David William Cowens ( ; born October 25, 1948)
is an American former professional
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
player and
NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...
head coach. At , he played the
center
Center or centre may refer to:
Mathematics
*Center (geometry), the middle of an object
* Center (algebra), used in various contexts
** Center (group theory)
** Center (ring theory)
* Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentricity ...
position and occasionally played
power forward
The power forward (PF), also known as the four, is one of the five traditional Basketball positions, positions in a regulation basketball game. Traditionally, power forwards have played a role similar to center (basketball), centers. When on Of ...
. Cowens spent most of his playing career with the
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
. He was the 1971 NBA Rookie of the Year and the 1973 NBA Most Valuable Player. Cowens won NBA championships as a member of the Celtics in 1974 and 1976. He was inducted into the
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pres ...
in 1991. Cowens has also held coaching positions in the NBA,
CBA, and
WNBA.
College career
After starring in high school at
Newport Catholic High in his hometown of Newport, Kentucky, Cowens played his collegiate basketball at
Florida State University
Florida State University (FSU) is a public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher education in the st ...
from 1967 to 1970 for coach
Hugh Durham
Hugh Nelson Durham (born October 26, 1937) is a retired American basketball coach. He was head coach at Florida State, Georgia, and Jacksonville. He is the only head coach to have led two different programs to their first Final Four appearances.
...
. He scored 1,479 points in 78 games at
Florida State
Florida State University (FSU) is a public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher e ...
, at 19.0 points per game, and ranks among Florida State's top 10 all-time scoring leaders.
Cowens is the all-time
Florida State
Florida State University (FSU) is a public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher e ...
leading rebounder with 1,340 rebounds (17.2 rebounds per game). He holds the team record for best seasonal rebound average (17.5 in the 1968–1969 season). He once grabbed 31 rebounds (second-best all-time) against
LSU
Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 near ...
in the 1968–69 season.
Cowens was named to the''
The Sporting News
The ''Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a pr ...
''
All-America
The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...
second team in 1970. His number hangs in the rafters of the
Donald L. Tucker Center
The Donald L. Tucker Civic Center is a multi-purpose indoor arena located on the Florida State University campus in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. The arena has the biggest capacity of any arena in the Florida Panhandle. The arena opened i ...
.
NBA career
Rookie year
Cowens was selected as the fourth overall pick by the
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
in the
1970 NBA draft
The 1970 NBA draft was the 24th annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on March 23, 1970, before the 1970–71 season. In this draft, 17 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball player ...
. Former Celtics center
Bill Russell
William Felton Russell (February 12, 1934 – July 31, 2022) was an American professional basketball player who played as a center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1956 to 1969. A five-time NBA Most V ...
's recommendation of Cowens influenced the selection. While some critics believed that Cowens was too small to play center, Russell said: "No one is going to tell that kid he can't play center".
During his rookie year, Cowens averaged 17.0 points per game and
15.0 rebounds per game. He was named to the
NBA All-Rookie First Team
The NBA All-Rookie Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1962–63 NBA season to the top rookies during the regular season. Voting is conducted by the NBA head coaches who are not allowed to vote for playe ...
and shared the NBA's Rookie of the Year honors with
Portland
Portland most commonly refers to:
* Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States
* Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...
's
Geoff Petrie
Geoffrey Michael Petrie (born April 17, 1948) is an American former professional basketball player. A native of Pennsylvania, he played professional basketball in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Portland Trail Blazers where he ...
. He also led the league in personal fouls that same year.
Prime years and NBA championships
![Dave Cowens](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/84/Dave_Cowens.jpeg)
In the 1972–73 season, Cowens averaged 20.5 ppg, 16.2 rpg and 4.1 apg while helping the Celtics to a league-best 68–14 record. In that season also, Cowens scored 20 points, grabbed a career-high 32 rebounds and dished out 9 assists in a home win over the
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its ho ...
. He carried the Celtics to the semifinals, where they met the
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...
