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Behind the CoachingHonoring the Impact of Sports Coaching
Coach Profile

Bill Sharman

Bill Sharman

1972 NBA Champion Coach | 1972 NBA Coach of the Year | Hall of Fame Player and Coach

William Walton Sharman was born May 25, 1926, in Abilene, Texas. The Hall of Fame shooting guard won four NBA championships as a Boston Celtics player before building a distinguished coaching and executive career.

His professional coaching journey included the San Francisco Warriors, the ABA’s Los Angeles and Utah Stars, and the Los Angeles Lakers. Sharman’s 1971 Utah Stars won the ABA title, while his 1972 Lakers won the NBA championship after a then-record 69-win regular season.

Sharman went 333-240 in 573 NBA regular-season games; ABA victories are counted separately. He won NBA Coach of the Year in 1972 and later held executive roles with the Lakers.

He died on October 25, 2013, at the age of 87.

  • Overall Coaching Record: 333-240 (NBA only; ABA games excluded)

Coaching Career

Sharman took the Warriors job in 1966. His first team finished 44-37 in 1966-67, won the Western Division playoff bracket and reached the NBA Finals, losing to Philadelphia.

Golden State went 43-39 in 1967-68 and returned to the postseason. Over two campaigns, Sharman coached the Warriors to an 87-76 record.

He then crossed to the ABA, eventually winning the 1971 title with the Utah Stars before returning to the NBA.

Notable Players Coached

Sharman joined the Lakers for 1971-72 and helped engineer an extraordinary campaign: 69 regular-season wins, a 33-game winning streak and an NBA championship over the New York Knicks.

He earned the 1972 NBA Coach of the Year award. Los Angeles again reached the Finals in 1973 but lost to New York; later teams faced aging stars and roster changes.

His five Lakers seasons produced a 246-164 regular-season record. Sharman moved into a team-executive role in 1976 and remained associated with the franchise’s subsequent success.

Notable Players Coached

  • Wilt Chamberlain
    • Hall of Fame center and 1972 Finals MVP
  • Jerry West
    • Hall of Fame guard and longtime Lakers star
  • Gail Goodrich
    • Hall of Fame guard and leading scorer on the 1972 championship team