(1928-08-09) August 9, 1928 (age 95) New York City, New York, U.S.
Listed height
6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Listed weight
175 lb (79 kg)
Career information
High school
Andrew Jackson (Queens, New York)
College
Holy Cross (1946–1950)
NBA draft
1950: 1st round, 3rd overall pick
Selected by the Tri-Cities Blackhawks
Playing career
1950–1963, 1969–1970
Position
Point guard
Number
14, 19
Coaching career
1963–1973
Career history
As player:
1950–1963
Boston Celtics
1969–1970
Cincinnati Royals
As coach:
1963–1969
Boston College
1969–1973
Cincinnati Royals / Kansas City-Omaha Kings
Career highlights and awards
6× NBA champion (1957, 1959–1963)
NBA Most Valuable Player (1957)
13× NBA All-Star (1951–1963)
2× NBA All-Star Game MVP (1954, 1957)
10× All-NBA First Team (1952–1961)
2× All-NBA Second Team (1962, 1963)
8× NBA assists leader (1953–1960)
NBA anniversary team (25th, 35th, 50th, 75th)
No. 14 retired by Boston Celtics
NCAA champion (1947)
Consensus first-team All-American (1950)
Second-team All-American – AP, UPI, Look (1949)
Third-team All-American – AP (1948)
No. 17 retired by Holy Cross Crusaders
Presidential Medal of Freedom (2019)
Career NBA statistics
Points
16,960 (18.4 ppg)
Rebounds
4,786 (5.2 rpg)
Assists
6,955 (7.5 apg)
Stats at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Basketball Hall of Fame as player
College Basketball Hall of Fame Inducted in 2006
Robert Joseph Cousy (/ˈkuːzi/KOO-zee, born August 9, 1928) is an American former professional basketball player. He played point guard for the Boston Celtics from 1950 to 1963, and briefly with the Cincinnati Royals during the 1969–70 season. A 13-time NBA All-Star[1] and 1957 NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP), Cousy was a core piece during the early half of the Celtics dynasty winning six NBA championships during his 13-year tenure with the Celtics. Nicknamed "The Houdini of the Hardwood", Cousy was the NBA assists leader for eight consecutive seasons, introducing a new blend of ball-handling and passing skills to the NBA.[2] He is regarded as the first great point guard of the NBA, and was the first to reach the 4,000, 5,000, and 6,000 career assists milestones.
Making his high school varsity squad as a junior, Cousy went on to earn a scholarship to the College of the Holy Cross, where he led the Crusaders to berths in the 1948 NCAA Tournament and 1950 NCAA Tournament, while winning NCAA All-American honors for three seasons. Cousy entered the 1950 NBA draft and was initially drafted by the Tri-Cities Blackhawks as the third overall pick in the first round, but after he refused to report he was picked up by Boston. Following his playing career with the Celtics he served as a college basketball coach and an NBA head coach for the Cincinnati Royals.
Upon his election to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1971 the Celtics retired his No. 14 jersey and hung it in the rafters of the Garden.[2] Cousy was named to the NBA 25th Anniversary Team in 1971, the NBA 35th Anniversary Team in 1981, the NBA 50th Anniversary All-Time Team in 1996, and the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021 making him one of only four players that were selected to each of those teams.[3] He is also one of only two of these players who is still alive with Bob Pettit as of 2023 and the older of the two living members. He was also the first president of National Basketball Players Association. On August 22, 2019, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Donald Trump.[4]
^"Bob Cousy Statistics". Sports Reference, Inc. July 22, 2007.
^ ab"Bob Cousy Bio". NBA.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. July 22, 2007.
^"NBA 75th Anniversary Team announced". NBA.com.
^Krantz, Laura (August 22, 2019). "Celtics legend Bob Cousy receives Presidential Medal of Freedom". Boston Globe. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
Robert Joseph Cousy (/ˈkuːzi/ KOO-zee, born August 9, 1928) is an American former professional basketball player. He played point guard for the Boston...
The BobCousy Award, sponsored by the College of the Holy Cross, is an annual basketball award given by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame...
each conference winner starting in 2001. In 2022, they named them the BobCousy Trophy for the Eastern Conference and the Oscar Robertson Trophy for the...
the NBA Finals and has defeated them nine times. Four Celtics players (BobCousy, Bill Russell, Dave Cowens and Larry Bird) have won the NBA Most Valuable...
anniversary teams and one of only two living members as of 2023 with BobCousy. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest power forwards of all time...
Pritchard was also a consensus All-American selection and was awarded the BobCousy Award as the nation's top point guard. Pritchard was selected with the...
all-conference player in the Pac-12 in 2014 and 2015. He also earned the BobCousy Award in 2015. Born in Los Angeles, California, Wright led Leuzinger High...
basketball prior to his senior season. Brunson was a selection to the 20-man BobCousy Award preseason watchlist. He was also selected as the 2015–16 Big East...
first athlete to be endorsed by a shoe brand: All-star basketball player BobCousy of the Boston Celtics was chosen to market PF Flyers. PF Flyers also sponsored...
championship trophies in 2001, renaming them in 2022 after former players BobCousy and Oscar Robertson, respectively. The NBA's first individual awards were...
AP, NABC, Naismith, Robertson and Sports Illustrated), as well as the BobCousy Award. As a sophomore, he led the Big Ten in assists and set the Michigan...
and all 50 members of the 50th anniversary team were included. BobCousy, George Mikan, Bob Pettit, and Bill Russell are the only four players to be named...
season. Stockton has the most assists titles in his career, with nine. BobCousy won eight assists titles, while Oscar Robertson won six. Jason Kidd, Chris...
named the league MVP twice. Other NBA point guards with wins include BobCousy, Oscar Robertson, Allen Iverson, Derrick Rose and Russell Westbrook. Since...
Hardaway and cameos include noted basketball figures Bob Knight, Rick Pitino, George Raveling, BobCousy, Larry Bird, Jerry Tarkanian, Matt Painter, Allan...
broadcasters List of New England Patriots broadcasters From 1999-2008, BobCousy appeared as a part-time analyst on Celtics games, calling about 10 games...
Connecticut, Napier was a preseason honorable mention All-Big East pick and a BobCousy Award candidate. His numbers improved, as Napier averaged 13.0 points...
finished 24–7. Coming into his senior season, Gillespie was named to the BobCousy Award watchlist as well as Preseason First Team All-Big East. He tore...
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on April 11, 1970. Although BobCousy is often considered the originator of the behind-the-back dribble, many...
On February 17, Vanvleet was selected as one of 23 finalists for the BobCousy Award. When the Rockford native returned to the Chicago metropolitan area...
for precautionary reasons. Ulis was also named to the 36-man 2014–15 BobCousy Award preseason watchlist and the Wayman Tisdale Award watchlist. Ulis...
that year. Among other accolades bestowed on him, Walker claimed the BobCousy Award for college basketball's top point guard in the nation. On April...
0 points a game. During his sophomore year, he was a finalist for the BobCousy Award and the Naismith College Player of the Year Award, had 213 assists...
union during the 2011 NBA lockout. In 1954, Celtics star point guard BobCousy and friend and unofficial agent Joe Sharry canvassed long-tenured players...
McAdoo was the only former league MVP omitted. Bill Russell, BobCousy, George Mikan and Bob Pettit are the only players who have been named to all four...
Global Information