. They won Game 1 of that best-of-7 series after Cowens recorded 15 points and 18 rebounds. However, they bowed out to the Knicks in Game 7. Cowens was chosen the
NBA MVP
The National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1955–56 season to the best performing player of the regular season. Starting with the 2022–23 ...
as well as MVP of the
All-Star Game
An all-star game is an exhibition game that purports to showcase the best players (the "stars") of a sports league. The exhibition is between two teams organized solely for the event, usually representing the league's teams based on region or div ...
that same season. Cowens and fellow Celtic
Bill Russell
William Felton Russell (February 12, 1934 – July 31, 2022) was an American professional basketball player who played as a center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1956 to 1969. A five-time NBA Most V ...
both have the distinction of being named MVP of the league but not being included on the
All-NBA First Team
The All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season. The voting is conducted by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The team has been sele ...
.
The following season, Cowens averaged 19.0 PPG, 15.7 RPG, 4.4 APG and 1.3 BPG while guiding the Celtics to a record of 56–26. Cowens was instrumental in bringing the Celtics into the playoffs, where they defeated the Buffalo Braves in six games and the New York Knicks in five. In the finals, the Celtics faced the top-seeded
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded in 1968 ...
. The teams split the first six games, with each team winning at least once on their home court. This led to a decisive Game 7, where the Celtics faced the Bucks in Milwaukee. The Celtics prevailed thanks to a strong performance by Cowens, who recorded 28 points and 14 rebounds as the Celtics took their 12th NBA championship.
Cowens won his second NBA championship ring as a member of the 1975–1976 Celtics team that defeated the Phoenix Suns, 4–2, in the NBA Finals.
Leave of absence from the Celtics
Eight games into the 1976–77 season on November 10, 1976, and with the Celtics on a four-game losing streak, Cowens left the team for "undisclosed reasons". Speculations included that Cowens was upset that the team didn't offer
Paul Silas
Paul Theron Silas (July 12, 1943 – December 10, 2022) was an American professional basketball player and head coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA). As a player, he was a two-time NBA All-Star and earned five selections to the NB ...
a new contract after the previous season and traded him to the
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...
. Other speculations were that he was unhappy with coach
Tom Heinsohn
Thomas William Heinsohn (August 26, 1934 – November 9, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. He was associated with the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) for six decades as a player, coach and broadcast ...
and also his involvement in a lawsuit from the previous season where he allegedly struck a fan during a game against the
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its ho ...
. Cowens returned to the team in January 1977 and led them to the playoffs, where they lost in the second round to the
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eas ...
.
Cowens averaged 18.6 points and 14 rebounds a game in the 1977–78 season, but the Celtics missed the playoffs for the first time since his 1970–71 rookie season.
After Coach
Satch Sanders
Thomas Ernest "Satch" Sanders (born November 8, 1938) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. He played his entire professional career as a power forward for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). ...
was fired following a 2–12 start to the 1978–1979 season, Cowens served as player-coach for the remainder of the season. The team finished the year with a 29–53 record.
Late career
In his final season with the Celtics (1979–80), Cowens helped the team to a 61–21 record. Cowens averaged 14.2 points, 8.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists during the season. Cowens and the Celtics defeated the Houston Rockets 4–0 in the Eastern Conference playoffs before losing to the Philadelphia 76ers 4–1 in the Eastern Conference finals.
Cowens retired as a player in 1980, as Boston drafted
Kevin McHale and traded for
Robert Parish
Robert Lee Parish (born August 30, 1953) is an American former professional basketball player who played 21 seasons as a center in the National Basketball Association (NBA), tied for second most in league history. He played an NBA-record 1,61 ...
to replace him at center. Boston then won the 1981 NBA Championship. "I have sprained my ankle at least 30 times over the duration of my career, broken both legs and fractured a foot," Cowens said upon retiring. "Two years ago, a team of foot and bone specialists said they were amazed that I could play up to that point without sustaining serious injuries."
