David William Cowens ( ; born October 25, 1948) is an American former professional basketball player and NBA head coach. At , he played the center position and occasionally played power forward. Cowens spent most of his playing career with the Boston Celtics. He was the 1971 NBA Rookie of the Year and the 1973 NBA Most Valuable Player. Cowens won NBA championships as a member of the Celtics in 1974 and 1976. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991. Throughout his career Cowens was known for being an undersized center, however he made up for his height with hustle and athleticism. His family lived in a modest two-story home on Lexington Avenue in East Newport, with his extended relatives such as his grandparents and a great-aunt.
Growing up Cowens spent his time fishing in the Ohio River, adventuring into Cincinnati by hopping freight trains, often self-funding trips via odd jobs. He attended St. Anthony's School in Bellevue, at the age of eight he began playing organized basketball joining an organized basketball team practicing in the church basement gym, he also participated in many other sports growing up such as baseball, track and field, football, and swimming.
College career
thumb|Cowens (to the left) next to Dave Chadwick in 1969
Coming out of high school Cowens was mainly recruited from schools in the Ohio Valley Conference along with Kentucky University and Florida State University. However his high school coach later recommended Florida State University, and head coach Hugh Durham later promised him a starting role by his sophomore year while emphasizing resulting in Cowens committing to Florida State.
Cowens is often considered one of the best players in Florida State history. He scored 1,479 points in 78 games at Florida State, at 19.0 points per game, and ranks among Florida State's top 10 all-time scoring leaders. Cowens is the all-time Florida State leading rebounder with 1,340 rebounds (17.2 rebounds per game). He holds the team record for best seasonal rebound average (17.5 in the 1968–1969 season). He once grabbed 31 rebounds (second-best all-time) against LSU in the 1968–69 season, and also had a record 456 in one season. Jim Loscutoff had declined to have his No. 18 jersey number retired by the Celtics, instead choosing to allow other players to wear the number. This allowed Cowens to wear No. 18 as well.
During his rookie year, Cowens appeared in 81 games playing around 38 minutes a game for the Celtics. He made an immediate impact and averaged 17.0 points per game and 15.0 rebounds per game which was the most ever by a first-year Celtics player besides Bill Russell. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team and shared the NBA's Rookie of the Year honors with Portland's Geoff Petrie. He also led the league in personal fouls that same year with 350. Despite his play the Celtics missed the postseason for the first time since 1950.
During his second year in the 1971-72 season Cowens appeared in 79 games and began playing 40 minutes a game. His numbers went up slightly from his rookie year (averaging 18.8 PPG, 15.2 RPG and 3.1 APG) and he was selected to his first All-Star game. He also had 29 rebounds in a game vs. the Baltimore Bullets on January 7 of that year. He put up postseason highs in 13 games with 21.9 PPG and 16.6 RPG. He set multiple Celtics single season records, including total defensive rebounds with 993, defensive rebounds per game with 12.4, and a 90.6 defensive rating. He was also selected to his third straight All-Star Game. Cowens was instrumental in bringing the Celtics into the playoffs, where they defeated the Buffalo Braves in six games and the New York Knicks in five. In the finals, the Celtics faced the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks. The teams split the first six games, with each team winning at least once on their home court. This led to a decisive Game 7, where the Celtics faced the Bucks in Milwaukee. The Celtics prevailed thanks to a strong performance by Cowens, who recorded 28 points and 14 rebounds as the Celtics took their 12th NBA championship. Cowens went on to play 65 games that year following his return, and continued with his strong play averaging 20.4 PPG, 14.7 RPG, 4.6 APG, 1.1 BPG and a career high 1.3 steals per game. As for the rest of the season Cowens averaged 19.0 PPG, 16.0 RPG and 4.2 APG.
Eight games into the 1976–77 season on November 10, 1976, and with the Celtics on a four-game losing streak, Cowens left the team for "undisclosed reasons". Speculations included that Cowens was upset that the team didn't offer Paul Silas a new contract after the previous season and traded him to the Denver Nuggets. Other speculations were that he was unhappy with coach Tom Heinsohn and also his involvement in a lawsuit from the previous season where he allegedly struck a fan during a game against the Houston Rockets. Cowens returned to the team in January 1977 and played 50 total games throughout the year scoring 16.4 PPG, 13.9 RPG and a career high 5.0 APG. He was also selected to his sixth straight All-Star game. He helped lead the Celtics to the playoffs, where he averaged 16.6 points and 14.9 rebounds; however, they were eliminated in the second round by the Philadelphia 76ers.
