Bob Cousy learned his basketball in the playgrounds of New York and refined his skills at Holy Cross and Boston Garden, where he dazzled the basketball world and earned the title Mr. Basketball.
As a freshman at Holy Cross, he was a contributing member of the 1947 NCAA championship team. In his sophomore, junior and senior years he led Holy Cross to two more NCAA Tournaments and garnered All-East and All-America honors in the process. His teams also set the school record for consecutive victories, winning 29 straight games from March 4, 1949 to March 4, 1950.
Following his graduation, Cousy went on to play many years with the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association, helping build the team's dynasty of the 1950s and 1960s. On the Celtics, Cousy won six championships in seven seasons, led the league in assists for eight years straight, and was named NBA Most Valuable Player in 1957.
In addition to his accomplishments on the court, Cousy was a big ' and early ' proponent of diversity in the NBA and was a supporter of his black teammates during the civil rights movement.
Cousy was inducted into the Holy Cross Varsity Club Hall of Fame in 1956 and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1971. His jersey has been retired by both Holy Cross (No. 17 in 2008) and the Celtics (No. 14 in 1963). In addition, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2019.
