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Bill Sharman – NBA Legends

Bill Sharman

William Walton Sharman, more commonly known as Bill Sharman, a Texas native, began his pro career with the Detroit Pistons in 1951 but 31 games later became a Boston Celtic for life. A forty-three percent field goal shooter in 11 seasons, Sharman was considered one of the greatest pure shooters of the 1950s. The All-American from USC went on to win four World Championships joining Bob Cousy and one of the greatest backcourt tandems to play the game. Sharman went on to a great coaching career in 1970s. He exhibited exceptional skills as both a player and a coach.

He was the ABA coach of the year with the Los Angeles Stars and in 1972 guided one of the greatest championship teams in NBA history. His Los Angeles Lakers won 69 regular-season games with Sharman collecting coach of the year honors in 1975 and getting inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1976.

Bill Sharman – Early years

Sharman was a standout baseball and basketball player at the University of Southern California in the late 1940s. He was a two-time All-Pacific Coast Conference selection as well as an All-American in basketball in 1949 and 1950.

In his first season with the Washington Capitols, he averaged 12.2 points per game. The Fort Wayne Pistons picked Sharman in the dispersal draft following the demise of the Washington Capitols during the 1950-51 season. However, because Celtics coach Red Auerbach made a smart agreement with Detroit that brought Sharman and Bob Brannum to Boston Celtics in exchange for Charlie Share’s draft rights, Sharman never made it into Fort Wayne’s team.

Bill Sharman – At a crossroads

Unsure of which sport to pursue, Sharman took a minor league contract with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1950. The Washington Capitols picked him in the second round of the NBA Draft in 1950 as well, and he played both sports for the next five years. He was unable to break into the majors, so he quit his baseball career after five years.

Bill was known for his toughness. He kept getting into fights whenever somebody disrespected him. Jerry West once hit seven jumpers over Sharman. On the last one, Bill took a swing at West which sent an appropriate message. Everybody had respect for him.

In 1951-52, his first year with the Celtics, Sharman saw little action yet still managed to score 10.7 points and make .859 from the line. Boston’s 39-27 finish in the Eastern Division resulted in a second-place loss to New York in the division semifinals.

Bill Sharman – Seeing an improvement

The following season, Sharman’s playing time nearly doubled and his production also improved considerably. He was fourth in field-goal percentage (.436), sixth in scoring (16.2 ppg) , and led the league in free-throw percentage (.850). Sharman made his debut to the All-Star Game in 1953 and eventually received a nomination to the All-NBA Second Team.

Sharman’s outside shot became a precious commodity for the Celtics in the 1954-55 season, when the league introduced a 24-second shot clock. He increased his scoring to 18.4 ppg, earning another All-Star nod and second appearance on the All-NBA Second Team.

Bill Sharman – Powerful additions

The Celtics’ lack of strong rebounders in the playoffs was evident during the 1955-56 season. However, on 1956-57, Bill Russell, Tom Heinsohn, and Frank Ramsey joined Boston. This large and powerful front line, backed up by Sharman and Cousy, helped lead the Celtics to an NBA best 44-28 regular season record.

Russell and Heinsohn’s presence aided Sharman in having one of his most effective seasons. He averaged 21.1 points per game, the greatest mark in franchise history, shooting .416 from the field and a number one .905 in free throws. His five consecutive years at the top of the free-throw percentage charts established an NBA record that still held in 1994.

Bill Sharman – Free throw king

The 1958-59 season saw Sharman retake the free-throw shooting crown with a career-best .932 percentage. He again led the Celtics in scoring (20.4 ppg) for the fourth year in a row, and he was named to the All-NBA First Team. The 1959 championship marked Boston’s eighth straight NBA title, establishing a record for consecutive titles won. Sharman averaged 20.1 points during the postseason, hitting 57 of 59 free throws.

Bill Sharman – Coaching

He retired from the NBA in 1961, but he wasn’t finished playing. In 1961-62, Sharman played for the Los Angeles Jets of the ABL as a player-coach and tallied 5.6 points per game in 19 games. He continued on with the Cavs, however, becoming their head coach that year. The Cleveland Pipers won the ABL Championship under Sharman’s leadership and by season’s end, he had a 43-26 overall record.

Bill Sharman – Setting standards

Sharman was a textbook shooter in the NBA. He was just as methodical and thorough when it came to coaching, which earned him a reputation for demanding training and strict discipline that frequently didn’t go over well with his players. He set up a disciplinary system of fines and incentives for on-court conduct and performance, conducted practices at a predetermined time, and enforced rigid routines.

He also popularized the game-day “shootaround,” a short morning practice session that is still utilized by many NBA and collegiate teams. He believed that preparing for a game by getting his team’s attention early, going over strategy, and relaxing the muscles was an excellent method to prepare.

Sharman spent two years in NBA’s San Francisco Warriors, where he compiled an 87-76 record, before moving on to manage the Los Angeles Stars of the American Basketball League. He guided the Los Angeles Stars to a 43-41 record in 1969-70 and was recognized as ABA co-Coach of the Year with Denver’s Joe Belmont. After moving to Utah, Sharman led the team to the ABA Finals in 1970-71, where they won against Kentucky for the championship.

Bill Sharman – Leading Lakers

When he arrived in Los Angeles, Sharman anticipated a championship season as soon as his team went a full two months, from November 5 to January 7, without losing a game – an NBA record 33 wins in a row. The Lakers won 69 games and set the league’s best regular-season record. They also won against the Golden State Warriors by 63 points, the biggest point difference in league history.

When the time for the playoffs arrived, L.A. didn’t slow down. They swept Chicago and Milwaukee in the first two rounds before demolishing New York in five games in the 1972 NBA Finals, appropriately earning Sharman Coach of the Year honors.

The Lakers went through a decade of mediocrity following West’s retirement in 1974, failing to qualify for the playoffs in two consecutive seasons. Even though hope arrived in 1975 with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Sharman resigned as NBA coach after the 1975-76 season and moved into director of basketball operations.

Sharman was the first coach to win championships in three leagues.

Sharman took over as club president after the team won three consecutive NBA championships in 1985, 1987, and 1988. He left the game in 1988 but remained with the Lakers’ family as a special consultant.

Bill Sharman was a legend who spent his entire basketball career in the league. In 1975, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Bill Sharman died on October 25, 2013, at the age of 87.

Bill Sharman – Net Worth

Bill Sharman is an NBA Hall of Fame basketball player and coach who has an estimated net worth of around $1.5 million. He had a long, successful career in the NBA in which he won four championships and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2004. Sharman is also the only person to ever win a championship as a player, coach, and executive.

How good was Bill Sharman?

Bill Sharman won four championships as a player and one championship as a coach. He was known for being an excellent shooter, and he was one of the first guards to have a field goal percentage above .400. Sharman ranks among the top free-throw shooters of all time with a shooting percentage of over .

What college did Bill Sharman go to?

He attended the University of Southern California.

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