During the 1977–78 season Cowens played in 77 games for the Celtics playing 40+ minutes a game. He averaged 18.6 points, 14 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 0.9 blocks, and 1.3 steals making Cowens the first player in NBA history to lead their team in all 5 major categories. Cowens has the distinction as the last player-coach in NBA history and later reflected on the experience in a 2019 interview stating:
As player-coach Cowens was still a impactful player. He appeared in 68 games that year scoring 16.6 points, 9.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. However he was not selected to the All-Star game for the first time since his second year in the league and the Celtics finished the year with a 29–53 record, missing the postseason for a second straight year. He averaged 12 points and 7.3 RPG, during what would turn out to be his final postseason run.
Cowens retired as a player in 1980, as Boston drafted Kevin McHale and traded for Robert Parish to replace him at center. Boston went on to win the 1981 NBA Championship. "I have sprained my ankle at least 30 times over the duration of my career, broken both legs and fractured a foot," Cowens said upon retiring. "Two years ago, a team of foot and bone specialists said they were amazed that I could play up to that point without sustaining serious injuries."
Player profile and legacy
Cowens stood at 6 feet 9 inches tall, and was viewed as an undersized for an NBA center during the 1970s, when many opponents of that era like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar towered over him, so to counteract his size Cowens instead used his explosive athleticism, quickness along with his stamina to make up for his height and guard multiple different positions effectively. Another part of Cowens game was his intensity, avidly diving for loose balls, maintaining full effort on every possession, and exhibiting a "perpetual motion" approach that would fatigue the opposition. During his Hall of Fame induction Cowens stated "I never thought of myself as a superstar, I represent the working class of the NBA." Former player Clyde Lee also commented on Cowens, once stating "I’d describe Cowens as a guy who, if he had to run through a brick wall to win, he would do it."
Cowens was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991. In October 2021, Cowens was again honored as one of the league's greatest players of all time by being named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team. To commemorate the NBA's 75th Anniversary The Athletic ranked their top 75 players of all time, and named Cowens as the 57th greatest player in NBA history.
The Dave Cowens Achievement award is presented each year to the top high school senior basketball players in Southeastern Massachusetts. In 2018, Cowens attended a ceremony at his high school where they dedicated a new gymnasium floor, styled in the parquet pattern of Boston Garden.
Coaching career
Boston Celtics (1978–1979)
He began his coaching career by serving as a player-coach for the Boston Celtics during the 1978–79 season, but he quit coaching after the season and returned as a full-time player before retiring in 1980.
Bay State Bombardiers (1984–1985)
Cowens coached the Bay State Bombardiers of the Continental Basketball Association in 1984–85.
San Antonio Spurs (1994–1996)
Cowens returned to the NBA coaching ranks as an assistant coach for the San Antonio Spurs in 1994–96 and was considered for the coaching job of the Boston Celtics during the 1995 offseason.
Charlotte Hornets (1996–1999)
In 1996 Cowens was named the next head coach of the Charlotte Hornets replacing Allan Bristow after the team's 42–40 finish the prior season. In his first year as head coach during the 1996–97 season, he led the team to a 13-game improvement from the following year with to 54–28 record, securing the Eastern Conference's fourth seed however they were swept by the New York Knicks before in the opening round. During the 1997-98 season he coached the team to another winning season with a 51-31 record, once again securing the fourth seed. They beat the Atlanta Hawks in the opening round 3-1 before losing to the Chicago Bulls 4-1 n the semifinals. However, tensions arose in half way through the 1998–99 season and Cowens resigned on March 8, 1999, citing dissatisfaction with his salary as one of the league's lowest-paid coaches.
Golden State Warriors (2000–2001)
Cowens was the head coach of the Golden State Warriors from 2000 to 2001. He was the head coach for the entire 2000–2001 season, before being fired 23 games into the 2001–2002 season.
Chicago Sky (2006)
In 2005–06 Cowens was appointed the first head coach and general manager of the Chicago Sky of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) however he departed after one season finishing with a 5-29 record.
Detroit Pistons (2006–2009)
Following his stint with the Chicago Sky Cowens left the team to become an assistant coach of the Detroit Pistons from 2006 to 2009.
Personal life
Cowens married his wife, Deby, in 1978. They have two daughters and several grandchildren. He splits his time between Maine and Sarasota, Florida, and still attends select Celtics games while maintaining a low-profile retirement in the local community.
In 1992 Cowens alongside Dave DeBusschere, Dave Bing, Oscar Robertson and Archie Clark founded the National Basketball Retired Players Association, which serves as the official alumni organization for the NBA, ABA, Harlem Globetrotters, and WNBA.
Politics
In 1990, Cowens, a former Democrat, ran as a Republican for Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth. However, because he did not register by June 5, 1989, he was unable to appear on the primary ballot. Cowens considered running a sticker campaign for the Republican nomination, but decided to drop out of the race.
- NBA anniversary team: 50th, 75th
- On February 8, 1981, the Boston Celtics retired Cowens's #18 jersey.
- In 1991, Cowens was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
College
- Converse - 2nd Team All-American: 1970
- Cowens was inducted into the Florida State Athletics Hall of Fame in 1977.
- National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame
Other honors
- In 1973, Cowens was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame.
