With the fourth overall pick in the 1970 NBA draft, the Boston Celtics selected Dave William Cowens out of Florida State University. In his three varsity seasons as a Seminole, Cowens averaged at least 18 points and 17 rebounds per game. His 19 points per game in his college career are in the top 10 all-time in school history.
Cowens went on to have a tremendous NBA career, which ended with a Hall of Fame induction in 1991. A decade prior to being enshrined, he had his jersey retirement ceremony at the Boston Garden. During his playing days, the Newport, Kentucky native stood six feet and nine inches tall at a weight of 230 pounds. He was a standout at Newport Catholic High School, where he was also a great swimmer. His start to his basketball career came on the junior varsity high school team. From there, he rose to basketball stardom at every stage he played.
Celtics legend Bill Russell played his final season with the Celtics in 1968-69, and he averaged 19.3 rebounds to go along with 9.9 points. The Celtics struggled in 1969-70, but they then got Cowens to play center. He not only dominated the boards throughout his NBA career, but he was also a prolific scorer. Cowens quickly won accolades with Boston, as he was the co-Rookie of the Year — with Geoff Petrie of the Portland Trail Blazers — and 1972-73 NBA Most Valuable Player. He also made eight all-star teams, three All-NBA teams, three All-Defensive teams, and went on to be a part of two championship teams.
Cowens’ Boston Celtics Career
With Tommy Heinsohn manning the sidelines for his second year, Cowens entered into a pretty good situation with the Boston Celtics. Prior to the first season that Cowens played with the green, the Celtics had won the NBA championship in 11 of the previous 15 years.
The Boston squad, led by shooting guard John Havlicek, needed to improve after its sixth-place finish in the Eastern Division. While the Celtics dynasty may have had a bit of a rocky couple of years, Cowens was a big part of the turnaround. In Cowens’ first season with the Celtics, he won the Rookie of the Year award and he helped improve the team by 10 wins. During his NBA rookie season, Cowens averaged a strong 17 points and 15 rebounds per game. Unfortunately, it was not enough to help the Celtics make the playoffs.
Then, in Cowens’ second NBA season, the 1971-72 Celtics started showing their dominance. They led the Atlantic Division with a 56-26 record and defeated the Atlanta Hawks, 4-2, in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. It was not meant to be for the 1972 Celtics though, as first-time all-star Cowens and the Celtics lost to the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals.
The exact same result occurred in the playoffs for the 1972-73 Celtics, who had a franchise-best 68-14 record. The single-season wins record at the time — 69 victories — was held by the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers. Cowens was the 1972-73 Most Valuable Player award winner, as he had career-high averages in points (20.5) and rebounds (16.2) that year. It was just his third season in the league, and he could not be stopped. It was Cowens’ third consecutive year leading Boston in rebounding, and it was his best seasonal rebound average as well. Also, it was no surprise that Cowens made his second All-Star Game that year, and the nod was his second of seven consecutive All-Star Game appearances.
Dave Cowens – His First NBA Championship
Then Cowens and the Celtics adjusted and made the jump. His first of two NBA championships came in 1974, and the team received 19 points and 16 rebounds per game from Cowens. Dave Cowens and the 1973-74 Celtics played great basketball, with Heinsohn calling the plays and Havlicek once again leading the way with 22.6 points per game. The championship team’s other double-digit point scorers were Jo Jo White, Paul Silas, Don Nelson, and Don Chaney. It was a stellar Celtics team that won the 1974 NBA title.
In the following season, Cowens posted 20.4 points, 14.7 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 1.3 blocks. He made three All NBA-Defensive Teams during his career, the first of which was an NBA All-Defensive Second Team for the 1974-75 season. Then, Cowens stepped it up for the following year, as he made the All NBA-Defensive First Team. It would be the only First Team selection of his career, but he would then make another All-Defensive Second Team in the 1979-80 season.
Dave Cowens – His Second NBA Championship
His second NBA championship team beat the Buffalo Braves and Cleveland Cavaliers each in six games to make it to the 1976 NBA Finals. Heinsohn’s Celtics kept it consistent, as they defeated the Suns also in six games to take the title. Boston won the championship yet again, as the team won for the second time in three seasons.
