Bob Cousy
(Born 1928)
Hall of Fame Induction: 1971
Card Shown:
2003-04 Upper Deck Legends
Legendary Signatures
Position: PG
Height: 6’1″
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Bob Cousy, “The Houdini of the Hardwood,” was one of the best playmakers to ever play the game of basketball. As the point guard for the Boston Celtics dynasty of the late 1950s and early 1960s Cousy was a tremendous ball-handler, passer, and scorer.
One of the greatest assist leaders in NBA history, Bob facilitated six Celtics championships by expertly feeding the ball to his teammates. His teammates included Hall of Famers Bill Russell, Bill Sharman, Tom Heinsohn, Frank Ramsey, K.C. Jones, Sam Jones, and John Havlicek, among others, but Cousy ran the show.
Awards and Honors
- Bob played for Holy Cross from 1946-1950 and he led them to an NCAA Championship in 1947.
- Bob Cousy won six NBA Championships as part of the Celtics dynasty in 1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, and 1963.
- Cousy led the NBA in assists for a record eight consecutive years from 1953 through 1960.
- Bob also played in thirteen straight NBA All-Star games from 1951 through 1963, winning the All-Star game Most Valuable Player Award in 1954 and again in 1957.
- Cousy was an All-NBA First-Team selection ten times and was named to the All-NBA Second-Team twice.
- He was named to the NBA’s 25th, 35th, and 50th Anniversary All-Time teams in 1970, 1980, and 1996.
Points of Interest
- Cousy’s razzle-dazzle style of play was popular among basketball fans and especially kids who tried to emulate his style of play. However, he received notes from coaches around the country who were not happy about the way their own players tried to copy the slick passes and ball-handling magic that were the signatures of Cousy’s style. His Celtics coach, Red Auerbach, told Bob that it didn’t matter to him how the passes were made, as long as they reached their intended target.
- In addition to his brilliant passing, Cousy was a reliable scorer who averaged 18.4 points per game over his NBA career.
- The Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award is presented annually by Cousy’s alma mater, the College of the Holy Cross.
- Although Cousy was not the first to use the behind-the-back dribble in college, he helped to popularize the move. Seton Hall’s Bob Davies had used the move, now commonplace in the NBA, in 1941.
- After winning the NBA Championship in 1963, Bob retired from basketball and from his tremendous run with the Boston Celtics. After he retired Cousy coached at Boston College for six years, compiling a 117-38 record. During the 1970-71 season, while he was 41 years old and coaching the Cincinnati Royals, Bob made a brief seven-game return to the court as a player. The move was designed to motivate his players and bring in fans.
Statistics
Bob Cousy Statistics
provided by Basketball-Reference.com