17.6 PPG, 13.6 RPG, 3.8 APG, 46 FG%, 78 FT%
“Dave Cowens earned a berth in the Basketball Hall of Fame because of his tenacity and work ethic as a mainstay of the Boston Celtics in the 1970s, leading the team to NBA Championships in 1974 and 1976. Playing in the era of Julius “Dr. J” Erving, Wilt “the Stilt” Chamberlain, and “Pistol Pete” Maravich, Cowens didn’t possess the flash and glitz of those high-profile superstars. Instead, it was Cowens’ consistency, work ethic, unselfishness, versatility and energy that established him as one of the most solid and respected centers in recent NBA history.
Of his 11 years in the league, all but one was spent with the Boston Celtics. An unlikely hero in a sport dominated by men of greater size and natural ability, the red-haired lefthander relied on hustle and heart to achieve NBA greatness. His determination helped to resurrect a Celtics dynasty presumed dead after the departure of legend Bill Russell. Cowens ultimately joined his venerated predecessor in the Hall of Fame, a feat he never dreamed of achieving.
‘I never thought of myself as a superstar,’ Cowens said on the eve of his Hall of Fame induction in 1991. ‘I represent the working class of the NBA. I’m honored they’ve selected me, because I could name a whole lot of guys who were better than Dave Cowens. You have to play with the right people and get picked by the right team. Let’s face it — I was pretty lucky.’” [Read]
[Note: RSS readers, there is a video within this blog]
[Sources: NBA.com, Basketball-Reference.com]
