 Red Auerbach in front of a collage created by his brother, Zang Auerbach | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1917-09-20)September 20, 1917 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Died | October 28, 2006(2006-10-28) (aged 89) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Listed height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
| Listed weight | 170 lb (77 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Eastern District (Brooklyn, New York) |
| College |
|
| Position | Guard |
| Coaching career | 1940–1966 |
| Career history | |
Playing | |
| 1943 | Harrisburg Senators |
Coaching | |
| 1940 | St. Albans School |
| 1940–1943 | Roosevelt HS |
| 1946–1949 | Washington Capitols |
| 1949 | Duke (assistant) |
| 1949–1950 | Tri-Cities Blackhawks |
| 1950–1966 | Boston Celtics |
| Career highlights | |
As head coach:
As executive: | |
| Career coaching record | |
| NBA | 938–479 (.662) |
Record atBasketball Reference  | |
| Basketball Hall of Fame | |
Arnold Jacob "Red"Auerbach (September 20, 1917 – October 28, 2006) was an American professionalbasketball coach and executive. As head coach, he led theBoston Celtics to eight consecutiveNBA championships between 1959 to 1966.[1] On retiring in 1966, he held an NBA coaching record of 938 wins.[2] He served as general manager of the Celtics from 1966 to 1984, and later as President and Vice-Chairman of the Board. He won a combined 16 NBA titles in his 29 years with the Celtics, the most of any individual, making him one of the most successful team officials in the history ofNorth American professional sports.[3] He served as president of the Celtics until his death in 2006 at the age of 89.
Auerbach coached many players who were inducted into theBasketball Hall of Fame.[4] He also played a key role in decreasingracial discrimination in the NBA. In 1950, he draftedChuck Cooper, the NBA's firstAfrican-American player. In 1965, he introduced the first African-American starting five.[5] In 1966, he hiredBill Russell as the NBA's first African-American head coach.[6]
Auerbach was inducted into theBasketball Hall of Fame in 1969.[7] In 1980, theProfessional Basketball Writers Association of America voted Auerbach the greatest coach in the NBA history.[8] He was also namedNBA Executive of the Year in 1980.[7] Auerbach has been regarded as one of theNBA 10 Greatest Coaches in history, was inducted into theNational Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, and had his number 2 jersey retired atTD Garden, the Celtics' stadium.[9]
Arnold Jacob "Red" Auerbach was born inBrooklyn, New York City, on September 20, 1917. Auerbach was one of four children born to Marie and Hyman Auerbach (Yiddish:היימאַן אוירבך;Russian:Хайман Ауэрбах). Hyman, aRussian-Jewish immigrant fromMinsk,Russian Empire (present-dayBelarus), arrived in the United States at age thirteen. He married American-born Marie Auerbach (née Thompson).[10] In Brooklyn, the couple first owned adelicatessen before transitioning into the dry-cleaning business. Their son, Auerbach, spent his childhood inWilliamsburg, Brooklyn, playing basketball. He earned the nickname "Red" due to his distinctive flaming red hair and fiery temper.[3]
During theGreat Depression, Auerbach played basketball as aguard at P.S. 122 andEastern District High School,[11] where he was named "Second Team All-Brooklyn" by theWorld-Telegram in his senior year.
After a season atSeth Low Junior College, Auerbach received anathletic scholarship to play for theGeorge Washington Colonials men's basketball team inWashington, D.C.[3][12] Auerbach was regarded as a standout basketball player. Auerbach was a three-time letterman, team captain, and led the team in scoring in 1940. Auerbach graduated with aBachelor of Arts in Education in 1940, and aMaster of Education in 1941.[10][13] In those years, Auerbach began to develop the technique known as thefast break.
