 1949 - Second-team All-American – AP, UPI, Look
1948 - Third-team All-American – AP
No. 17 retired by Holy Cross Crusaders
- 2019 - Presidential Medal of Freedom
Career NBA statistics
- Points - 16,960 (18.4 ppg)
- Rebounds - 4,786 (5.2 rpg)
Assists - 6,955 (7.5 apg)
- Basketball Hall of Fame as a player, 1971
- College Basketball Hall of Fame, 2006
Team History:
As coach:
- 1963–1969 - Boston College
- 1969–1973 - Cincinnati Royals/Kansas City-Omaha Kings
