The Greatest Point Guard In Boston Celtics History
Bob Cousy was the epitome of a traditional NBA point guard
The greatest point guard in Boston Celtics history was almost never a Celtic.
When the 1950 NBA draft came around, the Celtics’ coach Red Auerbach snubbed Bob Cousy for Charlie Share. It ultimately led to the Tri-Cities Blackhawks drafting Cousy as the fourth overall pick.
However, once Cousy refused their salary offer of just $6,000, he was picked up by the Chicago Stags. But obviously that didn’t work out, so the Celtics were forced to take him.
Cousy was determined to win the Celtics over…and let’s just say he did.
In his rookie year (1950-51), he averaged 15.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 4.9 assists. On Feb. 25, 1951, he recorded 39 points and six assists as the Celtics took a 93-83 victory against the Philadelphia Warriors. He was even named an All-Star, a honor he received every year in Boston. If the All-Rookie teams were in existence, he obviously would’ve been named to that, too.
Cousy cranked it up another level in his sophomore year.
During the 1951-52 season, he recorded 21.7 points a game, as well as 6.4 rebounds and 6.7 assists. He even turned in 10 games with 30-plus points! And, of course, he was named to the All-NBA First Team.
Cousy’s scoring took a slight dip in the next year but he increased his assist numbers to 7.7 a game. Thanks to that, he earned his first of eight straight assists titles. But here’s the most impressive part of that: He produced those numbers in an era when the shot clock wasn’t introduced yet, making it difficult for assist givers to rack up assists. Wow!
Cousy’s most productive game was at the beginning of 1953. On Jan. 18, 1953, he dished out a season-high 18 assists in a 99-83 victory against the New York Knicks.
It wasn’t until the playoffs when he had a night he’ll never forget.
In Game 2 of the 1953 NBA Eastern Division Semifinals against the Syracuse Nationals, Cousy scored a career-high 50 points which included 30 free throws. Despite recording just 10 field goals, it is still regarded as one of the greatest scoring accomplishments of all-time. The Celtics won the series but unfortunately lost to the Knicks 3-1 in the Eastern Division Finals.
The succeeding three years were huge for Cousy as he fixed himself to be one of the league’s best point guards. He averaged a combined eight assists but he did with more than just pure numbers.
He brought a whole new assemble of incredible street moves to the league. It was a mix of behind-the-back dribbles and no-look passes. A lot of folks wonder where the nickname “Houdini of the Hardwood” came from.
Well, there you have it.
Cousy averaged 19 points and seven assists in the 1953-54 season but his best game came at the beginning of the year against the Knicks. On Nov. 24, 1953, he turned in 24 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists for his third career triple-double. However, the Celtics were handed a 103-92 loss.
During the 1954-55 season, Cousy averaged 21.2 points and 7.8 assists but it was next year he had one of his best seasons.
He averaged 18.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 8.9 assists in the 1955-56 campaign. On Jan. 22, 1956, he grabbed 17 rebounds in a 129-115 loss to the Philadelphia Warriors. He also had 27 points and nine assists to go with it.
In the 1956-57 season, Cousy averaged 20.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 7.5 assists. His point average placed him eighth in the league in that category while winning his first and only MVP.
Although he brought his scoring back up, the highlight game of the season had to do with, of course, his assists. On Nov. 24, 1956, he dished out 19 dimes as the Celtics gave the Nationals a 114-99 loss.
Once the playoffs arrived, Cousy showed up, per usual. This time, he was rewarded with his first of six championships.
He averaged 20.2 points and 9.3 assists (now imagine if the Finals MVP award was around back then). As expected, he had a standout performance during this run. In Game 4 of the Finals against the St. Louis Hawks, he scored 31 points to go with four rebounds and eight assists.
After winning his championship, Cousy averaged 18 points and 7.1 assists the next season. His outing was good enough to land him a spot on the All-NBA First Team.
During the 1958-59 campaign, he logged in 20 points and 8.6 assists a game. Now, Cousy had a game that not too many players are capable of having. He was able to get his teammates involved while collecting some points for himself.
On Feb. 27, 1959, he registered 31 points and 28 assists to lead the Celtics to a 173-139 victory against the Minneapolis Lakers. If those numbers weren’t enough, here’s another fact: Cousy earned 19 of those assists in the second half!
Cousy continued to put on jaw-dropping showcases in the playoffs.
In the playoffs, he averaged 19.5 points and a career-high 10.8 assists. Now, here’s the kicker! In the Finals against the Lakers, he recorded a total of 51. Yes, 51 assists in just four games! It’s still a record that hasn’t been broken.
And yes, obviously, the Celtics won the championship.
The next year, Cousy set a career-high in assists with 9.5 a game. But he also had a career night in scoring. On Feb. 7, 1960, he scored a career-high 46 but it was a game where the Celtics ended up losing 142-135 to the Knicks.
Before retiring at 34, Cousy averaged 13.2 points and 6.8 assists in the 1962-63 season while winning his final championship.
Cousy holds the No. 1 spot on the Celtics’ all-time assists list with 6,945. He is also their sixth all-time leader in scoring with 16,955 points. Due to his contributions to the franchise, his jersey can be found in the rafters.
Cory Nelson is a contributor to Fansided’s “Wiz of Awes”. He attended Northern Virginia Community College. He can be reached at corymckenzienelson@hotmail.com or follow him on Twitter @CKenzyNelson and Instagram @ckenzynelson