In 1982–83, Cowens felt the desire to play again and approached the Celtics about trading him, as they still held his rights. Cowens said, "The Celtics are set up front (with Bird, McHale and Parish). They could trade me, work something out. No disrespect to Bill Fitch. I'd advise any younger players to play for him, but I'd probably be better off somewhere else".
After first negotiating with the
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Suns are the only team in t ...
, the Celtics traded Cowens to the
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded in 1968 ...
, who were coached by former Celtic teammate
Don Nelson
Donald Arvid Nelson (born May 15, 1940) is an American former professional basketball player and head coach. Nelson is second all-time in regular season wins of any coach in NBA history, with 1,335 (he held the record for most wins for almost 12 ...
. The Celtics received
Quinn Buckner
William Quinn Buckner (born August 20, 1954) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. He played collegiate basketball for the Indiana University Hoosiers, and won a national championship in 1976. He was a captain of both ...
from Milwaukee as compensation.
Cowens averaged 8.1 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 25 minutes per game with the Bucks. He was injured in the final game of the regular season and was unable to play in the playoffs for Milwaukee.
Cowens retired for good after the season.
Player profile and Legacy
During his
NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...
career, Cowens averaged a
double-double
In basketball, a double-double is a single-game performance in which a player accumulates ten or more in two of the following five statistical categories: points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots. The first "double" in the term ...
of 17.6 points and 13.6 rebounds. with 3.8 assists and 1.1 steals in 766 career NBA games. Cowens was selected to eight All-Star Games, was named to the All-NBA Second Team three times, and was named to the All-NBA Defensive First Team in 1976 and All-NBA Defensive Second Team in 1973 and 1980. He was a member of the Celtics' 1974 and 1976
NBA Championship
The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern and Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven game series to determine the league champion. The team that wins the series is awa ...
teams.
Cowens' playing credo was all-out intensity at both ends of the court, a style that never wavered during his 11-year NBA career. "He was quick, fast, strong and skilled, and played hard," Knicks Hall of Fame center
Willis Reed
Willis Reed Jr. (born June 25, 1942) is an American retired basketball player, coach and general manager. He spent his entire professional playing career (1964–1974) with the New York Knicks. In 1982, Reed was inducted into the Naismith Memo ...
said of Cowens.
Cowens was the fourth center in NBA history to average five assists per game in a single season, joining
Wilt Chamberlain
Wilton Norman Chamberlain (; August 21, 1936 – October 12, 1999) was an American professional basketball player who played as a Center (basketball), center. Standing at tall, he played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 14 yea ...
, former Celtic center,
Bill Russell
William Felton Russell (February 12, 1934 – July 31, 2022) was an American professional basketball player who played as a center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1956 to 1969. A five-time NBA Most V ...
, and
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem (alternatively spelled Karim or Kerim) ( ar, کریم) is a common given name and surname of Arabic origin that means "generous", "noble", "honorable". It is also one of the Names of God in Islam in the Quran.
Given name Karim
* Karim A ...
. His career average is 3.8 assists per game. As of the end of the 2018–19 season, Cowens ranked 27th overall for most point-rebound-assist triple-doubles by a center in NBA history.
As evidence to his all-around ability, only five other players (
Scottie Pippen
Scotty Maurice Pippen Sr. (born September 25, 1965), usually spelled Scottie Pippen, is an American former professional basketball player. He played 17 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), winning six NBA championships with the ...
,
Kevin Garnett
Kevin Maurice Garnett ( ; born May 19, 1976) is an American former professional basketball player who played for 21 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed KG by his initials, and the "Big Ticket" for his emphatic dunki ...
,
LeBron James
LeBron Raymone James Sr. (; born December 30, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "King James", he is widely considered one of the greatest pl ...