In 1941, Auerbach began coaching basketball and teaching at theSt. Albans School in Washington, D.C.[14]
Auerbach coachedbasketball andbaseball and taught atRoosevelt High School in Washington, D.C. for two years.[10][15][16]
On February 4, 1943, Auerbach appeared in a game for theHarrisburg Senators of theAmerican Basketball League (ABL) and scored one point.[17]
Auerbach enlisted in theU.S. Navy in June 1943. He served for three years as a Rehabilitation and Physical Training officer. He primarily served in a medical capacity at theWalter Reed National Military Medical Center.[16] Auerbach also coached at theNaval Station Norfolk in Norfolk, Virginia.[18] He was released from active duty as aLieutenant (junior grade) in October 1946.[16]
While with the U.S. Navy, Auerbach caught the eye of Washington millionaire Mike Uline, who hired him to coach the Washington Capitols in the newly foundedBasketball Association of America (BAA), a predecessor to the NBA.[3]
In the1946–47 BAA season, Auerbach led a fast break-oriented team built around early BAA starBones McKinney and various ex-Navy players to a 49–11 win–loss record. Their record included a17-game winning streak that stood as the single-season league record until 1969. In the playoffs, however, they were defeated by theChicago Stags in six games.[10][19]
Thefollowing year the Capitols went 28–20[10] but were eliminated from the playoffs in a one-game Western Division tie-breaker.[3] In the1948–49 season, the Capitols won their first fifteen games and finished at 38–22.[10] The team reached the BAA Finals but were beaten by theMinneapolis Lakers, led by Hall of FamerGeorge Mikan. In the following season, the BAA and the rivalNational Basketball League merged to become the NBA, and Auerbach felt he had to rebuild his squad. However, owner Uline declined his proposals, and Auerbach resigned.[3]
After leaving the Capitols, Auerbach became assistant coach of theDuke Blue Devils men's basketball team.[20] It was assumed that Auerbach would take over for head coachGerry Gerard, who was battling cancer. During his tenure at Duke, Auerbach regularly worked with future All-AmericanDick Groat. Auerbach later wrote that he "felt pretty bad waiting for [Gerard] to die" and that it was "no way to get a job".[21]
Auerbach left Duke after a few months whenBen Kerner, owner of theTri-Cities Blackhawks, gave him the green light to rebuild the team from scratch. Auerbach traded more than two dozen players in just six weeks. The revamped Blackhawks ended the1949–50 NBA season with a losing record of 28–29. Auerbach resigned when Kerner traded Auerbach's favorite player,John Mahnken.[3]
In 1950, Auerbach took a position as the athletic director ofKutsher's Hotel in the Catskills, NY. Kutsher's was the center of a summertime basketball league, and players from the New York City area would participate, playing for one of several local country clubs and hotels.[22]
Before the1950–51 NBA season,Walter Brown, owner of theBoston Celtics, was desperate to turn around his struggling and financially strapped franchise, which was reeling from a 22–46 record.[10] Brown hired Auerbach. In the1950 NBA draft, Auerbach made some notable moves. First, he famously snubbed future Hall of Famepoint guardBob Cousy. He argued that Cousy lacked the poise necessary to make his team and called him a "localyokel".[3] Instead, he selectedBowling Green centerChuck Share with the first overall pick. Auerbach used the Celtics' second-round pick onChuck Cooper, the first black player to be drafted into the NBA.[23] This pick effectively broke thecolor barrier in professional basketball.[24]
Entering the 1951 season, the Celtics core players wereEd Macauley, Bones McKinney and Bob Cousy. With Auerbach's fast-break tactics, the Celtics achieved a 39–30 record but lost in the1951 NBA Playoffs to theNew York Knicks. However, the relationship between Auerbach and Cousy improved when the coach help craft the young guard—an already outstanding dribbler and passer—into a great playmaker.[3]
In the following1951–52 NBA season, the Celtics obtained guardBill Sharman. Sharman, who was drafted in the second round of the1950 NBA draft, played his rookie season with the Washington Capitols. When the Capitols folded after the 1950 season, Sharman was selected by theFort Wayne Pistons in the dispersal draft and subsequently traded to the Celtics before the 1951 season. With the high-scoring Macauley, elite passer Cousy, and new prodigy Sharman, Auerbach had his team. Other notable players who joined the Celtics during these early years were forwardsFrank Ramsey andJim Loscutoff. For the next five seasons, the Celtics would make the playoffs every year but never won a title. The Celtics struggled in the playoffs, going 10–17 in the postseason from 1951 through 1956.[10] As Cousy put it: "we would get tired in the end and couldn't get the ball."[25] As a result, Auerbach sought a defensive big man who could get easyrebounds, initiate fast breaks, and close out games.[3]
On the day of the1956 NBA draft, Auerbach acquiredBill Russell, a defensive rebounding center, via a draft-day trade with the rivalSt. Louis Hawks. Auerbach also selected forwardTom Heinsohn and guardK.C. Jones, two future Hall of Famers. Emphasizing team play rather than individual performances, and stressing that defense was more important than offense, Auerbach drilled his players to play tough defense and force opposingturnovers for easy fast-break points. ForwardTom “Satch” Sanders recalled, "defense and conditioning were the best parts of those teams".[25]