- Basketball Legacy Award from The Sports Museum at TD Garden: 2017
- Kentucky High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame: 2023
NBA career statistics
Regular season
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"|Boston
| 81 || || 38.0 || .422 || || .732 || 15.0 || 2.8 || || || 17.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"|Boston
| 79 || || 40.3 || .484 || || .720 || 15.2 || 3.1 || || || 18.8
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"|Boston
| style="background:#cfecec;"|82* || || 41.8 || .452 || || .779 || 16.2 || 4.1 || || || 20.5
|-
| style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;"|†
| style="text-align:left;"|Boston
| 80 || || 41.9 || .437 || || .832 || 15.7 || 4.4 || 1.2 || 1.3 || 19.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"|Boston
| 65 || || 40.5 || .475 || || .783 || 14.7 || 4.6 || 1.3 || 1.1 || 20.4
|-
| style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;"|†
| style="text-align:left;"|Boston
| 78 || || 39.8 || .468 || || .756 || 16.0 || 4.2 || 1.2 || 0.9 || 19.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"|Boston
| 50 || || 37.8 || .434 || || .818 || 13.9 || 5.0 || 0.9 || 1.0 || 16.4
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"|Boston
| 77 || || 41.8 || .490 || || .842 || 14.0 || 4.6 || 1.3 || 0.9 || 18.6
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"|Boston
| 68 || || 37.0 || .483 || || .807 || 9.6 || 3.6 || 1.1 || 0.8 || 16.6
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"|Boston
| 66 || 55 || 32.7 || .453 || .083 || .779 || 8.1 || 3.1 || 1.0 || 0.9 || 14.2
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"|Milwaukee
| 40 || 34 || 25.4 || .444 || .000 || .825 || 6.9 || 2.1 || 0.8 || 0.4 || 8.1
|- class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career
| 766 || 89 || 38.6 || .460 || .071 || .783 || 13.6 || 3.8 || 1.1 || 0.9 || 17.6
|- class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| All-Star
| 6 || 4 || 25.7 || .500 || || .714 || 13.5 || 2.0 || 0.7 || 0.2 || 12.7
Playoffs
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|1972
| style="text-align:left;"|Boston
|11||||40.1||.455||||.596||13.8||3.0||||||15.5
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|1973
| style="text-align:left;"|Boston
|13||||46.0||.473||||.659||16.6||3.7||||||21.9
|-
| style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;"|1974†
| style="text-align:left;"|Boston
|18||||42.9||.435||||.797||13.3||3.7||1.2||0.9||20.5
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|1975
| style="text-align:left;"|Boston
|11||||43.5||.428||||.885||16.5||4.2||1.6||0.5||20.5
|-
| style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;"|1976†
| style="text-align:left;"|Boston
|18||||44.3||.457||||.759||16.4||4.6||1.2||0.7||21.0
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|1977
| style="text-align:left;"|Boston
|9||||42.1||.446||||.773||14.9||4.0||0.9||1.4||16.6
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|1980
| style="text-align:left;"|Boston
|9||||33.4||.476||.000||.909||7.3||2.3||1.0||0.8||12.0
|- class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career
| 89 || || 42.3 || .451 || .000 || .744 || 14.4 || 3.7 || 1.2 || 0.9 || 18.9
Head coaching record
NBA
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|Boston
| style="text-align:left;"|
|68||27||41|||| style="text-align:center;"|5th in Atlantic||-||-||-||
| style="text-align:center;"|Missed playoffs
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|Charlotte
| style="text-align:left;"|
|82||54||28|||| style="text-align:center;"|4th in Central||3||0||3||
| style="text-align:center;"|Lost in First Round
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|Charlotte
| style="text-align:left;"|
|82||51||31|||| style="text-align:center;"|3rd in Central||9||4||5||
| style="text-align:center;"|Lost in Conf. Semifinals
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|Charlotte
| style="text-align:left;"|
|15||4||11|||| style="text-align:center;"|(resigned)||–||–||–||–
| style="text-align:center;"|–
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|Golden State
| style="text-align:left;"|
|82||17||65|||| style="text-align:center;"|7th in Pacific||–||–||–||–
| style="text-align:center;"|Missed playoffs
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|Golden State
| style="text-align:left;"|
|23||8||15|||| style="text-align:center;"|(fired)||–||–||–||–
| style="text-align:center;"|–
|- class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:left;"|Career
| ||352||161||191|||| ||12||4||8||
WNBA
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|CHI
| style="text-align:left;"|
|34||5||29|||| style="text-align:center;"|7th in East||–||–||–||–
| style="text-align:center;"|Missed Playoffs
|- class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:left;"|Career
| ||34||5||29|||| ||||||||
See also
- List of National Basketball Association career rebounding leaders
- List of National Basketball Association single-season rebounding leaders
References
Further reading
External links
- NBA History profile