In the late 1950s, there was a Bill Sharman appearance alongside Bob Cousy in the backcourt for the Boston Celtics to form what is often considered one of the best backcourts in the history of basketball. With Cousy making plays at his side, Sharman helped the Celtics to multiple NBA Championships. He also led the NBA in free throw percentage seven times and still holds the record for consecutive free throws in the playoffs. Sharman was named an All-NBA first-teamer four times, was a second-teamer three times, and played in eight NBA All-Star games.

The successful playing career of Bill Sharman was followed by an equally as successful coaching career. Sharman began his head coaching career with the Utah Stars of the ABA, taking them to the 1971 ABA title. The very next year, as head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, Sharman led the team on a record 33 game win streak and to their first NBA championship in more than a decade. Sharman remains one of only two men to ever lead teams to an ABA championship and an NBA championship, making him one of the most successful coaches in the history of both leagues.

Bill Sharman Speaker

While many Bill Sharman speaker appearances might focus on his playing days or his coaching day, another interesting Bill Sharman speaker topic might be his three years serving with the US Navy in World War II.

Bill Sharman Appearance

Sharman played professional baseball for the Brooklyn Dodgers system for five years, however, there was never a Bill Sharman appearance in a major league baseball game. Sharman was, however, called up late in the 1951 season. During that time, the entire Brooklyn bench was ejected from the game for arguing with the umpire, and as a result, Sharman is the only player in the history of MLB to have ever been ejected from a game without ever appearing in one.

Bill Sharman Endorsement

The best Bill Sharman endorsement of his successful career comes from this fact: Bill Sharman is one of only three people to be enshrined in the basketball hall of fame as both a coach and a player. The other two names on that elite list? John Wooden and Lenny Wilkens.