Anchored by Russell, the Celtics forced their opponents to take low-percentage shots from farther distances (there was nothree-point arc at the time). This strategy allowed Auerbach's Celtics to take advantage on the fast break.[3] Auerbach also emphasized the need for role players likeFrank Ramsey andJohn Havlicek, who became two of the first legitimatesixth men in NBA history,[25] a role later played byDon Nelson. Auerbach's recipe demoralized the opposition. From 1957 to 1966, the Celtics won nine of ten NBA championships. This included eight consecutive championships—the longest championship streak in North American sports—and six finals victories over theLos Angeles Lakers Hall of FamersElgin Baylor andJerry West. The Celtics' dominance during this time denied perennial scoring and rebounding championWilt Chamberlain a title during Auerbach's coaching reign.[26]
In 1964, Auerbach sent out the first African-American starting five in NBA history. The players wereBill Russell,Willie Naulls, Tom Sanders, Sam Jones, and K.C. Jones. For the1966–67 NBA season, Auerbach appointed Bill Russell as the first African-American coach in NBA history. Auerbach also popularized smoking a victory cigar whenever he thought a game was already decided, a habit that became a popular tradition in the Boston area.[25] Auerbach had a reputation as a fierce competitor. He often got into verbal altercations with officials and was frequented fined andejected.[25]
Thirteen players who played for Auerbach have been inducted into theBasketball Hall of Fame—Macauley, Ramsey, Cousy, Sharman, Heinsohn,Clyde Lovellette,Arnie Risen,Andy Phillip,John R. Thompson (as a coach), Russell, K.C. Jones, Havlicek, andSam Jones.[3] Sharman, Heinsohn, and Russell would become three of only five people to be inducted into the Hall of Fame as both players and coaches.
Before the 1965–66 NBA season, Auerbach announced the coming year would be his last as coach, stating to the rest of the league, "This is your chance to take your last shot at me." After losing Game 1 of the1966 Finals to the Lakers in overtime, he publicly named his successor, centerBill Russell.[27] The Celtics won the series in seven games.[28]
Russell took over as a player-coach for the1966–67 NBA season, becoming the firstAfrican American head coach in the four major North American professional team sports.[3] While his pupil led the Celtics to two additional titles in 1968 and 1969, Auerbach rebuilt the aging Celtics with shrewd draft picks, namely future Hall of FamersDave Cowens andJo Jo White, as well asPaul Westphal andDon Chaney. With ex-player Tom Heinsohn coaching the Celtics and led by former sixth manJohn Havlicek, Auerbach's recruits won theAtlantic Division every year from 1972 to 1976, winning the NBA title in1974 and1976. Auerbach also signed veteran forward/centerPaul Silas and ex-ABA starCharles Scott.[10]
However, Auerbach could not prevent the Celtics from going south at the end of the 1970s. He traded away both Silas and Westphal because they wanted salary increases that would have made them higher earners than what he believed to be the best player on the Celtics (Cowens), which was not acceptable to Auerbach. While the Westphal trade to thePhoenix Suns in exchange forCharlie Scott was considered a success due to the Celtics' 13th title in 1976, Auerbach later admitted he erred in letting Silas go, even after Cowens personally begged him to give Silas a new deal. When Havlicek retired in 1978, the Celtics went 61–103 in two seasons.[10] In the summer of 1978, after the worst in a string of contentious clashes with several different owners after Walter Brown's passing in 1964, Auerbach hopped into a taxi to take him toLogan Airport, where he was to board a flight to New York to consider a lucrative contract offer from Knicks ownerSonny Werblin. However, the cab driver pleaded with him to stay, emphasizing how much Bostonians loved him and considered him their family.[29] Soon after, heading a team press conference, and with his typical bravado, Auerbach puffed on his trademark cigar and stated: "I'm not going anywhere. We're going to signLarry Bird and we're going to be on top again." Despite knowing that Bird, a talented young player from unheralded Indiana State, had a year of college eligibility remaining, he had drafted Bird as a junior eligible in the1978 NBA draft. He waited for a year until the future Hall of Fame forward Bird arrived, finally setting aside his team salary rules when it became clear that his choices were paying Bird a record-setting rookie salary or watching him re-enter the 1979 draft. Bird then became the highest-paid Celtic as a rookie, with a $650,000-per-year deal. Auerbach knew the brilliant, hard-working Bird would be the cornerstone of a new Celtics generation.[3]
In 1980, Auerbach pulled off what became known as "The Steal of The Century".[30] He convinced theGolden State Warriors to trade him a #3 overall pick and future Hall-of-Fame centerRobert Parish in exchange for two picks in the1980 NBA draft: #1 overallJoe Barry Carroll and the #13 pickRickey Brown. With the #3 pick, Auerbach selected the player he most wanted in the draft,Kevin McHale, who would also be inducted into the Hall of Fame. The Parish-McHale-Birdfrontcourt became one of the greatest in NBA history. Auerbach also hired head coachBill Fitch, who led the revamped Celtics to the1981 title.