,
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Giannis Sina Ugo Antetokounmpo (born Adetokunbo; December 6, 1994) is a Greek-Nigerian professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Antetokounmpo's country of origin, in addition to his s ...
and
Nikola Jokić
Nikola Jokić ( sr-cyr, Никола Јокић, (); born February 19, 1995) is a Serbian professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA) who plays the center position. A four-time NBA All-Sta ...
) have led their teams in all five major statistical categories for a season: points, rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals. He accomplished the feat in the 1977–78 season, averaging 18.6 points, 14.0 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 0.9 blocks and 1.3 steals as Boston finished 32–50.
In 1996, Cowens was honored as one of the league's greatest players of all time by being named to the
NBA 50th Anniversary Team
The 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, also referred to as NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, were chosen in 1996 to honor the 50th anniversary of the founding of the National Basketball Association (NBA). It was the third anniversary team ...
.
In October 2021, Cowens was again honored as one of the league's greatest players of all time by being named to the
NBA 75th Anniversary Team
The NBA 75th Anniversary Team, also referred to as the NBA 75, was chosen in 2021 to honor the 75th anniversary of the founding of the National Basketball Association (NBA). It was the fourth and most recent anniversary team in the league. S ...
.
"No one ever did more for the Celtics than Dave did," said
John Havlicek
John Joseph Havlicek ( ; April 8, 1940 – April 25, 2019) was an American professional basketball player who spent his entire career with the Boston Celtics, winning List of NBA players with most championships, eight NBA championships, four of ...
of his Celtic teammate.
Coaching career
He began his coaching career by serving as a
player-coach
A player-coach (also playing coach, captain-coach, or player-manager) is a member of a sports team who simultaneously holds both playing and coaching duties. A player-coach may be a head coach or an assistant coach. They may make changes to the sq ...
for the
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
during the 1978–79 season, but he quit coaching after the season and returned as a full-time player before retiring in 1980.
Cowens coached the Bay State Bombardiers of the
Continental Basketball Association
The Continental Basketball Association (CBA) (originally known as the Eastern Pennsylvania Basketball League, and later as the Eastern Professional Basketball League and the Eastern Basketball Association) was a men's professional basketball m ...
in 1984–85.
Cowens returned to the NBA coaching ranks as an assistant coach for the
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference Southwest Division ( ...
in 1994–96 and was considered for the coaching job of the Boston Celtics during the 1995 offseason. He served as head coach of the
Charlotte Hornets
The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division, and pla ...
from 1996 to 1999 and was the head coach of the
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. Founded in 194 ...
from 1999 to 2001, a tenure of 105 games.
In 2005–06 Cowens was head coach of the
Chicago Sky
The Chicago Sky are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Sky compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member club of the league's Eastern Conference. The franchise was founded prior to the 20 ...
of the
Women's National Basketball Association
The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) is an American professional basketball league. It is composed of twelve teams, all based in the United States. The league was founded on April 22, 1996, as the women's counterpart to the Natio ...
(WNBA).
Cowens was an assistant coach of the
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division and play their home games at Li ...
from 2006 to 2009.
Politics
In
1990
File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of Humankind, humanity on Earth, Astroph ...
, Cowens, a former Democrat, ran as a Republican for
Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth
The Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth is the principal public information officer of the government of the U.S. state of Massachusetts.
The Secretary of the Commonwealth oversees the Corporations Division, the Elections Division, the ...
. However, because he did not register by June 5, 1989, he was unable to appear on the primary ballot.
Cowens considered running a
sticker campaign for the Republican nomination, but decided to drop out of the race.
Personal life
Cowens married his wife, Deby, in 1978. They have two daughters and several grandchildren. In 1977, Cowens spent a day driving a
taxi cab
A taxi, also known as a taxicab or simply a cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice ...
for the Independent Taxi Operators Association (ITOA) in Boston. "Nobody even knew who I was," Cowens told
ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
. "I put my cap on and just you know drove around. I got decent tips, though."
Honors
* In 1973, Cowens was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame.
