William Walton “Bill” Sharman is a former professional basketball player and a coach too. He completed his high school in Porterville in California. He teamed with Bon Cousy of Boston Celtics in 1950s and the duo was considered the greatest backcourt of all time. Cousy was the playmaker whilst Sharman, the shooter.
From 1950 to 1955, he played professional baseball in the Brookyln Dodgers minor league system. Sharman holds the distinction of being the only player to have ever been ejected from a major league game without appearing in one. The first guards to shoot better than .400 from the field, Sharman led the NBA in free throw percentage seven times, with mark of 93.2 % in 1958-59 season.
| Position | Point Guard |
| Born | 25 May 1926 |
| Nationality |
United States
|
| Nickname | Bill |
From 1970-71, he coached the Utah Stars to an ABA title and was a co-recipient of the ABA coach of the year honors. Later on, for Los Angeles Lakers, he had an NBA record of 33 games win streak for which he was named NBA Coach of the Year. Sharman is one of the two men to win NBA and ABA championships as a coach.
Career highlights
Some of his achievements include the All-NBA first team from 1956 to 1959, All-NBA Second Team member in 1953, 1955 and 1960 and also eight times of NBA All-Star games. Further, he was also named the 1955 NBA All-Star Game MVP.
In 1976, he was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame as a player and in 2004; he was enshrined as a coach. In 1996, he was named as one of the NBA’s 50 greatest players. There is a gymnasium at Porterville High School which is named after him.