In 1983, Auerbach named former Celtics playerK.C. Jones as the coach. Starting in 1984, Jones coached the Celtics to four straight appearances in theNBA Finals, winning championships in1984 and1986.
Auerbach, as a part-time side gig, was thecolor analyst on NBA and college basketball games forTBS Sports from 1982 to 1987.[31][32]
In 1984, after he relinquished his general managing duties toJan Volk, Auerbach focused on continuing as president and later vice-chairman of theBoston Celtics.[10] In a surprising move after winning their 15th title, he traded popular guardGerald Henderson, the Game 2 hero in the Finals against the Lakers, for Seattle's first-round draft pick in 1986. Two years later, after the Celtics defeated Houston in the finals for their 16th championship, he used the second overall pick in the 1986 draft, the pick acquired from Seattle, to take college prodigyLen Bias from Maryland, arguably the most brilliant coup in Auerbach's stellar career. With the team's star players still in their prime, the defending champions appeared set to compete at the top for years. However, tragedy struck just two days later, when Bias died of acocaine overdose. Several years later, Celtics star playerReggie Lewis died suddenly in 1993. Without any league compensation for either loss, the team fell into decline, not seeing another Finals appearance in Auerbach's lifetime.[10]
In an interview, Auerbach confessed that he lost interest in big-time managing in the early 1990s, preferring to stay in the background and concentrating on his pastimes,racquetball and his cigar-smoking. He would, however, stay on with the Celtics as president until 1997, as vice chairman until 2001, and then became president again, a position he held until his death,[25] although in his final years, he was weakened by heart problems and often used a wheelchair.[33]
Auerbach was one of four children of American-born Marie Auerbach and Russian-Jewish immigrant Hyman Auerbach in Brooklyn. His brother Zang Auerbach, 4 years his junior, was a respected cartoonist and portraitist at theWashington Star.[26] Zang also helped create the iconicBoston Celtics leprechaun logo.[34]
Auerbach married Dorothy Lewis in the spring of 1941. The couple had two daughters, Nancy and Randy.[25] They also helped raise Nancy's daughter Julie.
Auerbach enjoyed smoking cigars. In the 1960s, some Boston restaurants displayed signs stating, "No cigar or pipe smoking, except for Red Auerbach".[25] In addition, Auerbach was well known for his love ofChinese food. In an interview shortly before his death, he explained that since the 1950s, Chinese takeout was the most convenient nutrition: NBA teams used to travel on regular flights and had a tight schedule, so filling up the stomach with heavier non-Chinese food meant wasting time and risking travel-sickness. Over the years, Auerbach became so fond of this food that he even became a part-owner of a Chinese restaurant in Boston.[26] Despite a heart operation, he remained active in his 80s, playing racquetball and making frequent public appearances.
