BILLSHARMAN
BOSTON CELTICSBill Sharman — 4× NBA champion, 8× All-Star, later an NBA champion head coach. Career stats, bio and legacy of one of basketball's great shooters and innovators.
4×NBA CHAMPION
8×ALL-STARBill Sharman biography — NBA career story, legacy, championships, awards and personal background.
Career timeline, milestones, and place among all-time greats.
The only man to win championships in three different professional leagues as a coach — the ABL, the ABA, and the NBA — Bill Sharman built one legacy as a sharpshooter and an entirely separate one as an innovator on the sideline. Born May 25, 1926, in Abilene, Texas. Died October 25, 2013, in Redondo Beach, California, at age 87. Height 6 ft 1 in (185 cm).
He starred at USC (1946–1950), also briefly playing minor-league baseball for the Brooklyn Dodgers organization. Drafted by the Washington Capitols in 1950, he found his career with the Boston Celtics (1951–1961), forming one of the greatest backcourts in league history alongside Bob Cousy.
Sharman won four NBA championships with the Celtics. An eight-time NBA All-Star, he made the All-NBA First Team four times and led the league in free-throw percentage a record seven seasons, retiring with a career mark of .883. After his playing days, he coached the Los Angeles Lakers to the 1972 NBA championship — the same season the team won a record 33 straight games — and was named Coach of the Year.
Career playing totals: 12,665 points (17.8 ppg), 2,779 rebounds (3.9 rpg), 2,101 assists (3.0 apg) over 710 games.
His No. 21 was retired by the Boston Celtics. Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player (1976) and a coach (2004).
Bill Sharman quick facts — Height 6'1. 17.8 PPG career average. Championship years: 1957, 1959, 1960, 1961.
Height, weight, draft year, and years in the league.
Bill Sharman awards and honors — Championship years: 1957, 1959, 1960, 1961.
Major individual and team accolades with seasons won.
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Bill Sharman career statistics summary — 17.8 PPG career average.
Regular-season averages and totals across the full NBA career.
Bill Sharman career highs — best single-game performances in points, rebounds, assists and more.
Personal records with dates and opponents.
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Bill Sharman advanced stats — PER, win shares, BPM and overall impact metrics.
Impact measured beyond traditional box score statistics.
Bill Sharman playoff stats — postseason points, rebounds, assists and games played.
Postseason production across every playoff run.
Bill Sharman All-Star Game stats — appearances, minutes and showcase performance.
Mid-season exhibition stats across every All-Star selection.
Bill Sharman NBA transactions — trades, signings and team changes by date.
Team moves and dates across every NBA stop.
FAQ about Bill Sharman — rings, MVP awards, career stats, height.
Answers to the most searched questions about championships and career honors.
Bill Sharman averaged 17.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.0 assists per game in the regular season.
Players similar to Bill Sharman — statistical peers by position, peak seasons and career arc.
All-time comparisons with the closest playing profile.
NoteThe club shown in the profile isn't necessarily the player's last team, but the one he's most associated with and that defined his career. See the full team history in the Transactions section.