Who Was The First Black Coach In The NBA?
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The first black coach in the NBA was Bill Russell, who was hired by the Boston Celtics in 1966.
The first black coach in the NBA was Bill Russell
Bill Russell was the first black coach in the NBA. He coached the Boston Celtics from 1966 to 1969. He is a Hall of Famer and 11-time NBA champion as a player.
Russell was hired by the Boston Celtics in 1966
Samuel Dalembert (born May 10, 1981) is a Canadian professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and moved to Montreal, Quebec, Canada when he was seven years old. He played high school basketball at Jean Vanier Catholic Secondary School in Scarborough, Ontario, and now resides in Mississauga, Ontario.
Dalembert was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers with the 26th overall pick in the 2001 NBA draft. He spent his first decade in the NBA with Philadelphia, before being traded to the Sacramento Kings in 2010. He signed with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2013 before being traded back to Dallas in 2014. Dalembert has also played for the Houston Rockets and Charlotte Hornets.
In Dalembert’s rookie season he featured in all 82 games for Philadelphia and started 28 of them.[2] In his sophomore campaign he again started 28 games,[3] but only played 67 contests due to injury.[4] Following his second season Dalembert worked on improving his conditioning and overall fitness level during the summer of 2003.[5] As a result he missed only three games during the 2003–04 season and increased both his playing time and statistical production.[6][7]
Russell was a player-coach for the Celtics
Russell was a player-coach for the Celtics from 1966 to 1969, becoming the first black coach in the NBA. He retired as a player in 1969 and went on to coach the Seattle SuperSonics for four seasons. In 1970, he was named Coach of the Year after leading the SuperSonics to their first-ever playoff appearance.
Russell led the Celtics to an NBA Championship in 1968
Russell was the first black coach in the NBA, and he led the Celtics to an NBA Championship in 1968. He is also a member of the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time team.
Russell was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975
Russell was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975. He was the first black coach in the history of the NBA, and he remains the winningest coach in NBA history.