Despite his fierce nature, Auerbach was popular among his players. He recalled that at his 75th birthday party, 45 of his former players showed up;[25] and when he turned 80, his perennial 1960s-era foeWilt Chamberlain showed up, a gesture Auerbach dearly appreciated.[26]
In an interview withESPN, Auerbach stated that his all-star fantasy team would consist of Bill Russell—who in the former's opinion was the ultimate player to start a franchise with—as well asBob Pettit,Elgin Baylor,Oscar Robertson andJerry West, withJohn Havlicek as thesixth man. As for the greatest basketball players of all time, Auerbach's candidates were Russell,Larry Bird,Magic Johnson,Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, andMichael Jordan. Auerbach made multiple such "all-time" rankings over the years, with his last one being in June 2006, months before his death. Auerbach talked about his fictional team with journalist Ken Shouler which featured the following: Abdul-Jabbar, Chamberlain, and Russell at center; Bird,Erving, Pettit, and Baylor at forward; and Robertson, Jordan, Havlicek, Johnson, and Cousy at guard.[25]
Auerbach was elected to the American Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1991. In 1993, Auerbach received an honoraryDoctor of Public Service fromGeorge Washington University.[13]
Auerbach died of aheart attack on October 28, 2006, at the age of 89.[35] NBA commissionerDavid Stern said, "The void caused by his death will never be filled." PlayersBill Russell,K.C. Jones,John Havlicek andLarry Bird, as well as contemporaries likeJerry West,Pat Riley, andWayne Embry, universally hailed Auerbach as one of the greatest personalities in NBA history.[33] Bird stated, "Red shared our passion for the game, our commitment to excellence, and our desire to do whatever it takes to win." Auerbach was survived by his daughters Nancy and Randy; his granddaughter Julie; and his great-grandchildren Peter, Hope and Noelle. Auerbach was interred inFalls Church, Virginia, at King David Memorial Gardens within National Memorial Park on October 31, 2006. Attendees included basketball dignitaries Bill Russell, Kevin McHale,Danny Ainge, and David Stern.[36]
During the2006–07 NBA season,NBA TV and NBA.com airedreruns of Auerbach's four-minute instructional videos known as "Red on Roundball" previously aired duringNBA on CBS halftime shows in the 1970s and 1980s, and as a testament to his importance in the Boston sports world, theBoston Red Sox honored Auerbach at their April 20, 2007 game against theNew York Yankees by wearing green uniforms and by hanging replicated Celtics championship banners on the "Green Monster" atFenway Park. Boston won 7–6.[37][38]
Before Boston'sseason opener against theWizards, his signature was officially placed on the parquet floor near center court, thereby naming the court as "Red Auerbach Parquet Floor". The ceremony was attended by his daughter Randy and Celtics legends. The signature replaced the Red Auerbach memorial logo used during the2007 season.[39]
Auerbach was the author of seven books. His first,Basketball for the Player, the Fan and Coach, has been translated into seven languages and is the best-selling basketball book in print.[3] His second book, co-authored with Paul Sann, wasWinning the Hard Way. He also wrote a pair of books with Joe Fitzgerald:Red Auerbach: An Autobiography andRed Auerbach On and Off the Court. In October 1991,M.B.A.: Management by Auerbach was co-authored with Ken Dooley. In 1994,Seeing Red was written withDan Shaughnessy. In October 2004, his last book,Let Me Tell You a Story, was co-authored with sports journalistJohn Feinstein.
Auerbach is widely regarded as one of the greatest coaches in NBA history.[40] The NBA'sCoach of the Year Award is named in his honour. Auerbach is remembered as a shrewd coach and executive with a fierce sense of loyalty to his players.[41] Many of his former players, includingBill Russell andDon Nelson, became successful coaches in the NBA.