* Cowens was inducted into the Florida State Athletics Hall of Fame in 1977.
* Cowens's #13 is an Honored number at Florida State University.
* On February 8, 1981, the Boston Celtics retired Cowens's #18 jersey.
![Celtics18](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e9/Celtics18.png)
* In 1991, Cowens was inducted into the
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pres ...
.
* Cowens was inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.
NBA career statistics
Regular season
, -
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Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
, 81 , , – , , 38.0 , , .422 , , – , , .732 , , 15.0 , , 2.8 , , – , , – , , 17.0
, -
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, style="text-align:left;",
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
, 79 , , – , , 40.3 , , .484 , , – , , .720 , , 15.2 , , 3.1 , , – , , – , , 18.8
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;",
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
, style="background:#cfecec;", 82* , , – , , 41.8 , , .452 , , – , , .779 , , 16.2 , , 4.1 , , – , , – , , 20.5
, -
, style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;", †
, style="text-align:left;",
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
, 80 , , – , , 41.9 , , .437 , , – , , .832 , , 15.7 , , 4.4 , , 1.2 , , 1.3 , , 19.0
, -
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, style="text-align:left;",
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
, 65 , , – , , 40.5 , , .475 , , – , , .783 , , 14.7 , , 4.6 , , 1.3 , , 1.1 , , 20.4
, -
, style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;", †
, style="text-align:left;",
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
, 78 , , – , , 39.8 , , .468 , , – , , .756 , , 16.0 , , 4.2 , , 1.2 , , 0.9 , , 19.0
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;",
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
, 50 , , – , , 37.8 , , .434 , , – , , .818 , , 13.9 , , 5.0 , , 0.9 , , 1.0 , , 16.4
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;",
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
, 77 , , – , , 41.8 , , .490 , , – , , .842 , , 14.0 , , 4.6 , , 1.3 , , 0.9 , , 18.6
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;",
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
, 68 , , – , , 37.0 , , .483 , , – , , .807 , , 9.6 , , 3.6 , , 1.1 , , 0.8 , , 16.6
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;",
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
, 66 , , 55 , , 32.7 , , .453 , , .083 , , .779 , , 8.1 , , 3.1 , , 1.0 , , 0.9 , , 14.2
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;",
Milwaukee
Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...
, 40 , , 34 , , 25.4 , , .444 , , .000 , , .825 , , 6.9 , , 2.1 , , 0.8 , , 0.4 , , 8.1
, - class="sortbottom"
, style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career
, 766 , , 89 , , 38.6 , , .460 , , .071 , , .783 , , 13.6 , , 3.8 , , 1.1 , , 0.9 , , 17.6
, - class="sortbottom"
, style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", All-Star
, 6 , , 4 , , 25.7 , , .500 , , – , , .714 , , 13.5 , , 2.0 , , 0.7 , , 0.2 , , 12.7
Playoffs
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
1972
Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, me ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
, 11, , –, , 40.1, , .455, , –, , .596, , 13.8, , 3.0, , –, , –, , 15.5
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
1973
Events January
* January 1 - The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union.
* January 15 – Vietnam War: Citing progress in peace negotiations, U.S. ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
, 13, , –, , 46.0, , .473, , –, , .659, , 16.6, , 3.7, , –, , –, , 21.9
, -
, style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;",
1974
Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; f ...
†
, style="text-align:left;",
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
, 18, , –, , 42.9, , .435, , –, , .797, , 13.3, , 3.7, , 1.2, , 0.9, , 20.5
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
1975
It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe.
Events
January
* January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
, 11, , –, , 43.5, , .428, , –, , .885, , 16.5, , 4.2, , 1.6, , 0.5, , 20.5
, -
, style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;",
1976
Events January
* January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force.
* January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea.
* January 11 – The 1976 Phila ...
†
, style="text-align:left;",
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
, 18, , –, , 44.3, , .457, , –, , .759, , 16.4, , 4.6, , 1.2, , 0.7, , 21.0
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
1977
Events January
* January 8 – Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group.
