Bill Sharman
Inducted:
1976
Player Stats
6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
175 lb (79 kg)
Born
May 25, 1926
Abilene, Texas, U.S.
Died
October 25, 2013
Redondo Beach, California, U.S.
Position
Shooting guard
College
USC (1946–1950)
Bill Sharman was a cornerstone of the Boston Celtics dynasty and arguably the greatest shooting guard of the 1950s. Known for his meticulous preparation—including the invention of the "morning shootaround"—Sharman formed one half of the "Gold Standard" backcourt alongside Bob Cousy.
He was a pioneer of the one-handed set shot and a relentless competitor who led the Celtics in scoring during their first two championship seasons. Sharman was famously one of the first guards to shoot over 40% from the floor and was the league’s most feared free-throw shooter, leading the NBA in FT% seven times.
He is one of the few individuals to be inducted into the Hall of Fame as both a player (1976) and a coach (2004), and his legacy spans 15 total NBA championships as a player, coach, and executive.
Sharman's Awards & Honors
- Consensus first-team All-America (1950)
- 2× First-team All-PCC (1949, 1950)
- 21 retired by Boston Celtics
- 11 retired by USC Trojans
NBA Records
- 4× NBA champion (1957, 1959–1961)
- 8× NBA All-Star (1953–1960)
- NBA All-Star Game MVP (1955)
- 4× All-NBA First Team (1956–1959)
- 3× All-NBA Second Team (1953, 1955, 1960)
- NBA anniversary team (25th, 50th, 75th)
- 7× NBA Free Throw Percentage Leader (1953–1957, 1959, 1961)
NBA Teams
Washington Capitols (1950–1951)
Boston Celtics (1951–1961)
NBA Draft
1950: 2nd round, 17th overall pick
Washington Capitols
Number Worn
10, 21
NBA Stats
Seasons Played:
11 (1950-1961)
Game Played:
711
Points:
12,665 (17.8 ppg)
Rebounds:
2,779 (3.9 rpg)
Assists:
2,101 (3.0 apg)
Field Goal(%):
42.6
Free Throw(%):
88.3
Playoff Game:
78