In 1985, the Celtics retired a number 2 jersey with Auerbach's name, to recognize his significant contributions to the franchise.[42]
In 1985, astatue of Auerbach was unveiled outside ofQuincy Market in Downtown Boston[43]
Auerbach was included in the 2008 documentaryThe First Basket, which chronicles the history of Jews in Basketball.[44]
In 2018, the Celtics opened theRed Auerbach Center as the team's new practice facility and headquarters.[45]
Auerbach favoured thefast break strategy, which involved a quick outlet pass to fast-moving guards who attempted to score before the opposing team could re-establish its defensive position.[3] Auerbach is credited for transforming basketball into a team sport that emphasized defence.[46] He also invented the concept of the role player and thesixth man,[3][47] stating: "Individual honors are nice, but no Celtic has ever gone out of his way achieving them. We have never had the league's top scorer. We won seven league championships without placing even one among the league's top 10 scorers. Our pride was never rooted in statistics."[10]
Auerbach is remembered for his unique tactics, which have been described as "psychological warfare." He attempted to provoke opposing players and officials with unabashedtrash talk. He was ejected more often and received more fines than any other coach in NBA history.[25] One notable incident came during a preseason game in 1983, when Auerbach stormed the court and screamed nose-to-nose with the 6'10" 260-poundMoses Malone. Auerbach was softer with his own players.Earl Lloyd, the first black player to play in the NBA, said: "Red Auerbach convinced his players that he loved them... so all they wanted to do was please him."[25]
The Celtics have internally awarded the Arnold "Red" Auerbach Award since 2006, which recognizes a player or coach who "best exemplifies the spirit and meaning of a true Celtic."[48]
| Regular season | G | Games coached | W | Games won | L | Games lost | W–L % | Win–loss % |
| Playoffs | PG | Playoff games | PW | Playoff wins | PL | Playoff losses | PW–L % | Playoff win–loss % |
| Team | Year | G | W | L | W–L% | Finish | PG | PW | PL | PW–L% | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | 1946–47 | 60 | 49 | 11 | .817 | 1st in Eastern | 6 | 2 | 4 | .333 | Lost inBAA semifinals |
| Washington | 1947–48 | 48 | 28 | 20 | .583 | 2nd in Western (tie) | - | - | - | – | Lost division tiebreaker |
| Washington | 1948–49 | 60 | 38 | 22 | .633 | 2nd in Eastern | 11 | 6 | 5 | .545 | Lost inBAA Finals |
| Tri-Cities | 1949–50 | 57 | 28 | 29 | .491 | 2nd in Eastern | 3 | 1 | 2 | .333 | Lost inDivision semifinals |
| Boston | 1950–51 | 69 | 39 | 30 | .565 | 2nd in Eastern | 2 | 0 | 2 | .000 | Lost inDivision semifinals |
| Boston | 1951–52 | 66 | 39 | 27 | .591 | 2nd in Eastern | 3 | 1 | 2 | .333 | Lost inDivision semifinals |
| Boston | 1952–53 | 71 | 46 | 25 | .648 | 3rd in Eastern | 6 | 3 | 3 | .500 | Lost inDivision finals |
| Boston | 1953–54 | 72 | 42 | 30 | .583 | 3rd in Eastern | 2 | 0 | 2 | .000 | Lost inDivision finals |
| Boston | 1954–55 | 72 | 36 | 36 | .500 | 4th in Eastern | 7 | 3 | 4 | .429 | Lost inDivision finals |
| Boston | 1955–56 | 72 | 39 | 33 | .542 | 2nd in Eastern | 3 | 1 | 2 | .333 | Lost inDivision semifinals |
| Boston | 1956–57 | 72 | 44 | 28 | .611 | 1st in Eastern | 10 | 7 | 3 | .700 | WonNBA Championship |
| Boston | 1957–58 | 72 | 49 | 23 | .681 | 1st in Eastern | 11 | 6 | 5 | .545 | Lost inNBA Finals |
| Boston | 1958–59 | 72 | 52 | 20 | .722 | 1st in Eastern | 11 | 8 | 3 | .727 | WonNBA Championship |
| Boston | 1959–60 | 75 | 59 | 16 | .787 | 1st in Eastern | 13 | 8 | 5 | .615 | WonNBA Championship |
| Boston | 1960–61 | 79 | 57 | 22 | .722 | 1st in Eastern | 10 | 8 | 2 | .800 | WonNBA Championship |
| Boston | 1961–62 | 80 | 60 | 20 | .750 | 1st in Eastern | 14 | 8 | 6 | .571 | WonNBA Championship |
| Boston | 1962–63 | 80 | 58 | 22 | .725 | 1st in Eastern | 13 | 8 | 5 | .615 | WonNBA Championship |
| Boston | 1963–64 | 80 | 59 | 21 | .738 | 1st in Eastern | 10 | 8 | 2 | .800 | WonNBA Championship |
| Boston | 1964–65 | 80 | 62 | 18 | .775 | 1st in Eastern | 12 | 8 | 4 | .667 | WonNBA Championship |
| Boston | 1965–66 | 80 | 54 | 26 | .675 | 2nd in Eastern | 17 | 11 | 6 | .647 | WonNBA Championship |
| Career | 1417 | 938 | 479 | .662 | 168 | 99 | 69 | .589 |
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