Bob Cousy Biography

Fast Facts

• Was elected to the Naismith memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1970
• Won a basketball scholarship to Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass
• As a child, he played stickball and boxball before taking up basketball
• When he broke his right arm by falling out of a tree at the age of 13, he taught himself to dribble and shoot a basketball with his left
• Originally passed over by the Boston Celtics, he played for the Tri-Cities Blackhawks at first and was soon traded to the Chicago Stags until the franchise folded and the Celtics drew his name out of a hat
• Helped bring the Boston Celtics of the 1950s and 1960s to its legendary status
• Known for his flashy, razzle-dazzle style, which was revolutionary in the NBA during his time in the league, helping popularize such moves as the behind-the-back dribble
• After his retirement, President John Kennedy wired him a message reading, "The game bears an indelible stamp of your rare skills and competitive daring․"
• His last regular-season game was dubbed "the Boston Tear Party" because of a 20-minute farewell statement that was supposed to take seven minutes
• Put on basketball clinics in Europe and Asia after his retirement