Lawrence Ronald Costello (July 2, 1931 – December 13, 2001) was an American professionalbasketball player and coach. He played for thePhiladelphia Warriors and theSyracuse Nationals /Philadelphia 76ers of the NBA, and theWilkes-Barre Barons of the EPBL. He served as head coach of theMilwaukee Bucks and theChicago Bulls.

Larry Costello

Costello with theSyracuse Nationalsc. 1961
Personal information
Born	(1931-07-02)July 2, 1931 Minoa, New York, U.S.[1]
Died	December 13, 2001(2001-12-13) (aged 70) Fort Myers, Florida, U.S.
Listed height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Listed weight	186 lb (84 kg)
Career information
High school	Minoa (Minoa, New York)
College	Niagara (1951–1954)
NBA draft	1954: 2nd round, 12th overall pick
Drafted by	Philadelphia Warriors
Playing career	1954–1968
Position	Point guard
Number	5, 18, 15, 6, 21
Coaching career	1968–1987
Career history
As a player:
1954–1957	Philadelphia Warriors
1957–1965	Syracuse Nationals /Philadelphia 76ers
1965–1966	Wilkes-Barre Barons
1966–1968	Philadelphia 76ers
As a coach:
1968–1976	Milwaukee Bucks
1978–1979	Chicago Bulls
1979–1980	Milwaukee Does
1980–1987	Utica College
Career highlights and awards
As player: NBA champion (1967) 6×NBA All-Star (1958–1962,1965) No. 69retired by Niagara Purple Eagles All-NBA Second Team (1961) As coach: NBA champion (1971) 2×NBA All-Star Game head coach (1971,1974)
Career NBA playing statistics
Points	8,622 (12.2 ppg)
Rebounds	2,705 (3.8 rpg)
Assists	3,215 (4.6 apg)
Stats at NBA.com
Stats atBasketball Reference
Career coaching record
NBA	430–300 (.589)
Record atBasketball Reference
Basketball Hall of Fame

A six-time All-Star, Costello was theNational Basketball Association's last two-handed set shooter. As the inaugural coach of the Bucks, he led them to a championship in their third season of existence in 1971, the fastest run for an expansion team in NBA history. In ten seasons as a coach, Costello reached the postseason six times, while winning 37 of his 60 postseason games as coach, for a winning percentage of 61.7%, ninth best in NBA history.^[2] In 2022, Costello was inducted into theNaismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor.^[3]

Costello attended atNiagara University after growing up inMinoa, New York (born to parents that were basketball players in high school) and attending East Syracuse-Minoa High School. He had excelled in basketball, baseball, and football but chose to attend Niagara for basketball.^[1]

Costello played three seasons at Niagara, from 1951 to 1954, after spending his freshman year on the freshman team due to the NCAA rules of the time. He led thePurple Eagles to theNational Invitational Tournament in 1953 and 1954 before graduating as the all-time leading scorer (1,275) in program history (he now ranks in the top thirty).^[3][4] He wore the jersey number of 24 until his senior season due to his efforts in a notable game in his junior year. Against Siena on February 21, 1953, Costello played all but twenty seconds of a six-overtime game that ran for 69 minutes, where he scored 21 points in an 88–81 win. To commemorate his efforts in the longest college basketball game at that time, his jersey number was switched to 69. His jersey number of 69 was retired by Niagara in 2001.^[5][6]

Costello was drafted by thePhiladelphia Warriors in 1954, electing to choose it over study at theUniversity of Buffalo and their dental school due to having more of a passion for basketball. After his rookie season, he served in theKorean War for a year before returning to play for the Warriors.^[7] After the season, Costello was traded to theSyracuse Nationals for $5,000. He averaged over ten points a game in each of his first eight seasons with the team.

Costello retired in 1965 from thePhiladelphia 76ers (the former Syracuse Nationals), but eventually came back for the1966–67 NBA season after new head coachAlex Hannum told him he needed a veteran point guard. Forty-two games into the season, Costello tore hisAchilles tendon on January 6, 1967, and was replaced byWali Jones. He did, however, come back to participate in the 1967 playoffs, where he earned a championship ring. Costello ended his career for the second and final time in 1968.

During his NBA career, Costello was selected to sixNBA All-Star Games (playing in five). He led the league infree throw percentage in the1962–63 and1964–65 seasons.

Costello began his coaching career at East Syracuse-Minoa High School, his alma mater, where he served for the 1968 season.

Costello took over as head coach of the expansion teamMilwaukee Bucks in 1968 and coached them to a league-best 66–16 mark in 1970–71, including a then-NBA record20-game win streak. The Bucks won the championship in the post-season with a 4–0 sweep of theBaltimore Bullets. The Bucks won a league best 59 games during the 1973–74 regular season and returned to the NBA Finals, where they lost to theBoston Celtics in seven games.

After a 3–15 start in the1976–77 season, Costello resigned on November 22, 1976.^[8] He was replaced byDon Nelson, who would be head coach of the Bucks for 11 seasons.

Costello coached theChicago Bulls for 56 games in1978–79 before returning to Milwaukee to coach theMilwaukee Does of theWomen's Professional Basketball League for part of the 1979–80 season.

Costello's last coaching job was atUtica College in the 1980s. The school was making the transition fromDivision III toDivision I as an independent. Costello coached one season in Division III. In his second year in Division I, the Pioneers were the seventh most improved team in the country based on their won-loss record. Costello retired in 1987, having won 65 games at Utica in six seasons.^[9]

Costello was best known as one of the first coaches to employ videotape to analyze his team and opponents.

Costello appeared onNBA Live videogame series, as member of the 1950sNBA Live Legend All-Stars Team.

Costello died on December 13, 2001, after battling cancer for more than a year.^[10]

Costello was featured in the bookBasketball History in Syracuse, Hoops Roots by author Mark Allen Baker published by The History Press in 2010. The book is an introduction to professional basketball in Syracuse and includes teams like (Vic Hanson's) All-Americans, the Syracuse Reds and theSyracuse Nationals (1946–1963).

• Player stats @ basketball-reference.com
• Coaching stats @ basketball-reference.com