Bill Sharman, Who Won 4 Titles With Celtics, Dies At 87

October 25, 2013

The Associated Press

Bill Sharman, the Hall of Famer who won NBA titles as a player for the Boston Celtics and a coach for the Los Angeles Lakers, has died. He was 87.

Celtic Bill Sharman holds the ball as Cliff Hagan (16) of the St. Louis Hawks guards in a playoff game at the Boston Garden on March 30, 1958. Sharman died Friday at the age of 87. (J. Walter Green/AP)

Sharman died Friday at his home in Redondo Beach, the Lakers announced.

Sharman's unique basketball career spanned both sides of the Celtics-Lakers rivalry.

He won four NBA titles during an 11-season career as a shooting guard in Boston. Sharman then spent the past four decades with Los Angeles as a successful coach and front office executive.

Sharman coached the 1971-72 Lakers to a championship with 69 victories and a 33-game winning streak, the longest in pro sports history.

Sharman was elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a player in 1976 and a coach in 2004.

This program aired on October 25, 2013. The audio for this program is not available.

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