* January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (now the Democratic R ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
, 9, , –, , 42.1, , .446, , –, , .773, , 14.9, , 4.0, , 0.9, , 1.4, , 16.6
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
1980
Events January
* January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission.
* January 6 – Global Positioning System time epoch begins at 00:00 UTC.
* January 9 – ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
, 9, , –, , 33.4, , .476, , .000, , .909, , 7.3, , 2.3, , 1.0, , 0.8, , 12.0
, - class="sortbottom"
, style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career
, 89 , , – , , 42.3 , , .451 , , .000 , , .744 , , 14.4 , , 3.7 , , 1.2 , , 0.9 , , 18.9
Head coaching record
NBA
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
, style="text-align:left;",
, 68, , 27, , 41, , , , style="text-align:center;", 5th in Atlantic, , -, , -, , -, ,
, style="text-align:center;", Missed playoffs
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
Charlotte
Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Meckl ...
, style="text-align:left;",
, 82, , 54, , 28, , , , style="text-align:center;", 4th in Central, , 3, , 0, , 3, ,
, style="text-align:center;", Lost in
First Round
First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1).
First or 1st may also refer to:
*World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement
Arts and media Music
* 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and reco ...
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
Charlotte
Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Meckl ...
, style="text-align:left;",
, 82, , 51, , 31, , , , style="text-align:center;", 3rd in Central, , 9, , 4, , 5, ,
, style="text-align:center;", Lost in
Conf. Semifinals
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
Charlotte
Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Meckl ...
, style="text-align:left;",
, 15, , 4, , 11, , , , style="text-align:center;", (resigned), , –, , –, , –, , –
, style="text-align:center;", –
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
Golden State
, style="text-align:left;",
, 82, , 17, , 65, , , , style="text-align:center;", 7th in Pacific, , –, , –, , –, , –
, style="text-align:center;", Missed playoffs
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
Golden State
, style="text-align:left;",
, 23, , 8, , 15, , , , style="text-align:center;", (fired), , –, , –, , –, , –
, style="text-align:center;", –
, - class="sortbottom"
, style="text-align:left;", Career
, , , 352, , 161, , 191, , , , , , 12, , 4, , 8, ,
WNBA
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
CHI
Chi or CHI may refer to:
Greek
*Chi (letter), the Greek letter (uppercase Χ, lowercase χ);
Chinese
*Chi (length), ''Chi'' (length) (尺), a traditional unit of length, about ⅓ meter
*Chi (mythology) (螭), a dragon
*Chi (surname) (池, pin ...
, style="text-align:left;",
, 34, , 5, , 29, , , , style="text-align:center;", 7th in East, , –, , –, , –, , –
, style="text-align:center;", Missed Playoffs
, - class="sortbottom"
, style="text-align:left;", Career
, , , 34, , 5, , 29, , , , , , , , , , , ,
See also
*
References
Further reading
*
External links
*
NBA History profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cowens, Dave
1948 births
Living people
American men's basketball players
American women's basketball coaches
Basketball coaches from Kentucky
Basketball players from Kentucky
Boston Celtics draft picks
Boston Celtics head coaches
Boston Celtics players
Charlotte Hornets head coaches
Chicago Sky coaches
College basketball announcers in the United States
Continental Basketball Association coaches
Detroit Pistons assistant coaches
Golden State Warriors head coaches
Florida State Seminoles men's basketball players
Massachusetts Republicans
Milwaukee Bucks assistant coaches
Milwaukee Bucks players
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees
National Basketball Association All-Stars
National Basketball Association players with retired numbers
National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame inductees
Newport Central Catholic High School alumni
People from Newport, Kentucky
Player-coaches
Power forwards (basketball)
San Antonio Spurs assistant coaches
Sportspeople from the Cincinnati metropolitan area
Utah Stars draft picks
Women's National Basketball Association general managers