Great NBA player

[Reality]

"Cow".
6'8" Center for the Celts.
'74 and '76 title teams.
Worked over Kareem for the '74 title.
'76 triple OT game vs Phx some have called one of the greatest ever to watch.  

Teamates Jo Jo White, Johny Havilchek in his twilight, Paul Silas.

Drafted by Red as a forward.  Bill Russel convinced Red to let Cow go at Center.

Great moments in "real" NBA hoop.

Anyone remember the Cow?

[jn]

I remember him a little.  He was at the tail end of his career with Boston in the early 80's when I really got hooked on the NBA.  McHale reportedly contacted Cowens about the Wolves coaching job but apparently Cowens' had no interest whatsoever.  

[Joe Vancil]

EGAD.  Cowens was an AWFUL coach.

My only experience seeing Cowens as a player was with his last year or so with the Celtics, and his time with the Milwaukee Bucks, when Boston traded him for (one of my personal favorites) Quinn Buckner.

I never saw him as being that special.  He was at the tail end of his career when I saw him.

But as a coach?  THIS GUY IS AWFUL.  McHale should be fired for even speaking to him on the telephone in a general conversation whenever there's a coaching vacancy!

 

[Reality]

The Cow Celts won 5 straight Atlantic Divisions.  '73 was 68-14, altho they lost in the ECFs.  Titles in '74 & '76.  George McGinnis and Julius Erving joining the 6ers and ended that run in '76-77.

Cow played one year with Larry Bird, that being 1979-80.  Cow somewhat stunned the Celts by retiring before the 80-81 season.  That year Bob Parish and Tiny Archibald joined Corny Maxwell and co, coming over in what would begin the best hoop team of all time, the 80s Celts.  Cow missed out subbing on one of those teams.

Triva Q.  
Cow was 1970 co-rookie of the year with whom?

[ziggy]

The Cow Celts won 5 straight Atlantic Divisions.  '73 was 68-14, altho they lost in the ECFs.

Cow played one year with Larry Bird, that being 1979-80.  Cow somewhat stunned the Celts by retiring before the 80-81 season.  That year Bob Parish and Tiny Archibald joined Corny Maxwell and co, coming over in what would begin the best hoop team of all time, the 80s Celts.  Cow missed out subbing on one of those teams.

Triva Q.  
Cow was 1970 co-rookie of the year with whom?

Geoff Petrie

[rickortreat]

Dave Cowens was a very hard worker and a decent passer.

But the best team of all time was the 66-67 Sixers that won 68 games in the regular season and eliminated the Celtics team that won 60 games in the same season.  With Russell at Center the Celts lost in 5 games.

Most of you are too young to remmember these guys, but Wilt Chamberlain was in his prime, and they had Chet Walker, Luke Jackson, Hal Greer, Wally Jones and Billy Cunningham as their sixth man.

There hasn't been a team before or since that could beat that team.