Bob "The Cooz" Cousy recently turned 96, and we will never see another of his like. Here's some interesting facts and thoughts on the 6'1" phenom:
1.) He was the 3rd-overall pick in the 1950 draft, but said "NO" to the team that drafted him (Tri-Cities Blackhawks).
2.) Red Auerbach had the first pick in that draft, but ignored Cooz, thinking he was too flashy.
3.) Cousy was picked up by the Chicago Stags, and when they folded, the Celtics reluctantly hose Cooz in the dispersal draft.
4.) Well, that turned out very well as Bob turned into the Celtics first real star.
5.) Cousy's forte was his passing skills. He led the League in assists for eight consecutive seasons, finishing with a career average of 7.5 assists per game.
6.) But Cooz was also an accomplished scorer (18.4 PPG for his career), but hardly a marksman (.375 FG).
7.) Despite his lack of height, he was also a fine rebounder (5.2 RPG).
8.) He was a 13X All-Star, 10X All-NBA First Team and 1957 NBA MVP.
9.) Post-retirement, Cousy was one of my all-time favorite NBA analysts. He told it like it was.
10.) My opinion is that Cooz may have not been an All-Star in today's game, mainly due to his long-distance set shot becoming a block party by the larger, more-athletic players of this era, but in his time, he was just what the Boston Celtics (and the entire NBA) needed - an entertaining superstar that could dominate the game of basketball. "We love ya, Cooz".
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