Unfortunately, some woes came in the following years. After a short leave of absence from Cowens, he and the Celtics had a second-place finish in the Atlantic Division in 1976-77, and the 1977 playoffs finished with an Eastern Conference Semifinal loss. For the next couple of seasons, it would not be easy for the Celtics.
Cowens’ Coaching Career Began As a Player-Coach
The Celtics had some lowly seasons near the end of Cowens’ career. The Celtics fired Tom “Satch” Sanders, who had won eight championships as a player with Boston. Sanders posted a career record of 23-39, with a 2-12 record in the 1978-79 season. Cowens took on the player-coach role for the Celtics, and he went 27-41.
Bill Fitch would take over as the head coach in 1979-80, the first season for all-time great Larry Bird. Cowens, who started 55 of his 66 games played that season, averaged 14.2 points and 8.1 rebounds. He would then retire. Then on February 8, 1981, the Boston Celtics retired Cowens’ No. 18 jersey. That night, the future champion Celtics defeated the San Diego Clippers, 123-107, behind a game-high 24 points from Rick Robey. Also, Bird chipped in 19 points. The Celtics originally considered sending Cowens to the Phoenix Suns, but they then decided to reunite Cowens with his former teammate Don Nelson, who began coaching the Milwaukee Bucks in 1976. In September 1982, the Celtics traded Cowens for Bucks guard Quinn Buckner.
Cowens Held Many Coaching Positions in Different Leagues
After 40 games played for the 1982-83 Bucks, Cowens retired and went to the Continental Basketball Association. He was the head coach of the Bay State Bombardiers. He also went on to be a coach for five teams in the NBA and WNBA:
- 1994 to 1996: San Antonio Spurs (assistant coach)
- 1996 to 1999: Charlotte Hornets (head coach)
- 2000 to 2001: Golden State Warriors (head coach)
- 2006: Chicago Sky (head coach)
- 2006 to 2009: Detroit Pistons (assistant coach)
Cowens returned to the NBA coaching ranks with the Spurs. Then, he coached the 1996-97 and 1997-98 Charlotte Hornets to some impressive seasons. They were great regular-season teams with Glen Rice and Anthony Mason, but the New York Knicks and Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls took down Charlotte. In an interesting development, Paul Silas took over as head coach in 1999 after Cowens resigned.
Cowens ultimately joined one of the best Detroit Pistons teams in recent NBA history. He was an assistant for Flip Saunders, who took over for 2004 NBA champion head coach Larry Brown. For Saunders and company, it was not a title season, as their Pistons ran into a very strong Celtics team — Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Rajon Rondo, and head coach Doc Rivers — that would win the 2008 championship.
Dave Cowens – Net Worth
Dave Cowens is a former NBA star who has an estimated net worth of $1-5 million. He made most of his money during his basketball career, which included leading the Boston Celtics to two championships in 1974 and 1976. Cowens retired from the NBA in 1980 after playing for the Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks and Detroit Pistons.
How good was Dave Cowens?
Dave Cowens was one of the best centers in Celtics history, as he appeared in eight All-Star Games in addition to finishing with two championships, an MVP trophy, a Rookie of the Year trophy, a three-time All-Defensive selection, and a three-time All-NBA Second Team selection. Although he was not a championship coach, he was able to achieve NBA greatness.
Is Dave Cowens in the HOF?
In 1991, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts. Then, just 15 years later, he was inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame.
What college did Dave Cowens go to?
Florida State University. His collegiate basketball performance was very impressive and it was not surprising to see him inducted. In the 1970s, Cowens was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame (1973) and the Florida State Athletics Hall of Fame (1977). His No. 13 jersey was also retired by the Florida State Seminoles. Dave Cowens played many years for the Celtics, and his legacy will always be remembered in the rafters of TD Garden. His playing days were in the Boston Garden, but the 73-year-old NBA great gets to see his No. 18 jersey high above the parquet in front of more than 18,000 fans in Boston every time the Celtics play.
When did Dave Cowens retire?
In 1980, Cowens retired from playing, as the Boston Celtics had drafted Kevin McHale and acquired Robert Parish to take his place as center.
