Celtics Great Bill Sharman Dies At 87
LOS ANGELES (AP/CBS) -- Bill Sharman, the Hall of Famer who won NBA titles as a player for the Boston Celtics and a coach for the Los Angeles Lakers, has died.
Sharman died Friday at his home in Redondo Beach at the age of 87, the Lakers announced.
Sharman's unique basketball career spanned both sides of the Celtics-Lakers rivalry. He won four NBA titles during an 11-season career as a shooting guard in Boston, and then spent the past four decades with Los Angeles as a successful coach and front office executive.
Sharman was an All Star each season from 1953-1960, and was named the MVP of the game in 1954-55 season. He shot 43 percent from the field for his career, averaging 17.8 points per game. The Celtics retired his number-21 in 1966.
Sharman coached the 1971-72 Lakers to a championship with 69 victories and a 33-game winning streak, the longest in pro sports history.
Sharman was elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a player in 1976 and a coach in 2004.
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