Eddie Gottlieb
1947 BAA Champion | Philadelphia Warriors Head Coach | Hall of Fame Contributor
Eddie Gottlieb was born on September 15, 1898, in Kiev, in the Russian Empire, now Kyiv, Ukraine. He became one of the most influential organizers, promoters, coaches, and executives in early professional basketball.
Gottlieb helped establish the Basketball Association of America in 1946 and became the first head coach of the Philadelphia Warriors.
He led Philadelphia to the first BAA championship in 1947 and remained the Warriors' head coach through the 1954-1955 season. He finished his BAA/NBA coaching career with a 263-318 record.
Gottlieb was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor in 1972. Coach Gottlieb passed away on December 7, 1979, at the age of 81.
- Overall Coaching Record: 263-318
Coaching Career
Gottlieb became the first head coach of the Philadelphia Warriors when the Basketball Association of America began play in 1946.
The Warriors went 35-25 in their first season and defeated the Chicago Stags in the 1947 BAA Finals to win the league's first championship.
Philadelphia returned to the Finals in 1948 but lost to the Baltimore Bullets. Gottlieb remained head coach through the 1954-1955 season as the BAA became the NBA.
He finished his Warriors coaching career with a 263-318 regular-season record and a 15-17 playoff record before moving fully into ownership and executive work.
Notable Players Coached
- Joe Fulks
- Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
- 1947 BAA champion
- 1947 BAA scoring champion
- Paul Arizin
- Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
- 1956 NBA champion
- 10× NBA All-Star
- Neil Johnston
- Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
- 1956 NBA champion
- 6× NBA All-Star
- George Senesky
- 1947 BAA champion
- Future 1956 NBA champion as Warriors head coach