Fun With Bill and Bob

Bob Cousy and Bill Sharman terrorized the NBA for ten years together in Boston’s backcourt. Cousy revolutionized the point guard position and Sharman became the prototypical shooting guard. They were also roommates for those ten years.

Bill Sharman: “Cousy was a lot like Magic Johnson, in that he was an innovator and his first instincts were to get you a good shot. On the fast break, he was an artist, inventing something new – he was way ahead of his time.”

Bob Cousy: “Bill was a unique pro player for the time. He was the first to believe in a structured exercise program. Before the game, we’d sit around the dressing room, talk, maybe drink some water, and there would be Sharman on the floor doing situps, pushups, stretches, and everything that is common to most teams today.”

Bill Sharman: “Red and Cousy changed my feelings about the NBA. Red was a great coach, an innovator who emphasized conditioning. We had the same philosophy. Cousy made the game easy for me. All I had to do was get open and he got me the ball.”

Tom Heinsohn: “Red made us do pushups and other exercises, but the minute Red turned his back, most of us would stop. Not Sharman. He’d do every pushup in perfect form.”

Bob Cousy: “Bill was known for his offense, but his defense – his defense was extreme. He would blanket players. He had this thing about Andy Phillip. I don’t know what, but it was obvious Phillip once pissed Bill off, and Sharman would guard Andy full court. He’d dog him every step, every minute on the court. If Bill sat out for a minute and Phillip scored a basket on me, Bill would be all over my ass. There were other examples of how focused he’d get on something, and he was so intense it could be scary. He got into a lot of fights, and never with guys his own size. Usually, he’d start flailing away at some seven-footer. The fans would come storming out of the seats and most of us with common sense just wanted to head for the hills, but Bill would take on everybody. He had two personalities. Off the court, he was the most compassionate, gentle and polite man I’ve met. Something would happen when he pulled on that uniform and he’s switch into a killer mode.”

Don Barksdale: “Sharman was the opposite of Cousy. He wasn’t a flashy player at all. He did the same things, took the same shots over and over. He wasn’t very fast of foot but he had a quick release on his shot and his knowledge of the game was a bitch. You’d look at the box score and see he had twenty points and ask, “Just how did he do that?” Whereas you could remember every one of Cousy’s baskets.”

Bob Cousy: “Bill and I gave each other a lot of room and that is why we got along so great. Also, we had great respect for each other. Bill was the most disciplined so of a gun I’ve ever seen. On the court, he never took a bad shot. Never. He was in constant motion, running the court in a circle and running his defensive man into picks. Eventually, he either ran his man into the ground or wiped him out on a pick and was open. Then, his shot was automatic.”

Gene Conley: “My rookie year was 1952, and on one trip Red told me to room with Sharman. I had no idea about his routines. Every morning of a game day, we had to find a gym so Bill could shoot around. He was the first coach to use a shootaround, but he also did it as a player. He held his own shootaround. If the main arena was closed, we’d go to the YMCA. Mostly, he shot and I rebounded for him. At exactly two p.m., we took a nap. He’d pull down the shades and that was it – lights out. About five, we’d have tea and toast. Tea with honey, because he believed that gave you energy. Finally, he had those index cards with little notes on them. One dealt with his jump shot, reminding himself to square off, follow through and all that stuff. He had notes on opponents, and he’d take those cards to the arena and then look them over before the game.”

Bob Cousy: “Bill was the most structured person I’ve ever seen. He put the same clothes in the same places in the room. I always literally lived out of my suitcase, but Bill had to hang up everything even if we were going to be in a town for only twelve hours. I’d watch him take everything out of that damn suitcase, and then a few hours later watch him put everything back into the suitcase – in the exact spots where he took them out. I never asked him why he did the things he did. Your roommate is like your wife. She wants to do that, fine, as long as it doesn’t bother you.”

Bill Sharman: “I believe that details make a difference. There were a lot of players with more talent than I had. I believed that if I could do the little things, I could beat them.”

Bob Cousy: “We hated to play HORSE with Sharman. When most of us played, we took crazy shots from behind the backboard, with our eyes closed. Not Sharman. He played that game like he practiced. He’d want to shoot free throws – and it was nothing for him to make fifty in a row. Or he’d take his favorite twelve-foot bank shot, and make fifty of those. So he’d always win, but he was no fun at HORSE. We just let him practice by himself.”

Tom Heinsohn: “We always thought Cousy and Sharman were some pair. Bill had all his eccentricities, and poor Cousy had nightmares. Once we were at a hotel where they didn’t have enough rooms, so they put three of us in a room – Cousy, Conley and myself. Conley met some buddies and went out for a few pops. Cousy and I went to bed. The next morning, I woke up and there was no Conley. At six a.m. we were meeting in the lobby to leave and there was Conley sleeping on the damn sofa. I said, “Geno, you had a room with us.” Conley said, “I know. I went into the room. Cousy stood straight up in the bed and screamed at me, “Get out!” He scared the hell out of me, so I went downstairs. Cousy didn’t remember a thing. But he told me that he had these nightmares where he was being chased.”

Ed Macauley: “Cousy and I were in a car. I was driving and talking to him for quite a while, but he never responded. I looked at him. His eyes were wide open. I said something to him. He didn’t move – he just stared straight, wide-eyed and fast asleep.”

Jim Loscutoff: “I roomed with Cousy once. He walked in his sleep. He came to the side of my bed, looked down, and screamed. I don’t know how Sharman roomed with him all those years, but when we asked Sharman, he’d act like he had no idea what we were talking about. Maybe Bill just slept through everything.”

Great stories, Spike. Cooz and Sharman were darned close to inseparable off the court. There was a wonderful story about the two of them on a road trip. I wish I knew who wrote it or in what magazine it appeared (possibly Sport, which I usually devoured).

I don't remember most of the article, but two things come to mind. Every few minutes on plane trips, both of them would ask for a container of milk. They must have been super-calcified. I tried doing that, and (1) it had no effect on my basketball ability and (2) I got a lot of flight attendants pissed at me.

Also, they had a running game called alternately "Oh Hell" and "Cray Whist." They'd sometimes dupe teammates or sportswriters into playing with them, and Coo and Bill would clean up (relatively speaking, considering the low stakes). I learned to play that game, and I really enjoyed it.

Sam

Two things about Bill Sharman that never seem to get mentioned: 1) his welcome of Jerry West into the NBA, and 2) his crucial role in turning the L.A. Lakers from perennial losers into winners.

When Jerry West was a rookie, his coach, Fred Schaus, who had also been his college coach, refused to start him or let him play extended minutes. So when West came off the bench for his first game against the Celtics, the cagy veteran Sharman was waiting for him. West had two inches on Sharman and could get his perfect jump shot off in a hurry. He proceeded to hit four or five in a row over Bill, who took defense very seriously, as Cousy pointed out. So, the next time West got his hands on the ball, Sharman didn't wait for him to shoot but decked the rookie with a hard right to the chin. Welcome to the NBA, Jerry. Take two foul shots and call me in the morning.

What's rather touching is that West became Sharman's protege after his playing career ended. Sharman signed on as coach of the Lakers in 1971-72 and, that same season, led them to their first title in L.A. When he became GM, he put together Showtime. And, he mentored West.

Now, let me guess why Bill Sharman never seems to get mentioned for his role in turning the Lakers into champions. Could it be because he himself was Red Auerbach's protege?

This is no knock on the Lakers. They gained my respect in much the same way that Sharman gained West's. Just wanted to give an ex-Celtic credit where credit is due, and, point out an overlooked example of the tremendous influence on basketball by Red and his flotilla of coaching and general managing disciples.