Archive for the ‘Bill Sharman’ Tag

Celtic, Laker Great Dies

Posted October 29, 2013
Filed under: history, sports, Washington DC | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Sadly, one of the NBA’s top scorers and a great coach, Bill Sharman, died yesterday. The shooting guard for the champion Boston Celtics during the 1950s, After leaving the Celtics, Sharman went on to coach pro basketball in the American Basketball League started by Harlem Globetrotters leader, Abe Saperstein. Sharman won a championship in that league before moving on to the ABA. Finally, he became coach of the Celtics old nemesis, the Los Angeles Lakers. The LA Lakers had never won an NBA championship until Sharman guided them to a win over the New York Knicks in 1971-72.

Bill Sharman

 

 

I discuss him in the book, The Bullets, The Wizards and Washington, DC Basketball, because he started his career playing in Washington, DC for the Washington Capitols during 1950-51. If the team had been able to draw crowds to Uline Arena, Sharman might have made his pro career here in Washington.

The Bullets, the Wizards, and Washington, DC, Basketball flyer_rev

While the winning is a sign of a champion, the best story I’ve heard about Sharman appears in Earl Lloyd’s biography. Lloyd would be the first African-American player to play in the NBA for the Washington Capitols in 1950. Sharman befriended him and helped him during his time in Washington.